Prishtina, 14 December 2012
The speech of Prime Minister Thaçi addressing the Commemoration Academy on the 14th anniversary of the fall of Mujë Krasniqi
Honourable representatives of institutions,
Honourable symbol of national resistance, Mr. Adem Demaçi,
Honourable families of martyrs,
Honourable invalids and veterans of the Kosovo Liberation Army,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Today, with the highest state and institutional tributes, we are remembering our fellow combatants and one of the most noted commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Mujë Krasniqi and 40 other freedom martyrs who heroically fell 14 years ago.
Fourteen years ago, Kosovo was going through major historical events showing the entire world the strong determination and the will of our people for freedom and liberation from the administrative and military occupation by Serbia.
The clearest and deepest articulation of this will was uttered by the Kosovo Liberation Army, be it in the internal aspect on the ground but also in the international aspect.
The Kosovo Liberation Army was itself the will of the people, the authentic voice of call for freedom and liberation, and that is why it was unconquerable.
Being a sublimation of our people for freedom, the key arsenal of Kosovo Liberation Army was the strong will of the people for freedom and with the liberation vision oriented towards the most advanced values of western civilization.
The Kosovo Liberation Army was an unconquerable political and military force, because it had in its ranks commanders and soldiers that identified their fate with the fate of their homeland, with the fate of their people by becoming missionaries, leaders, fighters, martyrs and heroes of their land.
The Kosovo Liberation Army was founded on the sublime sacrifice by Commander Adem Jashari who grew into a legendary dimension
So, this is the only way to describe the sacrificing and fighting spirit of KLA commanders and soldiers. Liberators of Kosovo are all its citizens who sacrificed for freedom and independence.
Only this way one can understand the character, bravery and the unconquerable will of Commander Mujë Krasniqi, who, although wounded, did not withdraw from the battlefields all around Kosovo.
Only this way can one understand the freedom-loving spirit of KLA commanders who rather than giving orders, they were on the front line.
Therefore, a distinctive feature of the Kosovo Liberation Army brigades is the fall in battlefield of some of the most notable commanders such as Fehmi and Gjevë Lladrovci, Ilaz Kodra, and others.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Mujë Krasniqi will be remembered with dignity and will be unforgettable for his contribution as an activist of the national movement, as one of the first members of the KLA, as an activist, organizer and the first commander of Brigade 113.
Brigade 113 covered a wide territory and was one of the most notable brigades of the KLA war.
Today, each of us takes pride in having been their fellow combatants.
This Brigade, numbering about two thousand soldiers, gave 166 martyrs for the freedom of Kosovo, 13 of which fell on 14 December 1998 in Pashtrik, and 300 soldiers were wounded.
Mujë Krasniqi will be remembered not only for his participation in many battles but also for his inspections while suffering the wounds he got in order to boost the morale of his fellow combatants in the battlefield.
Mujë Krasniqi will be remembered for his rare bravery that sourced from his very soul and for his readiness to serve his fatherland with full devotion.
Fourteen years ago, while leading fighters, he would take the difficult path of returning to Kosovo as he best realized the urgency and the vital need to supply fellow citizens with weapons.
Although still not recovered by the wounds received in battles, he fell heroically while leading his fellow combatants at the most dangerous border in Europe, the one between Kosovo and Albania, which only six months later would open-up once and for all.
Together with Muja, another 40 freedom martyrs shed blood on the most tragic border of Europe, the border set in 1912.
The fall of martyrs and of Commander Mujë Krasniqi, as when great commanders fall, became an inspiration for their fellow combatants to pursue the path of freedom with even stronger determination.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Today, as we remember or fellow combatants, the commander of KLA Brigade 113, Mujë Krasniqi and other freedom martyrs, Kosovo, for which they sacrificed their lives, has entered the 13th anniversary of liberation and the fifth anniversary of its independence.
Today when we mark the 14th anniversary of the fall of Commander Mujë Krasniqi, Kosovo is an independent and sovereign state with a clear Euro-Atlantic perspective.
Kosovo is a democratic country where all its citizens enjoy their rights and freedoms as it was the objective of the freedom martyrs and in line with the objective and the will of the citizens of Kosovo to have their country integrated in NATO and European Union.
Therefore, providing institutional protection for the families of martyrs, of war invalids and institutional support for KLA veterans is a priority of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, it is a protection of the categories that have given the most for the freedom and independence of Kosovo.
Glory to Commander Mujë Krasniqi!
Glory to all freedom martyrs!
Last modified: July 31, 2022