ALBANIANS BELIEVE SITUATION IN KOSOVO HAS ESCALATED

( Editorial: --> 8428 ) PRISTINA, April 21 (Hina) - Sources in the largest Kosovo Albanian party, the Democratic Alliance of Kosovo, believe the situation in the southern Serbian province with an Albanian majority has dramatically worsened. On Tuesday the Kosovo Information Centre said that warplanes had flied past the Decani area this morning and that on Monday the Serbian police had handed out weapons to local Serbs and Montenegrins. Kosovo Albanians on Tuesday held their 11th consecutive day of protest in Pristina and several other Kosovo towns. They called for a stop to the use of force and terror by the Serbian regime and demanded independence for Kosovo. About 15,000 people gathered in Pristina on Tuesday morning, holding a half-hour demonstration in the main street of the provincial capital. No slogans were chanted nor placards brandished. The peaceful protest walks under the motto "Kosovo is the world's largest prison" are being organised by 13 Albanian political parties, associations and communities. The organising committee says protests will continue until Serbian violence in Kosovo is stopped. (Hina) mb /mr 211840 MET apr 98