O V L-KLA paper to international institutions and organisations: Relay support for publication “Masackrat in Kosovo”

The KLA War Veterans' Organisation (OVL UÇK) has announced that it has been addressed with a public letter to several international institutions and organisations that have supported this publication, calling for the withdrawal of their names from any reference to support.

Letter was sent to the Community Development Fund (CDF) ) Sweden's Embassy in Kosovo, Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF), Institute of International Education (IIE), Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) ) Swiss Embassy in Kosovo Cultural Heritage without Borders ( CHWB and Kosovo Foundation for Open Society (KFOS).

According to OVL KLA, the demand is due to serious concerns concerning the credibility and integrity of the publication of Skelzen Gashi, as well as the impact of his public exhibition in Pristina.

In his letter to these institutions, the organisation stresses that publication presents shortcomings in research methodology, lack of structured resource analysis and problems in data organisation.

Also, according to them, in some cases there are events named “massacre”, although sufficient resources are lacking, while concrete data is provided to them, which, according to O VL KLA creates contradictions and raises doubts about the accuracy of the publication.

The organisation has also raised concerns about the mode of classification of victims, labeling it a reduction, as well as inconsistencies in numeric data and the use of visual material that, according to them, does not always coincide with the events presented.

The letter notes that the involvement of international institutions as a supporter of publication creates direct links to its content and affects public perception despite formal statements of distance from copyright positions.

That's why, O VL KLA has demanded that these institutions withdraw their names from publication, stressing that preserving historical truth is moral responsibility to future victims and generations.

“Beyond this letter is required to draw their names from any reference to support in this publication due to serious concerns about its credibility and integrity. O VL KLA stresses that addressing sensitive historical themes requires high responsibility and genuine professional standards”, the statement said.

Full letter:

To the attention of the leaders of the supporting institutions,

Your Honor,

In the hope that this communication finds you well, on behalf of categories emerging from the KLA war, we're addressing you through this public letter regarding the support your institution has given to the publication “Masakrat in Kosovo, 19981999<18x1> of Mr. Shkelzen Gashi, as well as the impact his public exhibition has had on Pristina.

After a careful examination of the contents, we appreciate that this publication represents a series of serious problems that violate his faithfulness and integrity.

First, although the publication is presented as a study, it does not rely on a clear research methodology; there is no structured and critical analysis of resources, as well as a systematic data organization, drawing it closer to a summary rather than with actual research or research.

Second, in some cases events are described as “massacre”, even though publication itself acknowledges the lack of adequate resources for them. However, concrete data such as date, location, and number of victims is presented to such cases, creating a direct contradiction and raising serious doubts about the accuracy and academic responsibility of publication.

Thirdly, the mode of classifying victims through a solid division between civilians and warriors represents a reproductive approach, which does not reflect the complexity of reality on the ground and risks producing distorted interpretations of events, and is also a lack of sensitivity for victims.

Fourth, differences in the victims' numeric data have been recorded in some cases, as well as using visual material that does not always coincide with events that are supposed to appear, further weakening the credibility of publication.

In this context, we appreciate that your institution's involvement in the support section of this publication is not neutral. Despite formal statements that the views expressed do not necessarily represent donor attitudes, the very fact of financial support and public identification creates a direct link to institutional legitimacy with its contents.

Such formal distance is not enough to neutralise public perception, nor the impact this relationship produces on interpretation and acceptance of content.

Taking into account the reasons mentioned above, we consider that keeping your institution's name as a supporter of this publication violates institutional credibility and the public responsibility accompanying it.

For this reason, we ask you to draw your institution's name from any reference to support in this publication.

Maintaining historical truth is not just a matter of academicism but, rather, a moral responsibility to the victims and generations to come.

With respect,

KLA War Veterans Organisation

Pristina, Kosovo.