27.08.08 - 19:40 "Aegean" resolution

Macedonian Parliament unanimously adopts to support Aegean refugees

The Parliament of Macedonia adopted Wednesday unanimously by acclamation a Resolution on the Refugees from Military Actions in the Republic of Greece during the Civil and Second World War.

It envisages the Government to support the legal struggle of the Aegeans with regard to returning the seized properties during Greece's Civil War and to inform the Parliament on the course of the procedure every six months.

A group of legislators from all parliamentary parties put forward the Resolution on the Refugees from Military Actions in the Republic of Greece During the Civil and Second World War.

Civil associations of refugee children and other citizens exiled following 1949 and the end of the civil war in Greece, referred to the Parliament's Standing Inquiry Committee for Protection of Civil Freedoms and Rights with a petition in 2004. In the past few years, the committee reviewed the petition exhaustively as well as the request, voiced by the associations, the Parliament to take and declare appropriate positions before the local and international public.

As a result of the unified positions, the Standing Inquiry Committee and 11 MPs from all parties filed the Resolution on the Refugees from Military Actions in the Republic of Greece During the Civil and Second World War to Parliament's President on 14 Dec. 2007.

According to historians and data obtained by international organisations for human rights protection, a bulk of the hundreds of thousands of people that fled Greece during the civil war were Macedonians, most of them children.

In an attempt to raise the issues of the Macedonians in Greece and exiled civilians after the civil war, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and Speaker Trajko Veljanoski sent letters to their colleagues, international representatives and organisations.

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25.08.08 - 14:15 Human Rights Watch - Greece

HRW asked for protection of Macedonians in Greece in 1994

A fact finding mission by the Human Rights Watch back in 1994 had asked the International Community to intervene and protect the Macedonian minority from decades of abuses perpetrated by the Greek Authorities.

According to the HRW, abuses ranged from: restriction of freedom of expression only for ethnic Macedonians, discrimination by the Greek Government towards employees that identify as ethnic Macedonians in the Public Sector, to harassing, threats, jail, economic and social pressure for Macedonian Rights Activists, among many things.

The importance of this document is substantial and would serve in the ’name negotiations’ as the HRW gives a historical perspective of the region thus revealing Greece’s blatant and constant disinformation campaign towards the world, and specifically towards their public.

Below is an excerpt from the HRW report:

HRW: During the years between World Wars I and II, Greece followed a policy of assimilating the Macedonian minority and Hellenizing the Macedonian region in northern Greece. The government changed place names and personal names from Macedonian to Greek, ordered religious services to be performed in Greek, and altered religious icons.

Under the Metaxas dictatorship in Greece (1936-1941), conditions of the Macedonian minority deteriorated markedly. More than 5,000 Macedonians from the Yugoslav border area were interned, the use of the Macedonian language was forbidden, and Macedonians were required to attend night school to learn Greek. Moreover, many of those who spoke Macedonian were fined or beaten.

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Link to full report

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21.08.08 - 22:10 Greek blockade

Greece prevents Aegean Macedonians from entering Macedonia

The Greek border Authorites earlier today prevented a group of Greek citizens, ethnic Macedonians from entering Macedonia, local media reported. According to sources in the Greek Government, their citizens were not allowed to enter Macedonia because they needed to obtain "new passports".

Unofficially, the Macedonians had been treathened by Greek Authorities to not visit Prilep where they were taking part of a Football Tournament named "Roots, Juniors 2008".

The ethnic Macedonians showed up on the border wearing the traditional Macedonian red colors. Greece hasn't established a particular friendship with the red color ever since painting the British East India flag Blue.

"Obviously someone was bothered that they were Macedonians. They think if they stop them from coming to Macedonia, the Macedonians there will somehow forget about Macedonia", said Zoran Petrov, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Similar incident ocurred on the Bulgarian - Turkish border. Once the Bulgarian Authorities saw the large group were Macedonians from Turkey, they refused to issue them a transit visa, citing 'byrocratic problems'.

"We don't know the reasons why they were not issued transit visas, they waited for one until the last moment" said Boris Temoski, president of "We are Here".

"We will look for an explanation why they were not allowed to enter, from Greece and Bulgaria. It is common practice for Greece or Bulgaria to come up with an excuse that "the passports need to be brand new" or "they applied too late", we have heard this more thousands of times. We are sick and tired of this." said Zoran Petrov.

Several hundred Macedonian junior football players gathered in Prilep, Macedonia, hailing from Serbia, Slovenia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Croatia, Bulgaria.

All of the youths as well as Tournament Management weren't surprised that Macedonians from Greece didn't make it.

These incidents just confirm the inhumane treatment Macedonians get in Greece and Bulgaria.

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18.08.08 - 20:25 Greek paranoia

Greece refused to share the stage with Macedonia during the closing of the folklore festival in Burgas, Bulgaria and made a scandalous exit.

Greek participants said they are departing because they can not stay on the same stage with the ensemble from Macedonia.

This not the first time Greek representatives to protest, due to the name dispute, at events in which representatives from Macedonia participate. One can hope Greece's exits from all events where Macedonia participates become a tradition.

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15.08.08 - 00:30 French Presidential Cabinet against Greek policy

The response from French Presidential Cabinet, to letter from Macedonia -- they don't seem to have an issue with Republique de Macedoine.



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12.08.08 - 17:05 Letter for Nimetz:to include MOC recognition in name talks agenda

Gruevski urges Nimetz to include MOC recognition in name talks agenda

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski has sent a letter to mediator Matthew Nimetz, urging him to include the recognition of the Macedonian Orthodox Church (MOC) by the Greek side within countries' name dispute talks.

Dnevnik daily in its Tuesday edition, citing diplomatic sources, says Gruevski suggested to the mediator the Macedonian church recognition issue to be a part of the package of solutions to the dispute.

- I ask you, if it is possible, to include this issue into Your attempts on resolving the dispute of our constitutional name, which recently has been enlarged with several other open issues. And if Your attempts end in success, taking into consideration that in addition to the name You are striving to resolve several other open issues between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece, this issue to be incorporated into the agenda of our priorities, Gruevski writes to Nimetz.

In the letter, he also presents a lengthy elaboration and background of MOC's church dispute with some of the orthodox churches, mainly the Serbian and Greek ones, while highlighting their closeness and solidarity.

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10.08.08 - 22:45 Invest in .... памет (2)

Интересот за темава може да го покoлеба човек да го заврши плaнираното, но можеби токму заради тоа и треба да се доврши како доказ дека и токму таквиот интерес ( и (не)делување ) е причина за состојбата во која сме како земја.
Елем, како мало потстување. Сите досегашни владеачки гарнитури се потепаа од фалење колку големи инвестиции ( разбира се, странски) ќе донесат.
Колку се донeсени, знаеме...
И во последново предизборие, како изборна мамка (особено од власта) се користеше истата финта – странски инвестиции, нови вработувања итн.
Дури, Груевски и компанија во тек на кампањата, отидоа во Франција во важна мисија за донесување странска ивестиција ,а, она за да потпишат некое писмо за намера за инвестирање со фирмата (мислам)“Монтале“- фалејќи се дека со оваа инвестија ( иако се ова е уште само како намера, ама изгледа доволно за изборно фалење- ветување ) ќе се обезбедат 500 нови вработувања ....во неколку години натаму.....
Што би рекол народецов,“не липсај магаре до зелена трева..“.

Е,ако тоа е се’ што политичарите можат да понудат на народот, што може народот да си понуди самиот на себе, па да мрдне малку напред !??


“Кај нас, поради разни партиски и владини субјективизми, никако да се почне и да им се даде вистинска шанса на непартиските и невладини граѓани за да дојдат до правилно валоризирање и вреднување на своите иновации, проекти и идеи. Скоро беше, кога неколку интелектуалци со високо образование и со ретки иновации, пазарно актуелни, дојдоа во Здружението и ни се обратија за разбирање и помош, како своите милионски вредни иновации од меѓународно значење да почнат да ги реализираат во стопанската дејност си што истовремено би вработиле околу 600 нови луѓе за почеток“.

Дали ви е ова јасно: готови проекти за нови 600 вработувања – пазите: не 500 за намерувана инвестиција (што вероватно нема да се оствари) и тоа за неколку години – туку 600 вработувања - сега, тука, веднаш.
И , ништо.


Затоа што “во Македонија, пред се', не постои ефикасен пазарен механизам за валозирање на иновациите и за заработување од нив (патенти, дизајн и слично). Непријатна е констатацијата дека завршените високи школи на иноваторите, нивното работно искуство, и умеење што го стекнале „не вреди ништо“ и оти бидејќи никој нема кој да ги вреднува нивните дела, тие може да заминат од земјава.“

Дали вреди да се објаснува понатаму со ваков интерес каков се покажува за ова!?
Отсекогаш трудот и творештвото - како индивуални активности- не се сметале како патриотски категории- урлањето, удирањето во гради.,јазичарењето, самофалењето(не само на политичарите) без дела (по)лесно поминува како “патриотизам“.
И да не должам, да не си губам времето, за некој кој е заинтересиран за ова да укажам дека цитате се дел од писмо објавено во “Дневник“, па може да се прочита цело.

9.08.08 - 14:00 Invest in ........кампањи (1)

На почетокот, кампањата беше владин хит и заради веќе пословичната “транспaрентност“ на владата не дознавме колку од нашите пари отишле (каде?) за кампањата.
Се велеше дека само со 1% од инвестициите што ќе дојдат веднаш по камапањата ќе ги покријат трошоците за кампањата.
И ?
И, ...... ништо !
Изгледа светот не не’ разбира. Ќе да е тоа дело на опозицијата која непозитивно гледала ( а, можда и фрлила некоја магија ?) на камапањата!?

А, неодамна, претставници на обединетата македонска дијаспора, среде Скопје се изјаснија :

Иселениците би инвестирале само во средена Македонија

Нивни изјави се :

“Македонија итно да ги подобри административните процедури и да ги забрза судските процедури ако сака да ги привлече инвестициите од македонската дијаспора во САД“.......

“Голем дел иселеници во Австралија чекаат да се подобри бизнис-климата за да отворат компании во Македонија, но за тоа е потребна намалена корупција“....

Е, сега, нашиве од странство ако не и веруваат на кампањата и не сакаат да вложат некој долар, а не’ знаат добро што сорта сме, како да се очекува ( а, за тоа дебело сме платиле) од други кои не не’ знаат добро, да ни веруваат на некоја (нека биде и убава реклама) и туку така да ги вложат своите пари кај нас!?
Ма, ајде !..

И за на крај, нешто како показател на ефектот од оваа кампања, според студијата на реномираната консултантска компанија “Делојт“, Македонија е на последното место по интересот на инвеститорите во Европа

За инвестирање во Македонија, Молдавија и Црна Гора интерес пројавиле 10 отсто од инвеститорите во источна Европа, додека за овие земји интерес воопшто немаат инвеститорите од западна Европа.

Е, па сега види .....
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8.08.08 - 17:10 .......Macedonian National Identity - 1918-1941

The British Foreign Office
and Macedonian National Identity - 1918-1941

by Andrew Rossos

The study of the Macedonian identity has given rise to far greater controversies and debates than that of most, if not all, other nationilisms in eastern Europe. This has been only in part due to the hazy past of the Slavic speaking population of Macedonia and to the lack of a continuous and separate state tradition, a trait they had in common with other "small" and "young," or so-called "non-historic," peoples in the area. Controversy has been due above all to the fact that, although it began in the second quarter of the nineteenth century, Macedonian nationalism did not enjoy international acceptance or legitimacy until the Second World War, much later than was the case with other similar national movements in eastern Europe.[1] Recent research has shown that Macedonian nationalism developed, generally speaking, similarly to that of neighboring Balkan peoples, and, in most respects, of other "small" and "young" peoples of eastern, as well as some of western, Europe.

But Macedonian nationalism was belated, grew slowly and, at times, manifested confusing tendencies and orientations that were, for the most part, consequences of its protracted illegitimate status.[2]

For a half century Macedonian nationalism existed illegally. It was recognized neither by the theocratic Ottoman state nor by the two established Orthodox churches in the empire: the Patriarchist (Greek) and, after its establishment in 1870, the Exarchist (Bulgarian). Moreover neighboring Balkan nationalists-Bulgarian, Greek, Serbian-who had already achieved independence with the aid of one or more of the Great Powers, chose to deny the existence of a separate Macedonian identity; indeed they claimed Macedonia and the Macedonians as their own. They fought for Macedonia with propaganda and force, against each other and the nascent Macedonian nationalists. A prolonged struggle culminated in 1913 with the forceful partition of Macedonia after the Second Balkan or Inter-Allied War between Bulgaria, on one side, and allied Greece and Serbia, on the other.[3] Each of these three states consolidated their control over their respective parts of Macedonia, and throughout the inter-war years inaugurated and implemented policies intended to destroy any manifestations of Macedonian nationalism, patriotism or particularism- Consequently, until World War II, unlike the other nationalisms in the Balkans or in eastern Europe more generally, Macedonian nationalism developed with-out the aid of legal political, church, educational or cultural institutions. Macedonian movements not only lacked any legal infrastructure, they also were without the international sympathy, cultural aid and, most importantly, benefits of open and direct diplomatic and military support accorded other Balkan nationalisms.[4] Indeed, for an entire century Macedonian nationalism, illegal at home and illegitimate internationally, waged a precarious struggle for survival against overwhelming odds: in appearance against the Turks and the Ottoman Empire before 1913 but in actual fact, both before and after that date, against the three expansionist Balkan states and their respective patrons among the Great Powers.[5]

The denial of a Macedonian identity by the neighboring Balkan states, and their irreconcilably contradictory claims, motives, justifications and rationalizations, are mirrored by the largely polemical and tendentious Bulgarian, Greek and Serbian literature on the Macedonian question.[6]

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7.08.08 - 16:50 Comment by AUSTRALIAN MACEDONIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE

Letter by the President of the European Commission – Jose Manuel Barroso

2 August 2008

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia, Mr Nikola Gruevski, recently sent a letter to the European Commission’s president, Mr José Manuel Barroso regarding the human rights problems confronting the Macedonian minority in Greece. In the letter the Prime Minister states:

The Government of the Republic of Macedonia appeals, within your competences, to personally engage for Greece’s strict obeying of the obligations stemming from international instruments regarding human rights, with special emphasis on free expression of ethnic identity and all rights stemming from that. Our expectation is Greece, as a member of the EU and NATO, to start dialogue which will lead to meeting the recommendations of the European Commission.

In response the President of the European Commission, Mr Barroso replied with the following:

…it is important to clarify that the European Union has no general competence to deal with issues such as identities of minorities, their rights, acquisition of citizenship and restitution of properties, arising in its Member States. This is the primary responsibility of the Member States in the light of their constitutional traditions and international obligations.

This is an unfortunate and insensitive response by the President of the European Commission on an issue as fundamental as the protection of human rights within a Member State of the European Union (EU). It seems strange that the representative of the EU would use such indifferent language in addressing the concerns over human rights abuses of ethnic Macedonians in Greece. This is especially the case given that the EU likes to wrap itself around different humanist ideals and announce triumphantly their commitment to human rights. Indeed, the EU is increasingly establishing fundamental rights as part of EU law as a means of legitimizing the EU itself. Clearly there appears to be a gap between EU rhetoric and reality; at the same time that the EU affirms the importance of human rights, it actually does nothing to secure any of them.

What President Barroso could have asserted was that the EU has an unwavering respect for the protection of human rights and has a particular interest to ensure that its Member States, namely Greece, is aware of their obligations. For example, the founding treaties of the EU make references to the “fact” that the EU is “founded on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law” and that it “shall respect fundamental rights, as guaranteed by the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms”. In fact, accession to the Convention is something that has been made a condition for EU membership.

President Barroso could have mentioned that the Charter of Fundamental Rights that was “solemnly proclaimed” by the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission deems it “necessary to strengthen the protection of fundamental rights”.

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5.08.08 - 20:35 11 questions

A lot of statements after the letter from the primer minister od Republic of Macedonia to his greek colleague Kostas Karaamanlis , as :

“….repeats the previously known unacceptable statements regarding non-existent minorities etc...”

”…..speaks about an alleged minority, attacking Greece because it allegedly violates the rights of existent or non-existent minorities…He follows concerted destabilizing orders...”

“We are dealing with statements which are unacceptable in form and content, as well as with an unfortunate attempt of raising non-existent and unfounded issues” ……..,

came from top Greek officials and politicians in less than a week’s time, only because highly-ranked Macedonian officials “dared” to officially raise the taboo issues of the ethnic Macedonian minority in Greece. And, unfortunately, anyone addressing this issue, along with the repatriation of the Macedonian political refugees who were forcibly expelled from their birth places during the Greek civil war (1946-49), is “provocative”, “disgraceful”, “slanderer” or “follows orders from unknown patrons”.

Since, then, ethnic Macedonians inside and outside Greece are “non-existent”, we kindly ask all Greek politicians and mainstream media (which bristle with hatred towards Macedonians) to answer the following:

• For whom did the Greek state print in 1925 the Primer of the Macedonian Language “ABECEDAR”? Even before the printing of this book, in a official but secret census the Macedonian language was clearly mentioned. The “non-existent” Macedonian minority spoke a “non-existent” language?
• Who are these that were mentioned in all official national censuses of the Greek state up until 1951 as “macedophones”, “slavophone Macedonians”, of “Slavic”, “non-Greek” or “unstable” national consciousness, of “declared Slavic beliefs”? What happened to them, after 1951?
• Is it possible that they “no longer exist” as former Minister Pangalos stated some years ago?
• If they don’t exist, exactly how did they “disappear”?
• If they still exist, why then Greece keeps calling them “non-existent” every time someone brings up this subject?
• Why was the population of whole villages back in the 60s forced to collective oaths, in order to stop using the “cursed Slavic idiom”?
• Under what excuse did the Greek state allow in 1982 the repatriation only of the political refugees who were “Greek by genus”? This indirectly but clearly means that the thousands of political refugees who had lost their citizenship and cannot return to their birth places are defined as “non-Greek by genus”. The relatives of these people who remained within the Greek borders do not constitute an ethnic minority then?
• Why Greece, with its official and unofficial structures, has created a whole mechanism to impede even a short-term visit to Greece from these political refugees who have clearly stated a non-Greek national conscience? Because of whom was the notorious “unwanted list” in Greek border crossings created , why is it still valid and enhanced today, including not only political refugees but also financial immigrants of Macedonian origin?
• If what Greece claims to be true, that Macedonians are Greeks only, is indeed true, then why does the country prohibit for 18 years now the registration of the cultural association “Home of Macedonian Culture”, pretentiously ignoring relevant rulings in favour of the registration from the European Court for Human Rights?
• Why Greece is reluctant to conduct an official census of all ethnic and linguistic minorities, in order to have an undisputable proof of the existence or non-existence of the Macedonian minority?
• And last but not least, maybe the most important question of all. How is it possible that Greece, a country that constantly fancies itself to be the “cradle of civilization and democracy” is de facto denying at the same time elementary, fundamental human rights to its citizens, like the right to self determination and all that derives from it in educational and cultural fields? Why Greece is not ratifying any of the relevant international conventions it readily signed in the first place??
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