The Xinhua General Overseas News Service 

The materials in the Xinhua file were compiled by The Xinhua News Agency. These materials may not be republished
without the express written consent of The Xinhua News Agency. 

                                 OCTOBER 17, 1987, SATURDAY 

LENGTH: 289 words 

HEADLINE: thousands of women demonstrate in kosovo, yugoslavia 

DATELINE: belgrade, october 17; ITEM NO: 1017070 

BODY:
thousands of serb and montenegro women participated in a demonstration friday in pristina city of the province of kosovo. they were denouncing a wave of rape crimes and sex discrimination remarks made by a former kosovo leader of albanian nationality. tantung, the yugoslav news agency, reported that the women, chanting slogans for freedom and security, marched to the local party committee headquarters and asked for a meeting with the committee chairman, azem vlasi. the angry women read an open letter, sharply critisizing fadilj hodza for his insulting remarks on serb and montenegro women. hodza is the former leader of the province of kosovo. he is now a member of the yugoslavia federation council .

the province of kosovo is dominated by albanian people. it has long been plagued with racial conflicts between majority albanian people and minority serb and montenegro peoples. the albanian popuilation has asked for a republicstatus. but it was rejected by the yugoslavian authorities. violence and riots initiated by albanians took place regularly since 1981. an albanian soldier recently shot dead several serb soldiers in a military camp in serbia. to drive minority women out of the province, albanians have pressured them in many ways, including rape. hodza allegedly said last november that non-albanian women should work as waitresses in order to avoid to be raped. prostitutes often works in bars and cafes. this is why hodza's remark trigged waves of strong protest among yugoslavian women. the executive of the yugoslavia conference on the status of women held a meeting friday and condemned hodza's remarks. the executive called for the dismissal of hodza from the yugoslavia federation council.




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