Monday, October 27, 2008

Greek Crackdown on Macedonian Journalists Draws International Condemnation, New Questions

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.

On Wednesday, the Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO, an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), released a sharp critique of the Greek authorities’ actions. In a press release, the organization said the arrests left it “…alarmed at recent restrictions on reporters’ ability to freely carry out their work in Greece,” with SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic condemning it as a “…clear infringement of the free movement and freedom of expression of journalists.”

The Macedonian Foreign Ministry also cried foul, saying that the journalists’ detention “breaches Article 10 of the European Convention for Human Rights and OSCE documents on freedom of speech and expression,” reported the Sofia Echo. Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski was quoted in the same report as saying, “…when [military exercises] are practically taking place in front of the yards of citizens and are not relocated after numerous demands of the population, it becomes obvious that some other motive is in question. We are talking about a demonstration of power and attempt at spreading fear among the population, which is a far from democratic move by an EU member country.”

Clearly, Greek officials were eager to prevent any on-the-ground interviews that could further prove this speculation. “Despite carrying valid press cards and visas for Greece,” the SEEMO summary added, “the [Macedonian] 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.”

The irony of it all is that one of the journalists detained, Goran Momirovski of A1 TV, has attained such a reputation for objectivity that he is frequently quoted in major Greek media. And he has often helped his Greek journalistic colleagues on their visits to Macedonia, in some cases personally intervening to get them access to facilities such as Parliament for which they had not obtained correct accreditation in advance. Most recently, Momirovski took part in a special ‘excellence in journalism’ training program at the headquarters of the prestigious Christian Science Monitor newspaper in Boston, Massachusetts last month, in his role as a collaborator with the only English-language daily newspaper in Macedonia, the Macedonian Daily News.

According to Momirovski, who shared his experiences today with Balkanalysis.com, his team’s recent experiences in Greece were quite a departure from the norm. He states that he has visited Greece around 50 times in the past three years, and “never had any problems” before, even when filming in ethnically Macedonian areas.

What was so different, then, about the latest visit? The timing – just after the unveiling of another unpopular name ‘compromise’ solution from UN Mediator Matthew Nimitz – was not incidental. The story that drew the attention of the Macedonian journalists was a popular protest held by locals in Lofi against Greek military exercises in the area. According to Momirovski, the military had entered the area two weeks ago but left after locals protested- as had been the case in areas of the Peloponnese and Thessaly. “However, it was only in this area [of Greek Macedonia] that the army actually returned,” he says. The resulting protests against the army’s comeback attempt resulted in injuries and arrests, and thus drew the attention of the Macedonian media.

Stating that his team had arrived around 11am on Monday morning, after having faithfully told the Greek border guards where they would be going, Momirovski adds that “we were not able to speak with any of the protesters, because we were told by locals that they had just gone to bed two hours before- they had been held by the police up until that time.”

Instead, the local villagers suggested the journalists go to two nearby villages where they could perhaps find more information.

After driving out of the village on a secondary road, however, the television team was followed by military vehicles and stopped by police who barked at them in Greek and detained them. While he notes that the police acted “very correctly with us” (i.e., no threats or beatings), Momirovski questions the reasonableness of their demands. “They told us that we cannot take photos or videos, because it is a border area, but could stay as ‘tourists,’” he states, noting however that when he inquired repeatedly three years ago with officials in Athens about obtaining permissions, with no response, the Greek Press Office in Skopje informed him that “no one will bother you” for filming in the area.

Later, at the border between Florina and Bitola, the journalists were then told they had to surrender all of their cameras and equipment. Of course, they refused. Greek officials tried to claim that the Macedonians were illegally filming military installations. When asked about this, Momirovski gives a pained look. “Would I be stupid enough to try and film a military installation? Besides, there were not any such installations near enough for us to film!”

Indeed, reminds one nationalist commentary website, MINA, “…the journalist crews did not take photographs in the restricted area, as claimed by Greek authorities. Zero photographs were found during the check up of the journalists’ equipment.”

The frustrated police told the television crew that they could only return to the village under police escort. But when they returned to Lofi, they were then suddenly informed by the police that they had somehow “disturbed the locals” with their presence and, says Momirovski, “we were ordered to leave the country at once, and the police escorted us to the border.”

Why, in his opinion, were the Greek authorities so eager to prevent contact between the Macedonian film crew and the local villagers? The journalist gives a wry smile. “They didn’t want us talking to these Macedonians, as it would be very obvious [to all viewers] that there really are Macedonians in their country.”

On the other hand, Greek journalists visiting Macedonia face no such hassles, and regularly take extraordinary liberties- as was the case when Greek reporters burst into a secondary school near Strumica to see if the students were learning about Alexander the Great, etc. in their history books, so as to fabricate yet another international “scandal” in place of sound journalism.

The political chill between the two countries and frequent miscommunications have made media cooperation very difficult, even for well-meaning sorts like Momirovski. In April, when Greece infamously blocked Macedonia’s NATO membership at the alliance’s Bucharest Summit, Greek journalists flocked to Skopje, eager to ‘take the pulse’ of the population.

As this author can recall, it proved very difficult to arrange interviews for them, however, because numerous local and foreign officials and public figures expressed misgivings over how any potential quotes or footage of themselves would be presented back in Greece. “We’ve been burned too many times by the Greeks,” was a typical answer, given by a diplomat who ruefully recalled having spoken for the Greek media in the past and then felt wrongly depicted in the end.

Through it all, Macedonian government officials are sanguine, believing that ugly incidents such as Monday’s journalist crackdown will ultimately play into their hands. A senior diplomat told Balkanalysis.com that “the Greeks continue with this kind of bad behavior, and the world is starting to see it… world opinion is now steadily moving towards our side.”

There is a silver lining in all this, at least for fans of black humor. Stung by the US government’s recent refusal to lift visa requirements for Greek citizens, the fastidiously hypocritical Greek foreign minister, Dora Bakoyiannis stated, “Greece has never accepted the logic of the exertion of pressure between allies.”

Or, as a forthright Greek intellectual told this author not long ago: “our government compensates for its inferiority complex vis-à-vis Turkey by intimidating its small and weak northern neighbor… that’s this ‘name issue’ for you!”


Source: http://www.balkanalysis.com/2008/10/15/greek-crackdown-on-macedonian-journalists-draws-international-condemnation-new-questions/

Rainbow submits fresh draft-resolution in PACE

Skopje, October 20 (MIA) - Upon the initiative of European Free Alliance-Rainbow, a fresh draft-resolution on "discriminatory laws against ethnic Macedonian political refugees" has been submitted in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), reads Rainbow press release.

The draft-resolution, supported by representatives of almost all PACE political groups from 13 European countries, "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".

Moreover, the PACE competent committee is recommended to "investigate this matter and engage with the Greek authorities with a view to ending the aforementioned discrimination".

Rainbow-political party of the Macedonian minority in Greece expresses its gratitude for the draft-resolution support by first signatory Geert Lambert of Flemish political party "Vlaams Progressiven" from Belgium for his continual support in the issues related to the human rights of ethnic Macedonians, as well as to the representatives of Macedonia and Turkey.

A debate on the draft-resolution is expected by the end of November.


Source: http://www.idividi.com.mk/English/476862/index.html

Greece Steps Up Blatant Attacks on Human Rights Activists and Macedonian Minority

MHRMI - Press Release

Greece Steps Up Blatant Attacks on Human Rights Activists and Macedonian Minority

October 18, 2008

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Greek Military Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) - Press Release

Toronto, Canada - Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) condemns Greece's brutal tactics in clashes between members of the Macedonian minority and the Greek army near the village of Lofi/Zabrdeny in northern Greece.

On October 13, Greek army tanks and other armoured vehicles tried to conduct heavy artillery gunfire exercises just outside the Macedonian village but the inhabitants of Lofi/Zabrdeny and other surrounding villages blocked the road, demanding that no heavy artillery fire take place. Special police units arrived and according to EFA - Rainbow, used "methods resembling the seven-year Metaxas dictatorship", and attacked the villagers and "broke arms and legs, violently dragged women and children from the street" and arrested eight people, including the President of the local Lofi/Zabrdeny municipal council, Mr. Kole Mitskopoulos, and four journalists from the Republic of Macedonia.

Over the next several hours hundreds more gathered and demanded the immediate release of the arrested and the withdrawal of tanks and special police forces. Later that day the journalists were released and escorted to the border to return to the Republic of Macedonia. Early the next morning the four residents were released without charges and the inhabitants were promised that no heavy artillery practice would be performed.

This incident follows the launching of a judicial investigation on possible treason charges earlier this year against leading Greek human rights activist Panayote Dimitras. Following UN independent minority expert Gay McDougall's visit to northern Greece, Mr. Dimitras, spokesperson for the Greek Helsinki Monitor, gave an interview for BBC Macedonian in which he reiterated his position that Macedonians, and other minorities in Greece, are not recognized and severely persecuted.

According to Mr. Dimitras, "...the Council of Europe and the UN have both recommended Greece change its behavior, but Greece hasn’t done a thing. In fact, it’s worse. We don’t change anything because we don’t have to fear anything. There are no sanctions against Greece, except for the European Court for Human Rights where we have lost cases, cases that Greece ignores. In this country, if you speak about minorities, you are asking for trouble. This will stay the way it is, until Greece is faced with sanctions."

In April 2008, Greece vetoed the Republic of Macedonia's entry into NATO simply because it opposes Macedonia's constitutional name. Greece initiated the so-called "name dispute" in order to continue its policy of non-recognition and persecution of its large Macedonian minority.

"Greece continues to show complete disregard for international human rights law for the sake of its own nationalistic agenda. The international community must act now before the situation for Macedonians, other minorities in Greece, and minority rights defenders deteriorates even further," said MHRMI president Bill Nicholov.

MHRMI calls for immediate sanctions against Greece until it officially recognizes its Macedonian minority and abides by all European Court of Human Rights judgements against it.

###

Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) has been active on human and national rights issues for Macedonians and other oppressed peoples since 1986. For more information, please visit www.mhrmi.org, or contact MHRMI at 416-850-7125, or info@mhrmi.org.

Source: http://www.mhrmi.org/news/2008/october18_e.asp

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Macedonians in Kostursko Have a Dance



http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=vboBineQVhI


Taken from www.maknews.com

Greece Steps Up Blatant Attacks on Human Rights Activists and Macedonian Minority


http://www.mhrmi.org/news/2008/october20_e.asp


MHRMI - Press Release

Greece Steps Up Blatant Attacks on Human Rights Activists and Macedonian Minority

October 20, 2008

Print this page

Greek Military Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) - Press Release

Toronto, Canada - Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) condemns Greece's brutal tactics in clashes between members of the Macedonian minority and the Greek army near the village of Lofi/Zabrdeny in northern Greece.

On October 13, Greek army tanks and other armoured vehicles tried to conduct heavy artillery gunfire exercises just outside the Macedonian village but the inhabitants of Lofi/Zabrdeny and other surrounding villages blocked the road, demanding that no heavy artillery fire take place. Special police units arrived and according to EFA - Rainbow, used "methods resembling the seven-year Metaxas dictatorship", and attacked the villagers and "broke arms and legs, violently dragged women and children from the street" and arrested eight people, including the President of the local Lofi/Zabrdeny municipal council, Mr. Kole Mitskopoulos, and four journalists from the Republic of Macedonia.

Over the next several hours hundreds more gathered and demanded the immediate release of the arrested and the withdrawal of tanks and special police forces. Later that day the journalists were released and escorted to the border to return to the Republic of Macedonia. Early the next morning the four residents were released without charges and the inhabitants were promised that no heavy artillery practice would be performed.

This incident follows the launching of a judicial investigation on possible treason charges earlier this year against leading Greek human rights activist Panayote Dimitras. Following UN independent minority expert Gay McDougall's visit to northern Greece, Mr. Dimitras, spokesperson for the Greek Helsinki Monitor, gave an interview for BBC Macedonian in which he reiterated his position that Macedonians, and other minorities in Greece, are not recognized and severely persecuted.

According to Mr. Dimitras, "...the Council of Europe and the UN have both recommended Greece change its behavior, but Greece hasn’t done a thing. In fact, it’s worse. We don’t change anything because we don’t have to fear anything. There are no sanctions against Greece, except for the European Court for Human Rights where we have lost cases, cases that Greece ignores. In this country, if you speak about minorities, you are asking for trouble. This will stay the way it is, until Greece is faced with sanctions."

In April 2008, Greece vetoed the Republic of Macedonia's entry into NATO simply because it opposes Macedonia's constitutional name. Greece initiated the so-called "name dispute" in order to continue its policy of non-recognition and persecution of its large Macedonian minority.

"Greece continues to show complete disregard for international human rights law for the sake of its own nationalistic agenda. The international community must act now before the situation for Macedonians, other minorities in Greece, and minority rights defenders deteriorates even further," said MHRMI president Bill Nicholov.

MHRMI calls for immediate sanctions against Greece until it officially recognizes its Macedonian minority and abides by all European Court of Human Rights judgements against it.

###

Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) has been active on human and national rights issues for Macedonians and other oppressed peoples since 1986. For more information, please visit www.mhrmi.org, or contact MHRMI at 416-850-7125, or info@mhrmi.org.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Interview with Macedonians in Occupied Macedonia (Aegean Macedonia)

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=GIo5oA2yzSw&feature=related




First Person...“If they told me even one toponym in Greek, I wouldn’t know it...even the army referred to them to them that way, in Macedonian, over their radio’s... for example ‘Crveni Brest(?)’, ‘Cheshma’ and so on, the same as how we know them”“I hear from many people that they are being forgotten”.“They are being forgotten... a lot... It disturbing that whilst the Vlach has his own dialect, the Pontian too, we have neighbours here Pontians, Gypsies, and from every race, they have rights and we have none. I don’t want to lose my dialect. I speak Macedonian, I know my mother tongue. I never spoke Greek with my mother, I don’t... never... my mother didn’t even know Greek, nor did my grandmother, neither of my grandmothers did!“If I ask you how you feel, Greek or Macedonian, I know what you will answer...” First I am a Macedonian, then I am a Greek.Second Person (Pando)...“I will tell you basic things, about my daughter. I wanted to christen her and I told the Priest the name ‘Donka’. That’s what I asked of from the Godfather, and the priest told me that I cannot christen her as ‘Donka’. He said ‘You call her as you like, I will christen her as Domna’. I wanted to christen my son as ‘Stojan’ and he told me ‘No, it can’t be – I will christen him as Yannis, and you can call him as you like’. Let me make sure we understand each other, we are Christians, we are Greek citizens, but we do not have Rights. What are Rights? Rights do not mean that I live well, it’s not about me eating well...”“So what rights are we talking about?”“So that I can christen my children as I like, why would you take that away from me? (Person off screen: “so that I can learn/study in my own language") So that I can learn my own language, at least at Primary school. Is that bad? For the Roma (gypsy) to know the Romani language, the Turk to know Turkish, the Vlach to know the Vlach-language”“You want to be able to learn the language as school?”“Yes, of course! People did not leave as economic refugees to make money! They left to save their lives!”Next Person...“When I was born, my village was called “D’mbeni”, with the old name, D’mbeni. Then when I grew up, the re-christened it to Dendrohori, “In which prefecture was your village located?”“In the Kostur (Kastoria) prefecture” “Did you participate in the National Liberation Front - NOF (Narodno Osloboditelen Front)?”“In 1940 I joined the KNE (Organisation for Communist Youth). From 1943 I joined the Communist Party of Greece and later into the Macedonian organisation SNOF – Slavomacedonian Liberation Front. In 1943 I went out to the mountains and fought together with the Communist Party of Greece, we had to organise all the villages against the fascism. The occupiers were the Germans, the Bulgarians and I don’t know who wasn’t an occupier here! We had to defeat them so that we can free ourselves so that we as Macedonians, living in Greece, together with the Greeks, together with the Greek democratists, could have our rights, to have our schools, our religion, to have...how can I tell you... out songs and so on. That was everything, we didn’t want to take part of Greece or anything like that”“If I ask you now, what kind of national identity do you have? Macedonian or Greek?”“I have a Macedonian identity, I am a Macedonian woman. So many years I fought...”“But you fought or Greece!”“Together with the Greeks, for Greece...”“You were born in a village in Greece...”“Yes...”“Did your parents speak Greek?”“No! They didn’t speak Greek. They never learnt the Greek language”“Did they speak slavomacedonian?”“At home and everywhere they spoke the Slavic language, the Macedonian language and that’s how I learnt, and the police would come to the windows of our house to hear how we would speak and if they heard you, they would come inside and write you a fine for 500 drachma”“What do you aim to achieve with your organisations?”“To be able to go to my village. To go to the graves, which were unfortunately destroyed. They don’t exist today, because the headstones were written in the Macedonian language. On the crosses it wrote... and they destroyed them all”“That which you are telling me about wanting only to visit your village and the graves, contradicts the claim for land-titles. The documents which you are showing me here, show that you are claiming land-titles.”“Ok, the land-title questions are separate.”“They are not separate”“They are separate. I can seek... that is separate... it’s not just the land-titles... I don’t even want the land-title, for that others are organising”.“So then, your aim is first to have the right to visit and then to claim the titles to land?”“It’s not just that. To be able to go freely, to be able to go even to Athens, to get to know... my cousin and uncle have passed away... my nieces and nephews, who I do not know. In Kostur (Kastoria) the same. In Lerin (Florina) we went 2-3 times, also in Voden (Edessa)... but for us we don’t care only for the land-titles. We want the Greek Government to recognise us, that we are a different people... how can I tell you... we are not Greeks by birth/ethnicity. We are Macedonians by birth/ethnicity, we have a Macedonian blood, not Greek blood”


Source: Rogi from www.maknews.com (thanks Rogi)

Greeks Police Arrested Macedonians in Lerin




Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Greece is an Hysterical Member of the European Union



http://www.maknews.com/html/articles/stefov/stefov140.html


Greece is an Hysterical Member of the European Union

Interview with Kitsa Kolbe
Macedonian Philosopher in Germany

By Miki Trajkovski
Translated and edited by Risto Stefov

rstefov@hotmail.com

October 2008


Kitsa Kolbe is a Macedonian, who for 40 years has lived in Germany and worked as a writer, photographer and translator. Her father is a refugee from Aegean Macedonia. In her book entitled "Aegeans" published in 1998 she mentions that the "Aegean Macedonian Question" is the nucleus of an ongoing Greek struggle with the name "Macedonia" about which Greece and Macedonia are currently in dispute.

------------------------------------------------------------

KK- Those who recognize the work of psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud know this famous "defense mechanism" where the offender takes away attention from him or herself by putting the blame elsewhere. Greece is saying that it will not allow Macedonia to call itself Macedonia because if it does it may provoke "irredentist aspirations" in the Macedonians. Using this kind of "diplomatic fog", Greek diplomacy has for 17 years succeeded in taking attention away from the real issue with the Macedonians and focused on a non-issue. This not only fooled the entire International public but, more bizarrely, it also fooled most Macedonians.

Q- Is this not a result of inheriting Yugoslav lead International politics?

KK- During the Yugoslav era the rules were simple - do not strain relations with Greece on account of the "Aegean Macedonians" (ethnic Macedonians from Greece). After being told this time after time, Macedonian politicians not only during the Yugoslav era but afterwards, even after the 1990's when Macedonia became independent, continued to use this "self-censure". Then after Greece put a squeeze on Macedonia, Macedonian politicians, like obedient little children after being disciplined, immediately changed the Macedonian constitution to placate their southern neighbour. By doing so they in effect washed their hands of their responsibilities to the Macedonian minorities in the neighbouring countries. But if you look at the situation more closely you will see that neither Yugoslav nor Macedonian politicians cared much about the Aegean Macedonians. This confirms that the Aegean Macedonian question was always the nucleus of the Greek-Macedonian name dispute and should not be a surprise to anyone that it boiled to the surface only after Macedonia declared its independence.

Q- Why are Greeks so fearful of opening this question wide open?

KK- The Greeks know that during the two Balkan Wars (1912-1913) Macedonia was invaded, occupied and partitioned under an expansionist war for grabbing territories. The Greeks also know that they used unfriendly tactics to grab those territories and assimilate the Macedonians into their Greek fold. They know very well that they evicted many Macedonians under unfriendly circumstances not only in 1913 but also in 1946 to 1949 during the Greek Civil War. They evicted hundreds of thousands of Macedonians, expropriated their properties and citizenship and to this day will not allow them to return. Greece knows that it also conducted ethnic cleansing on its "newly acquired territories" in 1913 and knows the Macedonians have not forgotten. How do you think Macedonians feel about that?

The Greek attitude towards the Macedonians has not changed and neither have its assimilatory policies, which are disastrous for the Macedonians. Extinguishing the Macedonian identity has been Greece's policy since 1913 and has continued for the last 17 years by the strength of its diplomacy. We know very well that Greece changed all toponyms and peoples' names inside Greece to modify or erase everything Macedonian. Why not continue this policy outside of Greece? There is no doubt that today's Greek politics are a continuation of yesterday's assimilatory policies and that is to continue to change Macedonian names for as long as it is allowed. And that is precisely why it is so important to open the "Aegean Macedonian Question" now! Another benefit of opening the question now is to give some dignity to the aging Aegean Macedonians like my father who not only has been waiting for this for most of his life but has been feeling somewhat ignored and unwanted. Aegean Macedonians have been carrying this pain with them alone for decades.

Even though it was not their fault, Aegean Macedonians have not only suffered immensely at the hands of the Greeks, but were neglected at the hands of fellow Macedonians. Macedonians from the Republic of Macedonia took them into their country and helped them settle and find homes and work but were not very sympathetic when it came to their desire to return to Greece or to find peace of mind with regard to their traumatic experience. The attitude was "we gave you apartments, education, jobs, careers, independence, etc., what more do you want? So you are refugees, so what? The world is full of refugees who are in a more desperate state that you are." But all the "Aegeans" wanted was to be heard, to be taken seriously and to have their pain acknowledged by their fellow Macedonians. They wanted to hear from politicians with virtues like John Kennedy who stood in partitioned Berlin in the 1960's and cried out "I too am from Berlin". They waited expecting that some Skopje born or Ohrid born Macedonian politician would say, "I too am an Aegean". But it did not happen, not until recently.

Q- It happened recently with the first step taken by Prime Minister Gruevski who sent letters to various International organizations asking for the recognition of the Macedonian minority in Greece. The prime Minister also received responses to these letters, one from the Greek Prime Minister Karamanlis, who said that there were no Macedonians living in Greece. Even more surprising was Baroso's response. Baroso is the President of the European Commission who has publicly stated that the EU is not qualified to decide on this kind of dispute. Was this a worthy response from a European politician?!

KK- I was not expecting anything different from Baroso. The most significant thing about these letters is that they expose the fact that "Macedonia knows why Greece is trying to change Macedonia's name".

Greece, as a member of the European Union, has been acting hysterically towards the Macedonians accepting absolutely no advice or recommendation from any of the EU members. Many European politicians unable to reason with Greece, before Gruevski's letters, were hoping and counting on Macedonia to accept a compromise. The thinking was "since the Macedonians were willing to negotiate their name, they couldn't have placed too much value on it, so let them 'give a little' and finally save ourselves from this 'Greek theater'". After Grevski's letters however, the Europeans were starting to feel nervous. Their comfort level had been disturbed and not knowing what else to do; they took the road of being "incompetent".

Baroso's response is not worthy of a European Union politician, because he has failed all European Union principles. One good thing however is that he raised the hopes of the Aegean Macedonians. Now that the EU has abdicated its responsibility, it's time to start anew knocking on more doors and continue knocking and spreading the truth. And by that I mean, spreading the truth by letters, books, films, etc. By taking our message out to the world and exposing more and more people and organizations to the truth the world is more likely to learn about the injustices perpetrated against us. The world will sympathize with us not because our suffering is unique - sadly there are many injustices and many "Aegeans" in the world, like the Armenian genocide - but on account of our persistence and on account of our self-awareness; we know who we are and we know what we want.

Q- The Greek-Macedonian name dispute is slowly unwinding and is leading into a dead end. What would you accept as a compromise if you had to?

KK- Politics are changeable. I am skeptical of the nucleus of the Greek campaign against Macedonia. I am also skeptical of the dual formula; "one name for home and another name for the outside". This is provisional and everlasting dualism. During the 2001 conflict the name "Macedonia" was rarely mentioned as a problem with Greece. I believe Greece was expecting Macedonia to fall apart. Since it didn't Greece has been saying Macedonia will not have a future without NATO. I would be happy to see Macedonia become a member of NATO as soon as possible but I fail to see where the danger is coming from? I am more worried about Brussels's skepticism than I am about any perceived danger.

When Macedonia becomes a member of the European Union the Greek-Macedonia border will cease to exist, opening free communication and contact between Macedonians on both sides. Once this happens the Macedonian ethnic identity in Aegean Macedonian will solidify even more. I believe this is what Greece is really afraid of and is trying very hard to prevent. That is why the Aegean question is of such great importance for the survival of all Macedonians as Macedonians. The Aegean question can be exposed with persistent launching of lawsuits against Greece in the European courts and by exposing the Greek genocides against the Aegean Macedonians.

Q- The kind of changes to our identity, language, constitution, etc., proposed as compromises are they dangerous?

KK- Every change brings consequences. Names are not coincidental; they are expressions of identity, language, culture, etc., which in every community are enshrined in law, constitutions, etc. This is my opinion as a philosopher and writer. I often ask myself if such changes are made how will they affect the morale and dignity of our people? If people can no longer be what they were, what will they be? If this is allowed how many more ills will we witness in Aegean Macedonia?

We need to remember and remind ourselves of how badly our grandparents were treated by the Greek governments when their names were changed from Macedonian to Greek. In order to save their self-respect, my own family refused to forget our true Macedonian name. The other name the Greeks gave us was a formal name for use in public. They had no choice but to use this name in public because they were prohibited from using their real name. There was no one there to help them or protect them. This has been their reality, which we must not forget.

Q- What are your thoughts on the proposals for the name for example Upper Macedonia or Northern Macedonia?

KK- Traditionally someone else always gives us our name but only when we are baptized as newborns. The name with which we are baptized is a name, which comes of love, of family, etc. A name is a blessing and a pledge.

We Macedonians already have a name, changing our name now is like changing the name of an adult who does not want their name changed but because of outside pressures we insist that they accept a conditional name. I ask you, was the temporary name Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, imposed on Macedonia by its International "godfathers" a name given out of love and concern? Is this a better name than the name "Macedonia" which this region has carried since biblical times?

Above all, the Macedonian people were also lied to. The name Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, imposed on the Macedonian people, was only to last three months. We need to remind our "godfathers" of that.

The "clever" Macedonian politician who fell for this lie now needs to be very vocal in the defense of the name and in solving the Aegean Macedonian question. I don't want to think about changing our name because there is nothing worse than having someone else decide what our name should be.

Nova Makedonija, Saturday October 4th, 2008

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You can contact the author at rstefov@hotmail.com

Protests as Greek army seeks to stage manoeuvres amidst Macedonian minority


http://www.eurolang.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3104&Itemid=1&lang=en

Protests as Greek army seeks to stage manoeuvres amidst Macedonian minority
Belgrade, Tuesday, 14 October 2008 by Georgios N. Papadakis
Injuries, 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)

War scenes in Zabrdeny

http://www.florina.org/news/2008/october14_e.asp

POLITICAL PARTY OF THE MACEDONIAN MINORITY IN GREECE
Member of the European Free Alliance - European Political Party (EFA-EPP)
Member of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN)

Stefanou Dragoumi 11 Τ.Κ. 53100 Τ.Θ. 51 Greece; Tel/fax 0030 23850 46548
Website: www.florina.org; E-mail: rainbow@florina.org



Press Release

War scenes in Lofi/Zabrdeny

Florina/Lerin - October 14, 2008




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

Monday, October 13, 2008

The Greek police have begun beating up and arresting ethnic Macedonians!



http://a1.com.mk/vesti/default.aspx?VestID=98804

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.

За разлика од однесувањето на грчката армија која по протестите на Пелопонез , и уште неколку други места од каде се повлече без никакви проблеми, во Егејска Македонија грчките власти со поинаква тактика.


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Судар на грчката армија со локалното население во леринско

Еден полесно повреден, и четворица притворени македонци, по инцидентите што се случија попладнево во леринско. Откако пред десетина дена, грчката армија на барање на локалното население го напушти времениот камп во близина на селото Забрдени, денеска грчки воени сили повторно пристигнаа во регионот.

Овој пат придружувани со силни полициски сили и механизирани возила на армијата.

Откако локалното население се обидело да ги попречи, војниците да вршат вежбовни активности во близина на селото, интервенирале специјални сили на грчката полиција.

„Зимаа луѓе за во затвор да ги носат. Четворица имаме до сега, а до ноќта сигурно ќе земат и други“, изјави македонец од леринско.

Притоа едно лице е полесно повредено во турканиците а четворица се приведени.

Против нив се очекува уште вечерва да бидат поднесени пријави за напад на службено униформирано лице, за што според грчките закони следуваат и неколку годишни казни затвор.

Македонците од неколку села во леринско Забрдени, Овчарани се уште се наоѓаат на приодот кон новиот камп на грчката армија.

„Пред тенковите седиме, лежиме долу, народот не сака војската да вежба со тешко оружје. 150-200 полицајци има сигурно. Тие ќе се зајакнат, ќе донесат и специјалци. Селото е македонско, Забрдени се вика“, изјави mакедонец од леринско.

По последниот инцидент кој се случи пред десетина дена, локалните лидери се договориле војската во своите активности во регионот да не ги уништува нивите, да не користи оклопни возила и да не врши гаѓање со боева муниција во близина на населените места.

Сепак без никаква најава грчките власти испратиле нов контингент војници кои засилени со полиција денеска предизвикаа инциденти во леринско. За активностите на грчката војска и полиција не биле информирани ниту локалните пратеници, кои што минатата недела во грчкиот парламент побарале војската да не го вознемирува локалното население во овој крај.

За разлика од однесувањето на грчката армија која по протестите на Пелопонез , и уште неколку други места од каде се повлече без никакви проблеми, во Егејска Македонија грчките власти со поинаква тактика.

http://a1.com.mk/vesti/default.aspx?VestID=98804

Youtube Exposes Greek Racism




Originally posted by Alex G. (aka RMK), Translation by Rogi. www.maknews.com
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmNlukBOEDg

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Here you go. Anyone, please feel free to correct me if anything below is wrong:


First Person...
“If they told me even one toponym in Greek, I wouldn’t know it...even the army referred to them to them that way, in Macedonian, over their radio’s... for example ‘Crveni Brest(?)’, ‘Cheshma’ and so on, the same as how we know them”

“I hear from many people that they are being forgotten”.

“They are being forgotten... a lot... It disturbing that whilst the Vlach has his own dialect, the Pontian too, we have neighbours here Pontians, Gypsies, and from every race, they have rights and we have none. I don’t want to lose my dialect. I speak Macedonian, I know my mother tongue. I never spoke Greek with my mother, I don’t... never... my mother didn’t even know Greek, nor did my grandmother, neither of my grandmothers did!

“If I ask you how you feel, Greek or Macedonian, I know what you will answer...”

First I am a Macedonian, then I am a Greek.


Second Person (Pando)...
“I will tell you basic things, about my daughter. I wanted to christen her and I told the Priest the name ‘Donka’. That’s what I asked of from the Godfather, and the priest told me that I cannot christen her as ‘Donka’. He said ‘You call her as you like, I will christen her as Domna’. I wanted to christen my son as ‘Stojan’ and he told me ‘No, it can’t be – I will christen him as Yannis, and you can call him as you like’. Let me make sure we understand each other, we are Christians, we are Greek citizens, but we do not have Rights. What are Rights? Rights do not mean that I live well, it’s not about me eating well...”

“So what rights are we talking about?”

“So that I can christen my children as I like, why would you take that away from me? (Person off screen: “so that I can learn/study in my own language") So that I can learn my own language, at least at Primary school. Is that bad? For the Roma (gypsy) to know the Romani language, the Turk to know Turkish, the Vlach to know the Vlach-language”

“You want to be able to learn the language as school?”

“Yes, of course! People did not leave as economic refugees to make money! They left to save their lives!”


Next Person...
“When I was born, my village was called “D’mbeni”, with the old name, D’mbeni. Then when I grew up, the re-christened it to Dendrohori,

“In which prefecture was your village located?”

“In the Kostur (Kastoria) prefecture”

“Did you participate in the National Liberation Front - NOF (Narodno Osloboditelen Front)?”

“In 1940 I joined the KNE (Organisation for Communist Youth). From 1943 I joined the Communist Party of Greece and later into the Macedonian organisation SNOF – Slavomacedonian Liberation Front. In 1943 I went out to the mountains and fought together with the Communist Party of Greece, we had to organise all the villages against the fascism. The occupiers were the Germans, the Bulgarians and I don’t know who wasn’t an occupier here! We had to defeat them so that we can free ourselves so that we as Macedonians, living in Greece, together with the Greeks, together with the Greek democratists, could have our rights, to have our schools, our religion, to have...how can I tell you... out songs and so on. That was everything, we didn’t want to take part of Greece or anything like that”

“If I ask you now, what kind of national identity do you have? Macedonian or Greek?”

“I have a Macedonian identity, I am a Macedonian woman. So many years I fought...”

“But you fought or Greece!”

“Together with the Greeks, for Greece...”

“You were born in a village in Greece...”

“Yes...”

“Did your parents speak Greek?”

“No! They didn’t speak Greek. They never learnt the Greek language”

“Did they speak slavomacedonian?”

“At home and everywhere they spoke the Slavic language, the Macedonian language and that’s how I learnt, and the police would come to the windows of our house to hear how we would speak and if they heard you, they would come inside and write you a fine for 500 drachma”

“What do you aim to achieve with your organisations?”

“To be able to go to my village. To go to the graves, which were unfortunately destroyed. They don’t exist today, because the headstones were written in the Macedonian language. On the crosses it wrote... and they destroyed them all”

“That which you are telling me about wanting only to visit your village and the graves, contradicts the claim for land-titles. The documents which you are showing me here, show that you are claiming land-titles.”

“Ok, the land-title questions are separate.”

“They are not separate”

“They are separate. I can seek... that is separate... it’s not just the land-titles... I don’t even want the land-title, for that others are organising”.

“So then, your aim is first to have the right to visit and then to claim the titles to land?”

“It’s not just that. To be able to go freely, to be able to go even to Athens, to get to know... my cousin and uncle have passed away... my nieces and nephews, who I do not know. In Kostur (Kastoria) the same. In Lerin (Florina) we went 2-3 times, also in Voden (Edessa)... but for us we don’t care only for the land-titles. We want the Greek Government to recognise us, that we are a different people... how can I tell you... we are not Greeks by birth/ethnicity. We are Macedonians by birth/ethnicity, we have a Macedonian blood, not Greek blood”