THE KOSOVO FILE

The abolition of Kosovo's autonomy in 1989 led to a decade of repression of ethnic Albanians. Men, women and children were detained, tortured and killed.

Thousands of ethnic Albanian teachers and lecturers were dismissed; schools were vandalised or destroyed and pupils were turned away by Serb police.

After the emergence of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) last year, the military repression by Yugoslav and Serb forces was extended.

By October 1998, the violence had driven nearly 300,000 ethnic Albanians, mostly women and children, from their homes.

The Nato offensive in March 1999 led to a tidal wave of more than 1 million ethnic Albanians refugees from Kosovo fearing rape, torture and murder.

Nato air strikes kill 72 refugees in Djakovica, and at least 140 people are killed when bombs hit other civilian victims.

Members of the KLA take revenge on Serb and Roma civilians as Serb forces withdraw.

Amnesty International

www.amnesty.org.uk