May their memory live!
28.11.08 - 16:55 Greek proof
Macedonian names on the Athens Parliament house!!! EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS!!!
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27.11.08 - 16:25 Uncle Sam: J need ....
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23.11.08 - 17:00 Rainbow - for greek blindness
Rainbow - a political party of Macedonians living in Greece - will hold its second Congress on Sunday, which as announced is to review the activities for improving the status of Macedonian minority in the Greek society.
The Congress will assemble delegates from all local party organizations in northern Greece and of the European Free Alliance (EFA), as Rainbow has been its member or several years.
The event is expected to send a message to Greece's leadership, calling it to respect the rights of the Macedonian minority in compliance with all international conventions.
Organizers of the event say there have been no announcements yet by Greek ultranationalists for obstructing the party's congress as it was the case four years ago in Thessaloniki.
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21.11.08 - 20:00 EU - "welcome"
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17.11.08 - 22:00 Macedonia: International Court of Justice....
Macedonia files legal proceedings against Greece at International Court of Justice
The Republic of Macedonia has filed legal proceedings at the International Court of Justice in The Hague against Greece. Macedonia has filed an Application with the Registrar of the Court to bring Greece into compliance with its legal obligations under the Interim Accord of 13 September 1995, which binds the two countries., the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday in a press release.
Article 11 of the 1995 Accord obliges Greece not to object to Macedonia's application to join NATO. At the NATO Summit held in Bucharest in April 2008, however, Greece objected to extending NATO membership invitation to Macedonia, thus flagrantly violating its obligations under the Interim Accord.
Antonio Milososki, Foreign Minister and Macedonia's representative before ICJ, says that protection of Macedonian rights under the Interim Agreement is the only reason for filing the Application.
- We have given a lot of thought before initiating this case, but we see no other way for justice to be done and our rights to be protected. We hope this action might encourage Greece to bring its actions into compliance with its international legal obligations, and that it might also encourage our two countries to reach a final settlement on outstanding issues in the spirit of good-neighbourliness and cooperation envisaged by the Interim Accord, Milososki said.
He expressed belief that ICJ would help in settling this legal dispute, considering its just and prompt actions.
- We are not asking the Court to deal with other political issues, so that the dispute over the name is not the subject of our Application. We also want to stress that we remain strongly committed to all aspects of the Interim Accord, in particular to the process of negotiations with Greece, mediated by the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General, Milososki said.
The Application requests the International Court of Justice to adjudge and declare that (Greece), through its State organs and agents, has violated its obligations under Article 11, paragraph 1 of the Interim Accord; to order that (Greece) immediately take all necessary steps to comply with its obligations under Article 11, paragraph 1 of the Interim Accord, and to cease and desist from objecting in any way, whether directly or indirectly, to (Macedonia's) NATO membership and/or any other 'international, multilateral and regional organizations and institutions' of which (Greece) is a member, in circumstances where (Macedonia) is to be referred to in such organizations or institutions by the designation provided for in paragraph 2 of United Nations Security Council Resolution 817 (1993).
ICJ is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations.Established in 1945 by the UN Charter, the Court began work in 1946 as the successor to the Permanent Court of International Justice.
The Court's workload is characterised by a wide range of judicial activity. Its main functions are to settle legal disputes submitted to it by member states and to give advisory opinions on legal questions submitted to it by duly authorized international organs, agencies and the UN General Assembly.
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15.11.08 - 22:55 Greece: The forbidden verity
Why Critics of Greece’s Macedonia Policy Keep Silent
Takis Michas
By Takis Michas in Athens
The legal prosecution and state-inspired harassment of people professing different views on “national issues” that took place during the early 1990s has left deep marks on Greek society.Thus, today, even those few persons that have more critical views on the Macedonian issue, for example, prefer to keep them to themselves, fearing that such views will not improve their career prospects. As recent events show, their fears are not unjustified.
Grigoris Valianatos had been employed since 1985 with the leading left-wing opposition party PASOK as a political communications advisor. His job was to “package” the political message of the party and help disseminate it. He did not have any say in the contents of the message.
But when Valianatos was asked about his views on the “Skopje” issue and the Macedonian minority in Greece during a TV interview last Thursday, he replied that the country had every right to be called “Macedonia” and that a Macedonian minority existed in Greece.
Although he made clear that those were his personal views and by no means the views of the party, this clarification did not help him. The next morning, PASOK issued a laconic statement informing the public that Valianatos’s contract had been terminated because he had expressed “personal opinions” that contradicted the party line.
“I was really shocked when I read the statement,” Valianatos told me when I met him in Athens. “Everybody knew my views all these years and I never had the slightest problem. Indeed when I gave a speech at a PASOK meeting a few year ago and referred to the existence of a Turkish and a Macedonian minority the participants all applauded, including the party leader, George Papandreou.”
The government in Skopje argues that there is indeed a Macedonian minority in Greece, which has been deprived of its basic human rights of cultural and national expression and education in its mother tongue.
Athens, on the other hand, says that the only true Macedonians are the Greek Macedonians. As Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis wrote in his letter to FYROM Prime Minister Gruevski "there has never existed a Macedonian minority" in Greece.
Ever since the break-up of former Yugoslavia in 1991, Macedonia's name and history has been the object of a dispute between Athens and Skopje.
After Greece strongly objected to Macedonia’s entry in to the United Nations under that name, the country was admitted in 1993 under the provisional term “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,” FYROM, pending a solution to the dispute.
The Skopje government insisted it had no territorial claims on Greek territory, while Athens for its part pledged not to block Skopje’s accession to international organizations, as long as it remained under the provisional name.
The so-called “name” row gained in momentum this April after Athens blocked Skopje’s application to join NATO, insisting Macedonia had to change its name first.
Valianatos, meanwhile, is also the author of various books, which until recently appeared on the personal website of Papandreou. After the incident, they disappeared from the PASOK leader’s website.
Valianatos insists his former role in PASOK had been purely technocratic. “My role was not political. I would offer all sorts of ideas concerning how to make PASOK’s message more effective but I had absolutely no influence in shaping the message,” he said.
“That is why I find the decision to terminate my contract incomprehensible. It is like dismissing your dentist because he happens to be a Maoist!”
Papandreou recently attended in Brussels a meeting of the Socialist International, the organization of which he is the current president. What is ironic is that most European socialists would agree with Valianatos on the issue of a Macedonian minority.
Alas, Greece is not like the rest of Europe, and what is considered self-evident in a European context is still too often considered a dangerous heresy in the Balkans.
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Takis Michas is a Greek journalist and author of the book “Unholy Alliance: Greece and Milosevic’s Serbia” (Texas A & M University Press 2002). Balkan Insight is BIRN`s online publication.
================================= also read
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4.11.08 - 20:45 Ha,new greek "concessive" and "principled" offer:Change the name, and you will get all (!!???)
Macedonia's new name should be based on a geographic determinant, said Tuesday in Belgrade Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Petros Dukas.
He stated that Athens would support Macedonia "in every possible way as soon as the name row is resolved".
"Greek Macedonia is larger by territory and population from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and we cannot overlook this. We believe that a geographic name is a good basis for a solution", said Dukas.
He added that "as a result of the friendly settlement of the dispute", Greece is ready to support Macedonia "financially and in every way possible".
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2.11.08 - 22:50 Greek different opinion
We are hoping with our actions in Greece, the Macedonians will form a positive opinion regarding our citizens. We have never had an issue with Macedonia's constitutional name and our initiative is aimed at Greece recognizing your country under the constitutional name.
This was the opening statement from the Greek Radical Democrats, an organization out of Athens who is currently visiting Bitola, southern Macedonia. The organization is said to be undertaking "Anti-Nationalist", "Anti-Militaristic" initiative all over Greece.
At todays' meeting with representatives of the Aegean Macedonians, the Greek radical democrats confirmed they are opening a widespead campaign in Greece to ban and remove the racist laws implemented in the past 20 years which forbids Macedonians born in nothern Greece from entrance in the country and return on their land.
"This is unacceptable, racist behaviour of official Athens. This is, in fact a major crime that is being waged on the Macedonians until present day, even though the very same people gave their lives so Greece can be a free country today," says Nikos Janopoulos, representative of Greek radical democrats organization.
This meeting was seen in positive light from the Aegean Macedonian communities.
"Our meeting with our friends from Athens will bring about positive developments so Greek Parliament can remove the laws brought against us, so we can sooner return to our properties." says Gorgji Donevski, the head of the Aegean Macedonians Association.
MINA finds that Greek resentment by ordinary Athenians against official Athens is growing, particularly in the past two month. Many believe their Government has crossed the line with its policies regarding Macedonia.
31.10.08 - 22:50 That is begining : NaciElada - NATO deafmute
Skopje, October 31 (MIA) - The Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has every legitimate right to choose how it will express its protest related to the outburst of anti-Macedonian hysteria at the military parade in Thessaloniki, Ministry officials said Friday in their reaction in connection to Thursday's statement given by Head of Greece's Liaison Office to Skopje, Alexandra Papadopoulou.
- The Greek arguments stated by the head of Greece's Liaison Office in Skopje, Papadopoulou we unfortunately had the chance to hear them at the military march held a few days ago, from the mouths of Greek army members. We're prepared and adamant to inform all relevant international organisations and institutions about the case and to submit a footage from the military parade, MoFA stated.
The footage, which is being technically processed, with English language subtitle will be sent to representatives of NATO, EU, OSCE, CoE, UN... in the course of next week.
Commenting the condemnation regarding the outburst of nationalism and chauvinism directed against Macedonia at a military parade in Thessaloniki on Oct. 28 expressed by deputy foreign minister Zoran Petrov, the Head of Greece's Liaison Office Papadopoulou told ANA-MPA agency she realised from Petrov's statements that "the Government does not want or does not dare to listen to the Greek positions and arguments."
“Nationalistic and at times fascists chants from the Greek military at the parade in Salonika is not surprising.
What is surprising is the passive non-responsive ways of the EU and NATO who refuse to issue any comment, four days after the scandal” say experts who described Greece as a mentally challenged child under the wings of EU and NATO able to say or do anything without being reprimanded.
“We expect, if there is such a thing as a system of values that unite this nations, that system to be equal for everyone, instead of hiding behind some fake solidarity, because Macedonia is at the door of the Alliance”, says Biljana Vankovska, University Professor.
The chants at the military parade in Salonika were demonstration of force and pressure on Macedonia, say the experts.
“This is a verbal pressure on Macedonia, with very dangerous tendencies, I’d say military threats aimed at Macedonia and the supporters of Macedonia.” Says Blagoja Markovski, expert on security questions.
NATO has no comment on the incident, the statement came from Brussels without an explanation. No comment from the EU. OESC will first wait for the video, and may come up with a statement.
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30.10.08 - 22:30 The charges for seven Macedonians
Belgrade, Tuesday, 28 October 2008 by Georgios N. PapadakisThe public prosecutor of Florina/Lerin has pressed charges against seven individuals who participated in the recent events at the village of Lofi/Zabrdeny in Northern Greece.
Among them were the four initially arrested on the scene of the unrest while the other three are also inhabitants of the village.
According to the public prosecutor, the accused obstructed public transport when they blocked tanks and other armoured vehicles of the Greek Army, initiated riots among the local population, and resisted violently when policemen tried to reopen the passage leading to an army exercise field in the vicinity of their homes. No date has been set yet for the trial, but its is likely that it will take place next year.
Protests in Lofi/Zabrdeny against the army exercises caught the public eye not only in Greece but also in the neighbouring Republic of Macedonia and internationally. The issue caused a public debate inside the Greek Parliament while Macedonian minority party EFA-Rainbow directly accused the Greek authorities of policies of discrimination.
The detention of four Macedonian journalists who were covering the events also led to protests by the Macedonian Government, the International Federation of Journalists and the International Press Institute-South East Europe Media Organization. In addition, IFJ and IPI-SEEMO urged the Greek authorities to explain why the journalists were obstructed from performing their duties and eventually forced to leave Greece. No answer to these complaints has been given so far by Greek officials.
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30.10.08 - 00:16 Greek military and political parade: militrism and irredentism
Greek Army chants Anti-Macedonian slogans on their paradeс
Slogans such as "Macedonia is Greek", "Greek blood flows through Macedonians' veins" and "We won't give the name Macedonia to Skopje" were chanted by Greek commandos at yesterday's parade organised in Solun on Greece's national holiday October 28, writes Ethnos daily on Wednesday.
The chanting, comments the newspaper, prompted an awkward situation in the official box where defense ministers of seven southeastern European countries were seated in addition to Greek President Karolos Papoulias and Government members.
Kathimerini newspaper says that Greek Defense Minister Evangelos Meimarakis, on occasion of the holiday, has sent invitations for the parade to all his Balkan counterparts, including the Macedonian one, but "Skopje rejected the invitation."---------------------------------------------------------- see video
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24.10.08 - 19:40 Greek constant: lies,lies.........
The Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo did not shift its position regarding the use of Macedonia's name and it will still call the country by its constitutional name.
This is the note sent Thursday by the Permanent Mission of the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Congo's authorities confirm that their position on Macedonia's name remains unchanged, in line with the Communiqué on establishing diplomatic ties between the two countries, signed in September 1999.
Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki wrote a letter to the Foreign Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Antipas Mbusa Nyamwisi, in which he expressed gratitude to the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo on using the constitutional name of Macedonia alongside 126 countries across the world.
It's not clear what is the Greek Government gaining from manipulating its population. Greek Media boasted on the "success" of Athens even though it knew they are misinforming the public. Of course, Panama, Mexico and now DR. Congo will disappear from the Greek media, until the next propaganda appears.
It has become more than obvious that 'news' coming out of Athens should not be taken seriously.
Hats off to the Macedonian Government who insisted they were not notified by DR Congo on the change of their stance and believed the African country will not change its stance. Right they were.
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Greek republic Lie & Deny_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
24.10.08 - Greece is not Macedonia's godfather
Greece has no right to impose name to Macedonia, Bulgaria's former president and current chairman of Balkan Political Club Zhelyu Zhelev said.
In an interview to Radio Deutsche Welle's Bulgarian news, Zhelev stressed that the name and the identity of a nation and a state constitute an existentioanal issue and a sovereign right to individual choice.
"When it comes to existentional and political problems of a nation and a state, another country cannot dictate how the country should call itself. I've told Greeks many times - you simply don't know what you want. On what grounds you deprive the Republic of Macedonia from its right to call itself Republic of Macedonia? The country existed within the old Yugoslav federation nearly half a century with the same name," Zhelev said.
"Furthermore, the provisional name is inadequate. All republics that acquired independence after the break-up of the Yugoslav federation are former Yugoslav republics. Why Greece won't call Croatia a Former Yugoslav Republic of Croatia, then Former Yugoslav Republic of Slovenia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Serbia...? How come ostracism is applied to Macedonia only?" Zhelev said.
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23.10.08 - 23:40 India: Republic of Macedonia
One of the most influential Asian states, the Republic of India, starting this month uses the constitutional name of the Republic of Macedonia in bilateral communication between the two countries.
Indian Government on Oct. 6 informed Macedonian Foreign Ministry that newly opened Macedonian Embassy in New Delhi has been registered in state diplomatic protocol of this country under its constitutional name and not under the reference the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
Despite of severe oppose and strong pressures by the Greek officials in an attempt to prevent this decision by the India's authorities, Macedonia with enormous diplomatic efforts, succeeded Macedonian Embassy to be registered under the constitutional name, Macedonian Foreign Ministry told MIA.
India and Macedonia established diplomatic relations in Feb. 1996 under the provisional reference the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Macedonian Government in Jan. 2008 adopted a decision for opening an embassy in New Delhi aimed at intensifying the political and economic cooperation with India.
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20.10.08 - 19:50 Greek Crackdown on Macedonian Journalists Draws International Condemnation
10/15/2008 (Balkanalysis.com)
By Christopher Deliso
The tense ordeal of four Macedonian journalists detained by police in a northern Greek village on Monday is gaining wider attention, and has caused an international outcry against the perceived heavy-handedness of Greek authorities- and what their apparent contempt for the free press may be covering for.
For their part, the Greeks are claiming that the Macedonian government is trying to stir up trouble; Greek Foreign Ministry Spokesman Giorgos Koumoutsakos accused Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski of engaging in “a provocative effort to blatantly distort the truth,” reported Kathimerini. By daring to speak out against the crackdown, the Macedonian leader is, according to Koumoutsakos, making “a new, unacceptable attempt to intervene in Greek domestic affairs.”
However, the Greek version of ‘the truth,’ which states that the journalists were somehow blocking military movements, and in the end left Greece of their own free will, is wildly at variance with what the journalists themselves experienced, as we will see below. It also ignores what local witnesses claim is a recent legacy of violence against civilians, and broken promises by the army in this normally quiet border region.
The journalists, from A1 Television and the Nova Makedonija newspaper, were detained by police near the Florina-area village of Lofi (Za’brdeni in Macedonian) and interrogated, after they had sought to interview ethnically Macedonian villagers involved with protests against a Greek Army military operation in the region (a newspaper report cites the villagers as being opposed to the operation because “the army’s use of live ammunition interferes with their farming.”
The journalists, who were consistently barked at in Greek by police despite not knowing the language particularly well, were threatened with having their equipment confiscated and ordered to leave the country. It is uncertain as to whether they will ever be allowed to return.
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18.10.08 - 23:25 Greek games
Macedonia was not formally notified about the shift in Mexico’s position regarding the use of Macedonia’s constitutional name, as Greece claimed on Friday.
Greek FM claimed on its web site that Mexico’s Foreign Ministry Undersecretary 'briefed' his Greek counterpart Yannis Valinakis that “pending settlement of differences regarding the name of the country, Mexico will provisionally call the country fyrom.”
In July this year, Greek authorities 'officially' announced that Panama changed its position regarding the recognition of Macedonia’s constitutional name, but Macedonian as well as Panama authorities denied the information.
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Greece once again caught in own web of lies. Last night Mexico sent a thank you to the Macedonian UN Delegation thanking it for the support of Mexico becoming a member of the UN Security Council.
In its letter Mexico used "Macedonia" contrary to the information spread in Greece by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is a second time after Panama, Greece is caught in its own web of lies.
Macedonian diplomats aren't very concerned with what kind of information is being placed or comes out of Greece. "Even if Mexico changes their mind, which they didn't, Greece will need 124 years to change the mind of the rest of the countries" says a diplomat in Skopje.
Meanwhile Pavle Voskopulos of Vinozito, has called the Greek Government Spokesman a 'Liar' for constantly misinforming the public in relation not just to Macedonia, but in general. "I don't remember when was last time he said something that was truthful. In regards to the Macedonian journalists being detained, Kumucakos said they were filming military buildings. This is a scandal because there are no buildings there, let alone military. His lies were an excuse to terrorize the Macedonian journalists." says Voskopulos.--------------------------------------
also read :
IFJ Calls on Greek Government to Clarify Action against Journalists
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17.10.08 - 23:45 Support for Macedonian political refugees from Greece
EFA-Rainbow initiaties another action in the Council of Europe in support of Macedonian political refugees from Greece
Motion for a Resolution in the Council of Europe against discriminatory Greek laws
Florina/Lerin - October 16, 2008
Florina/Lerin - October 16, 2008
Upon the initiative of the European Free Alliance – Rainbow, a Motion for a Resolution on “Discriminatory laws against ethnic Macedonian political refugees” has been tabled at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).The Motion, supported by representatives from 13 different European countries, spanning all major political groups, “strongly urges the Greek Government, without delay, to review the above-mentioned laws and end the discrimination resulting from them so that ethnic Macedonian political refugees from Greece can reclaim their Greek citizenship and property” and recommends that the relevant PACE committee “investigate this matter and engage with the Greek authorities with a view to ending the aforementioned discrimination.”
EFA-Rainbow wishes to thank Mr Geert Lambert of Belgium (the first signatory) for his continual support on Macedonian human rights issues. Mr Lambert is a member of the Flemish political party “Vlaams Progressiven”. Both EFA-Rainbow and Vlaams Progressiven are members of the European Free Alliance – European Political Party, which together with the Greens make up the fifth largest group in the European Parliament.
EFA-Rainbow also extends its gratitude to all signatories including the numerous ones from Turkey and the Republic of Macedonia.
The Motion, officially tabled during the recent Part-Session of PACE, was officially put onto the website of the Council of Europe earlier this week. The matter will now be discussed by the Bureau of the Assembly in late November 2008. EFA-Rainbow trusts that the Bureau will look at the Motion seriously and act in the best interests of the Macedonian political refugees from Greece.
EFA-Rainbow also calls upon the various bodies of the Council of Europe to continue to monitor the situation in Greece to ensure that the human rights of the ethnic Macedonian minority are being respected.
The full text of the Motion :
http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc08/EDOC11754.htm
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16/10.08 - 16:50 There is some putrefaction in EU
"It is very important to break away from the name blockade and see Macedonia in NATO" says German MEP Angelika Beer.
"When I first heard of Nimetz's proposal, I was stunned. I thought this is just byrocracy, this is impossible. Why would Macedonia have a name "Northern Macedonia"? Northern Macedonia implies there must be Southern Macedonia, and the two will eventually be united. It is practically the same case as Cyprus." says Angelika Beer.
"Macedonia can make deals under the constitutional name, so the name is sort of, a compromise. Never the less, the Macedonian Government and people via referendum will decide for any proposal they would see fitting" concluded Beer.
IPI/SEEMO expresses its concern at the detainment of journalists in Greece
The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists from South East Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is alarmed at recent restrictions on reporters' ability to freely carry out their work in Greece.
According to information before SEEMO, four journalists from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia/Republic of Macedonia, Goran Momiroski of A1 TV, Meri Jordanovska of Nova Makedonija newspaper, and two other crew members of A1 TV, were arrested in the afternoon of 13 October 2008 by Greek authorities.
The journalists had intended to cover a protest against a disputed army training site and gunfire exercises by the Greek Army in the village of Lofi, near the Greek-Macedonian border.
Despite carrying valid press cards and visas for Greece, the media representatives were detained because they did not have a special filming license and requested to hand over the material they had gathered at the demonstration.
After their release, a police escort strongly advised them not to talk to eye witnesses of the protest and eventually escorted them to the border.
SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic voiced his concern over this clear infringement of the free movement and freedom of expression of journalists and hoped the Greek authorities will adopt strong measures against such interference with media efforts to report on a story of public interest.
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14.10.08 - 16:55 Greek war scenes in Lofi/Zabrdeny
http://www.florina.org/news/2008/october14_e.asp
Only a week ago, EFA-Rainbow expressed hope that the “irresponsible-responsible” people who decided the heavy artillery gunfire exercises at the field beside the Macedonian village of Lofi/Zabrdeny took the message from the wide reaction against it of the local population.We believed they understood, also because they’ve also promised that no heavy artillery shots would be performed, during the 10 days the army exercise was supposed to last.
Unfortunately, seems that some people will never come to their senses. In an unprecedented demonstration of slyness and audacity (and of course, without the slightest warning, in order to catch the inhabitants “off-guard”), tanks made a snap move inside Lofi/Zabrdeny, in an obvious attempt to make the exercise shots they could not perform one week ago. Numerous special police units came along also, to implement the “law of the stronger” with “Far-West” methods.
Despite all that, inhabitants not only from Lofi/Zabrdeny but also from Vevi/Banica, Kelli/Gornichevo and Meliti/Ovcaharany stood in front of the army and police forces to obstruct the exercise. Immediately afterwards, the “brave” police forces, using methods resembling the 7-year long dictatorship (1967-1974), started to attack the gathered people. They broke arms and legs, violently dragged women and children from the street (!), handcuffed and arrested 4 of the locals (including the president of the Lofi/Zabrdeny municipal council) as if they were the worst criminals and took them to jail.
This outrageous police attack did not intimidate the local population. OIn the contrary, hundredths more gathered and stayed all night in front of the exercise field, demanding the unconditional release of the arrested. Eventually, this happened in the early morning hours with no charges pressed against the Macedonians, who were simply defending the village’s PRIVATE roads which lead to their PRIVATE property.
We would directly like to ask the Greek political, army and police authorities:
• In which other part of the Greek territory, raw violence was selectively used to suppress a peaceful demonstration of local population who wanted the closure of an army exercise field? How is it possible that in Greece of 2008 we have 2nd class citizens? Is it because of their beliefs and the language they speak?
• Under what kind of rationale, tanks come out of nowhere in an inhabited place, taking the population by surprise, as if we were in a war situation? Who is the “enemy” at last?
• When is the will of the people living in these Macedonian villages, to permanently stop the operation of the army exercise field, going to be respected? Why they receive mockery and violence instead?
• In which member State of the EU such shameless acts take place? When is Greece’s continuous international decrial going to stop?
Enough is enough! If, after all these incidents, the army exercise field will not IMMEDIATELY and permanently suspend its operation, the Greek authorities bare sole responsibility for anything that will happen in the future.
The Press Office
of EFA-Rainbow
-----------------------------------------------------------also read
+ Macedonian Government deeply concerned about events in Greece
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14.10.08 - 16:50 Greek army - occupier
http://www.florina.org/news/2008/october14b_e.asp
Belgrade, Tuesday, 14 October 2008 by Georgios N. PapadakisInjuries, arrests and clashes between Macedonian minority inhabitants, the Greek army, and special police units, are continuing since yesterday afternoon in the village of Lofi/Zabrdeny in Northern Greece, next to the border with the Republic of Macedonia.
It all started when Greek army tanks and other armoured vehicles tried to move through the Macedonian village and reach an army taring site to practice heavy artillery fire. The inhabitants of Lofi/Zabrdeny, aided by people from the nearby villages of Meliti/Ovcharany, Vevi/Banica and Kelli/Gornichevo, blocked the road leading to the training site, demanding that no heavy artillery fire would take place and that the armed forces withdrew from the village. Instead, special police units arrived and tried by force to clear the road, arresting four people. Among them the President of the local Lofi/Zabrdeny municipal council, Kole Mitskopoulos.
Over the following hours more than 300 people from all the neighbouring villages came to the spot and demanded the immediate release of the arrested and the withdrawal of tanks and special police forces. Early this morning the four were released without charges and the inhabitants were promised that no heavy artillery practice would be performed.
“We were taken completely by surprise. Last week the army was also here but after the instant reaction of the people in Zabrdeny, they left promising that no tanks will show up. But they came to perform heavy artillery fire above our heads. We cannot allow this to happen, this is a severe health hazard, nobody knows what these missiles contain. Similar protests for the removal of army training sites happen all over Greece, but only here did we have this brutal intervention of the police. This is like a revival of the military dictatorship.” Said Kosta Tasevski, a Lofi/Zabrdeny inhabitant, to Eurolang.
The disputed army training site lies practically on the outskirts of Lofi/Zabrdeny, very close to houses and in the middle of private arable land. During army exercises over recent years, missiles have, accidentally, nearly hit the village while locals are not allowed for days to go to their properties. They are demanding the closure of the training site and the army has in the past promised that there would be no artillery fire.
The issue is set to be taken to the international level. Last week the Macedonian Prime Minister voiced concerns about the situation of the Macedonian minority in the region and urged Greece to withdraw its forces from the training site, situated next to the Greek-Macedonian border.
According to unofficial sources, the Macedonian government will send a protest note to Athens and Brussels later today. (Eurolang 2008)
--------------------------------------------also read
+ Macedonian Government deeply concerned about events in Greece
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13.10.08 - 20:15 The Greek army and police against MACEDONIANS!!!!!!
Greek army clashes with local ethnic Macedonian population in village near Lerin
One Macedonian has minor injuries and four have been arrested, after incidents which took place this afternoon in the area surrounding Lerin (Florina). Ten days ago, after the requests from the local population, the Greek army withdrew from its training camp near the village of 'Zabrdeni'. Today, the Greek army returned to the region.This time, the Greek army came with a strong police presence as well as tanks and other large automotive machines.
The Greek police specialists intervened when the local ethnic Macedonian population tried to stop the Greek army from setting up camp and heavy-military training right next to their village.
"They were arresting people and sending them to jail. They have four so far and by nightfall, they will surely arrest more", said a Macedonian from the Lerin region.
One man, an ethnic Macedonian, has been injured during the pushing and shoving, whilst four (4) ethnic Macedonians were arrested.
It is expected that trumped-up charges will be laid against them as early as this evening, for alleged assault on uniformed officers. According to Greek laws, one may face a few years in prison for such offences.
Macedonians from a few villages surrounding Lerin including Zabrdeni and Ovcharani are still in position blocking the path to the new training camp of the Greek army.
"We are sitting and lying down in front of the tanks, the people do not want the army to conduct its training with all this heavy weaponry. There are some 150-200 policemen here and those numbers will be strengthened, they will bring in the specialists. The village is Macedonian, it is called Zabrdeni", announced an ethnic Macedonian from the village.
After the last incidents which took place ten days ago, local leaders made an agreement with the army that in its actions in the region, it would not destroy the crop-growing fields, it would not use heavy vehicles and it would not use live ammunition for target practice, near the populated areas.
However, without any prior announcement, the Greek Government sent a new contingent of soldiers reinforced with police, who today created an incident in the Lerin (Florina) region. Local Members of Parliament were not informed of these activities by the Greek army, despite their parliamentary requests last week for the army not to disturb the peace of the local population in this region.
In stark contrast to the actions of the Greek army who withdrew without any problems, because of protests in the Peloponnese and other places, this time in Aegean Macedonia, the Greek Government has come with a different tactic.
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Regarding the army gunfire exercise in a Macedonian village "Lofi" (Zabrdeny), Florina - Lerinsko, North GreeceOctober 6, 2008
Press Release
"I don't care what you do, I'm not from here, I'm from far away … Good that you die of cancer (!).
Since you live on the border, you must tolerate both the army and its gushot exercises. If you don't want to, then take your village beyond the Greek border!"
The above statement was made by a Greek police officer during the demonstration of the people of Lofi/Zabrdeny who demanded the permanent closure of the army exercise field in the village due to health and security reasons.
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11.10.08 - 13:20 End the Greek Tragedy
End the Greek Tragedy
The endless bickering over Macedonia’s name merely distracts from a far greater need.
SKOPJE | Josip Broz Tito calendars hang on office walls, memorabilia of the old Yugoslav leader clutter plywood shelves of Skopje’s bazaars, and on one of the capital’s busiest streets, the Broz Cafe is bustling on a warm October afternoon. The fading letters of the marshal’s “unity and brotherhood” speech that mark the international outpouring of help after the 1963 Skopje earthquake fill one crumbling wall of the former railway station – now the site of a museum and Tito memorabilia shop.
If there is Tito nostalgia in Macedonia, it may be more than fondness for an era when there were jobs and the Balkans were unified (never mind the political repression). “He respected our identity,” said one aging Skopje shopkeeper selling replicas of wartime memorabilia of the anti-Nazi partisan movement that Tito led. “He would never allow this shame to go on.”
| Playtime's over, boys. |
That “shame” is Greece’s opposition to Macedonia’s name. In one of the most intractable disputes resulting from the implosion of Yugoslavia, the Greeks insist that their tiny neighbor rebrand itself, fearing that “Republic of Macedonia” implies territorial ambitions on its northern region of Macedonia.
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9.10.08 - 23:25 Macedonian ambassador :LETTER TO EDITOR
LETTER TO EDITOR: Macedonia, NATO, Greece
Sens. Olympia Snowe and Robert Menendez raise a critical issue in resolving the vexing name dispute between Macedonia and Greece in "Macedonian Quandary"(Commentary, Sept. 24).
Greece claims that "Macedonia" can only refer to a province in Greece and any use by any other country of that name is a direct attack on Greek sovereignty and an attempt to partition Greece. It's a bizarre claim, considering that Macedonia has only a police force along the common border and Greece is a NATO member.
The court of public opinion understands that there are two sides to every story - especially when it comes to the name Macedonia. Macedonians gained their independence following the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991.
Our small country of 2 million people borders Greece. After nearly falling victim to the ethnic divisions and wars that ravaged the Balkan region, Macedonians set about charting a course for Western integration. Over the course of just six years, we broke down political barriers and devolved government power, overhauled the judiciary and cracked down on corruption. Our country has emerged as an ethnic melting pot dedicated to building a democratic system based on the rule of law, freedom of speech, religious tolerance and human rights.
A modernized Macedonian military has deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. U.N. forces are using Macedonia as headquarters to keep peace in Kosovo. Clearly, we are a country that understands the underpinnings of NATO: shared democratic values.
In Macedonia, these are not just words; they are practices put into action. NATO has decided that Macedonia has earned entry into the alliance, but in April at the Bucharest Summit, one country objected - and that was Greece.
It objected not because of any shortcoming in Macedonia's exhaustive economic, political and military reform checklist but because of the name of our country. In doing so, Greece violated the interim accord it signed with Macedonia in 1995, which prohibits blocking Macedonia from any international institutions while the name issue is being resolved.
We cannot afford to let a debate that stretches back 2,000 years get in the way of the safety and security of Europe and the United States, and Macedonia remains determined and committed to resolving the name dispute with Greece.
NATO's December meeting presents an opportunity to extend an invitation to a country that will contribute to broadening NATO's sphere of security and democracy. Disagreements over a name should have no bearing on keeping Macedonia out.
ZORAN JOLEVSKI
Ambassador
Republic of Macedonia
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7.10.08 - 20:10 George Bush and camrades Marx, Engels, Lenin
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5.10.08 - 13:30 Greek-Bulgarian alliance against Macedonians
Representatives of the Macedonian political parties in Bulgaria and Greece were present at OSCE’s annual meeting dedicated to European minorities and human rights held in Warsaw, Poland. - After our latest attempt to register the party, Bulgarian authorities started a systematic campaign of insulting and scaring our members. All 5,800 political members, I repeat, all 5,800 members were officially summoned by the Bulgarian police! - said representative of OMO Ilinden - Pirin at the meeting which encompassed more than 1,000 Governmental and non governmental organizations (NGO’s).
- Ladies and Gentlemen, this is psychological torture. Out of 300 political parties in Bulgaria, only our party and members are mistreated. Bulgaria is still defying an order from the Strasbourg Court to register our party - said representative from Omo Ilinden.
According to the Party, the police investigation was not to find irregularities within the party, rather to scare and threaten members to give up their membership in OMO Ilinden - Pirin.
The Macedonians in Greece were represented by their political party Vinozito, who said that Greece in line with their nationalist ideology refuse to recognize Macedonian identity and language. Greece, says Vinozito, has not ratified the Convention for protection of minorities saying it is a “useful tool for breaking up the Soviet Union and bringing down the Milosevic regime.”
“Vinozito” informs that Greece has refused to register a Macedonian Cultural Center in Lerin, which is a non profit organization.
- Almost two decades have passed, since 1989. The Berlin wall went down, but the walls of twisted views and injustices towards Macedonians in Greece still thrive - said representative of “Vinozito”.
The Macedonians in Greece have encouraged the Government to include “Macedonian” on their scheduled census for 2011. “Vinozito” informed of Greek Professor and Human Rights Activist Panayote Dimitris who is under constant pressure by the Police.
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3.10.08 - 23:20 Greek trump against "unexzisting macedonian minority" - frightening
Thirty Macedonians from Ovcarani, Aegean Macedonia (Greece), for two days protested in front of a Greek military training field near the village of Zabrdeni, asking for the Greek Army to retrieve from their region, inform local citizens.
Greek soldiers who slept in tents under the open sky were woken up late at night from the sounds of church bells from the surrounding villages who all rang at the same time.
Ethnic Macedonians in Greece are fed up with the Greek Army intimidation tactics to show up with tanks surrounding their villages, under the auspices of ‘training’. Local resident who wished to remain anonymous explained to MINA that the Greek Army always chooses to show their might in cities and villages where ethnic Macedonians are the majority.
-They come here, surround our villages with tanks and stay here for weeks, sometimes months. They think we will get scared. Why don’t they do their training in Athens? - says an ethnic Macedonian from Ovcarani who also complained of the pollution the tanks caused to his crops.
Two nights ago, local villagers set up a four car road blockade to prevent the Greek Army convoy from reaching their training destination. A tractor was also added to the blockade, after which the Greek police and a public prosecutor arrived at the place of the incident.
Negotiations between the police and the demonstrators went until midnight, after which the Macedonians left.
Yesterday demonstrators gathered again to protest the presence of the Greek Army and their intimidation tactics who according to local residents never work.
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The Cabinet of the Macedonian Government has issued a statement on the protests of the Macedonians in Northern Greece in relation to activities of the Greek Army. "We are very worried about the protests and are hopeful Greece will take into considerations the reactions of citizens in that particular part of Greece. We hope the training of the Greek Army is not a demonstration of force." says in the statement.
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also read:German MEP: Greece's position is unacceptable
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1.10.08 - 22:20 Wall street - fijuuuuuuuuuu......
song: America and England will be countries proleterian.......
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30.09.08 - 19:30 CALIMERO - INTERNATIONAL LAW
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30.09.08 - The Konikovo Gospel
The Konikovo Gospel (Bibl.Patr.Alex. 268)
A bilingual vernacular Gospel manuscript from Macedonia
(late 18th – early 19th century)
In the winter of 2003/04, researchers from the University of Helsinki found an interesting bilingual manuscript, written in what is now Greek Macedonia in the late 18th or early 19th century. It contains a Greek evangeliarium (Gospel lectionary for Sunday services) and its Slavic translation, both written in Greek letters. What makes the manuscript unique is its bilinguality, and the fact that both the Greek and the Slavic texts represent the vernacular, not the church language. The Slavic part is the oldest known text of greater scope that directly reflects the living dialects of Southern Macedonia. It is also the oldest known Gospel translation in Modern Macedonian.
The beginning of the Slavic text, with corrections by Pavel Božigropski, was printed in Thessaloniki in 1852–1853, and these four pages have been known in Slavic studies as the “Konikovo Gospel” after Pavel’s home village (nowadays known as Dytikó). The newly found manuscript shows, however, that the translation came into being earlier and in a fashion other than has been assumed. The manuscript also reflects the sound structure of the local dialect better than the short printed text did.
The manuscript must originally have contained about 124 pages, 74 of which have been preserved. The Slavic part is a valuable source for research into the dialects and more recent history of Macedonian. The Macedonian language is the closest relative of Bulgarian. It did not acquire a definitive standard language until after World War II.
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27.09.08 - 16:30 Macedonians tied to Antic Macedonians
Macedonians tied to Antic Macedonians, Greeks to Celtic, Germanic, Slavic...
Today’s Macedonians are descendants of the Antic Macedonians, says research results from the Swiss Genealogy Institute iGENEA. For a second time an independent research institution confirms what Oxford and Madrid University confirmed a decade ago. iGENEA is the most famous global Genealogy institute who once again frustrated the Greek government by confirming the direct connection between the Macedonians today and in Antic times.
The question came from a Greek citizen who asked iGENEA the following question: "What are the roots of today SlavMacedonians".
The Institute responded: "Before all, they are Macedonians, not slavMacedonias as you referred to them for political reasons. The largest part of the Macedonians are direct descendants of the Antic Macedonians. Only a minor portion have a Slavic connection".
iGENEA backed up their findings with hard numbers. However, tying the today's Macedonians with Antic Macedonians is not the only disappointing information for Greece. According to iGENEA, only 32 percent of Greek citizens have Macedonian, Hellenic and even Arab origin. iGENEA further explains that 31 percent of Greek citizens have Celtic roots, 12 percent Germanic and Slavic origin, while 11% have Illyrian roots.
iGENEA also negated the Illyrians roots of the Albanians. In stark contrast to Albanian beliefs, IGENEA says the Albanians have the least Illyrian roots. Only 20 percent of the Albanians have Illyrian roots, while 40 percent of today’s Bosnians have Illyrian roots.
In the past several months, the iGENEA Genealogy Institute had been flooded with requests by Greek Citizens who, ironically, did not care for their own origin, but all questions were aimed at the Macedonians' origin. iGENEA in its research uses DNK analysis, historical, archeological, and anthropological sources.------------------------------------------------------------------------
video(kviz)
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read also: Corfu wishes to split from Greece
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26.0o9.08 - 00:45 Let´s Not Forget the Exiled Macedonians from Greece
After reading the MINA article http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/3525/46/ about Panayotis Dimitras, member of the Greek Helsinki Monitor, I couldn´t help but remember what my father had told me about other United Nations visits to the Greek concentration camps in the Greek islands in the past where Macedonians and others were tortured daily.It was naïve of me to ask, "Why didn´t anyone report the abuses while the people from the UN visited you?" "Because no one wanted to die a horrible death," was the answer. The UN and other investigative bodies came and went but the prisoners remained and were constantly reminded of what would happen not only to them personally but to their families and friends if they spoke up. They were also reminded that "the strangers will come and go but you will definitely stay". "How were we to know that these people were truly from the UN and not another ´Greek show´, a ploy to pull us into getting into trouble and giving the Greeks another excuse to torture and murder us?" was another answer I received.
If I were a Macedonian living in Greece today what would I think if a high profiled Greek such as Panayotis Dimitras is openly threatened in the face of the entire world with "high treason" and life imprisonment just for saying Macedonians exist in Greece? I would have to ask myself "if they can do that to Panayotis a member of the Greek Helsinki Monitor who is well known worldwide, imagine what they can do to me, an unknown person, if I speak up?" "Would I dare say I am Macedonian and risk my life and the lives of my family?" The answer would most likely be NO!
Macedonians have many examples to refer to where they were put in similar circumstances and many times were let down. The Greeks are back to their old tricks because these tricks are tried and proven tactics that have worked well for them in the past! They know this will bring them the desired results without any consequences.
But let me tell you something, not all Macedonians from Greece live inside Greece where the Greek government has them under its thumb. There are millions of Macedonians, yes millions of exiled Macedonians whose citizenship and properties were expropriated by the Greek government and who were driven out of Greece. To this day I have yet to find a single Macedonian who has left Greece willingly and hasn´t been driven out as a war refugee or as an economic refugee.
The Macedonians still living in Greece have no rights but they at least still have their lands, homes, citizenship and live where they were born. Unfortunately that is not the case with the Macedonians and other minorities which Greece has exiled over the years.
From what happened to Mr. Dimitras it should be obvious to everyone that the Macedonians living inside Greece are in peril from the Greek government and from the racist and fascist organizations the Greek state supports. Those Macedonians who volunteered information to the UN have put themselves and their families at great risk.
Greece has used similar threats before and knows its methods are tried and proven. It knows terror tactics will work because its minorities live and have always lived in fear and will not dare reveal themselves or freely speak to strangers. Greece will exercise its threats and send people to jail; it has done this before and has suffered no consequences so it will do it again. Macedonians living inside Greece unfortunately have suffered many consequences in the past and would be less willing to come forth with information.
Another place to obtain reliable information about the Macedonians in Greece is to interview Macedonians from Greece who live outside of Greece where they can´t be threatened with violence and long jail sentences.
To exile people from their homes and to have their homes, properties and citizenship confiscated is not only immoral but also illegal and today the law is on the Macedonian side.
Seource: http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/74968
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