MONTENEGRO: KOSOVO: REFUGEES CROSS THE BORDER

(16 May 1999) Albanian/Serbo-Croat Refugge women fleeing from Kosovo have told APTN that their men were detained at a checkpoint on the Yugoslav-Montenegrin border. The women said their buses were crossing the Yugoslav army checkpoint at Tuzi when soldiers ordered the men to get out and took their personal documents. The men were reportedly detained at the army barracks. The Tuzi checkpoint - where the detentions were said to have taken place - is located about 10 minutes from the Montenegro capital, Podgorica. The route via the checkpoint has been in daily use by refugees but this was the first such incident reported. The women said their buses - seven in all - were crossing the checkpoint when suddenly, soldiers ordered all the men to get out and took their documentation. The men were then reportedly taken to army barracks where they were detained. The women said over 20 men aged between 16-65 were separated from their families. By Saturday evening, six of the buses were allowed passage through to Albania. Witnesses said the remaining bus, with women, children and the sick, refused to leave without their men and were directed back to Ulcinj. It's unclear why the men were detained, but there is speculation that the Yugoslav army is looking for K-L-A soldiers. The refugees that did make it to Albania were in a state of shock. SOUNDBITE (Albanian): "We got on the bus to go to Albania at the army checkpoint - the soldiers took the men off - they pointed to the men and said you, you, you. They took 20 men from my family, they took my husband and 15-year-old son. They took my brother-in-law, my uncle, his son." SUPER CAPTION: Dzejana Caca, refugee from Decani SOUNDBITE (Serbo-Croat): "We have just arrived from Mitrovica today and now we have come here we've barely made it we barely got out they tell us now the border is closed and don't now where we'll go and what will happen." SUPER CAPTION: Voxpop Others said the Yugoslav troops detained the male refugees without any warning or explanation. SOUNDBITE (Serbo-Croat): "The second bus was stopped and the army took 20 men from the bus and detained them - we have no information yet about what has happened we are in touch with the authorities in power and the police." SUPER CAPTION: Gjon Dreshaj, Ethnic Albanian Representative Since the start of the NATO air campaign on March 24, Yugoslavia has barred males of military age - regardless of ethnic origin - from leaving the country because they are subject to being called up into the armed forces. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...