Albanian tragedy!

The pursuit of happiness destroyed!

I personally hold Albanians in high esteem. I can testify to the great traditions of this people through a few personal encounters I was lucky to have with a couple of them and which were brutally terminated (like in many other cases!) when "our" government proceeded to deport them again after having temporarily let them in. I also could observe a bit the Albanian community here in Hamburg and was impressed. Sort of too decent people for this world!

My deceased friend C. Neal Brady was engaged in helping several Albanian families too (in Luxemburg) and testified to the same.

Of course, mutual contact with that country has been quasi-inexistant for most of my life time, Albania having been that tragic prison. But is the real scandal not the fact that this country is still now mistreated by the European political community, notwithstanding the fact that we are all more or less mistreated by politics?!

Therefore I gladly post here the following message which was forwarded to me by Ken Schoolland who made the acquaintance of Kozeta during the Kosovo War. She is the ISIL representative for Albania. Ken found her "to be one of the greatest champions of desperate refugees" that he has ever met.

I take this opportunity to officially announce the new upcoming Immigration section on this website. It will soon be located at http://www.butterbach.net/immigration/. Already since a long time this website offers the following pertaining to the subject:

http://www.butterbach.net/cosmos.htm (in German/auf Deutsch)
http://www.butterbach.net/cosmos_f.htm (in French/en français)
http://www.butterbach.net/cosmos_e.htm (in English)

From: Kozeta Cuadari <kcika@yahoo.com>
Subject: Albanian tragedy!

It was 9.00 p.m. on Friday, 9 January 2004. The programmes of Top Channel, one of the most successful TV Stations in Albania, were interrupted with the shocking news that a boat of more than 30 refugees was sinking in the Adriatic Sea, only 5 miles far from Vlora Coast. The strange voice of a man calling from his mobile was asking for help publicly. We could hear his voice directly on the extraordinary edition of Top Channel news: "Please help us! We are drowning...". The news broadcaster, pale and in a trembling voice, implored the police, government and local people in Vlora to go for help. The number of his mobile remained on the screen for a couple of hours, but no response came on the other end of the line.

Here started the marathon of that tragic night. And step by step the whole truth was revealed, mostly by the media. At 5.00 p.m., on Friday 9 January, more than 30 people from Shkodra district, Northern Albania, one of the poorest in the country, set off to follow their dream that would be the last: their impossible dream for a better life that brought those people to death. Among them were 6 women. They were all refused to be given a visa from the Italian Embassy to join their families and relatives in Italy. They had paid 1500 EUROS each to cross the sea illegally, being discriminated up to the point that they could use every other means to go abroad, risking their lives in the middle of the winter. The news caused panic and everyone got stuck in front of the box, waiting hopefully for a solution. Gradually, after the news was broken, the government started to take measures. Help was asked from NATO Forces that were settled in Albania and from Italian Naval Forces. The Ministry of Defence sent the order for special troops to be put to sea, but the sea was so rough that it was impossible for the rescuers to find the boat. It was too late.

By the next morning one of the ships of the Italian Naval Forces found the boat. Only 11 people had survived, 21 were found dead and it is thought that there were more than 5 other people missing. The survivors were so shocked that they could not give further evidence to what really happened that night. They were sent to the hospital and given first aid. All they say is that they survived due to their young age and strength (they were all between 29-30 years old). They say they could hear the helicopters so near that night, and the ships passing by, but no one saw them because of the wind and big waves. Anyway, the news seems to have lots of contradictions, regarding the exact number of people in the boat, the delayed help, and people implicated in the tragic event. It is said that some chief police officers are involved in the illegal traffic. This is one reason why they delayed help, though they knew about the boat of clandestines two hours before the phone call. Another hypothesis is that the police was informed that there were drugs in the boat, not people, so they thought it was better to sink.

Actually, measures have been taken by the government to prevent the illegal traffic and to stop the smugglers. Two years ago it was said that the government had put an end to the illegal traffic and some boats had been burned to show this was achieved, but it was all a comedy show. High officials are involved in the traffic.

More than 20 people lost their lives in this tragic event. No one can bring them to life again. Albanians know that unless they are treated as human beings by the foreign authorities, they will try every means to follow their dreams for a better life, for water and electricity, for feeding their children and joining their families that they haven't seen for years. It is the government's duty to respect their own citizens and support their free movement. Albania is one of the most ancient countries of Europe, with an old culture and excellent traditions. We deserve to be called Europeans and share their rights. This event was an appeal to old Europe and its old-fashioned laws. If the doors of the world remain closed for the Albanians, they will still try to go illegally, they will dig a tunnel under the sea and try to go away from poverty. And no one can stop them! Even death!

Kozeta Cuadari Cika
Tirana, Albania

PS by CB: A few days earlier Kozeta had written the following letter to her friends at ISIL. I quote it in full and have set in bold characters the passages that seemed most remarkable to me:

Dear Isil Friends,
This year has had a terrible start for Albania. On Saturday, 10 January, a boat of 30 or more illegal emmigrants tried to cross the sea to Italy but sank in the water. More than 20 people were drowned. All clandestines were young people. They had their families in Italy and wanted to join them, and the only way was to travel illegally, because the Italian Embassy denied the visas. They asked for help since they saw that the sea was rough and impossible to sail, but help arrived too late. It is reported that the traffic of illegal emmigrants is supported by people in power, high police officers are also implicated in this traffic. Albanians are the only people in Europe who cannot move to other countries, even if they have legal docummentation. This is crazy to think that we live in the 21st century, and Europe denies us the free movement to join our families who live abroad or to look for work in other countries. Albania is still a very poor country and the so! cialist government is doing nothing to improve the situation. All clandestines were from Northern Albania, which lacks not only places of jobs but also running water and electricity. These people were looking for a better life accross the borders, but they found death instead. Yesterday we mourned their deaths. A lot of protests are being organized by people and organizations agains the illegal traffic of people, poverty and government. More information in the coming days, if you are interested.

Yours in Liberty,
Kozeta

Please forward the above to others wherever you can!