Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Dear:
Patrick Moore, Radio Free Europe
Nicholas Whyte, International Crisis Group

I am siting at my computer drinking real Guinness stout in a real Guinness glass. I was in Ireland a few years ago and the first meal we had when we landed in Dublin was Irish stew. When I asked the young waitress whether they served Guinness, she was about to answer when she realised that I was just trying to tease her.

I hope you guys were not mad at me the last time I mentioned your name and organizations (RFE ... ICG). I noticed that SE Times which is funded by the Pentagon mentioned that Macedonians in Bulgaria were denied the right to form a political party while both of your groups remained silent. Ouch! Too bad, so sad ... nothing personal ... no harm, no foul ... water under the bridge.

Anyway, I thought that you might get one of your Irish friends to write about an Anglo-Irish diplomat who supported Irish independence circa Easter 1916 and was thoughtfully hanged by the British for treason. He was gay, if that helps you to identify him ... not that there is anything wrong with being gay. I was going to write something in honour of St. Patrick's Day but, I forgot. I can't remember his name, but he wrote about the plight of the Macedonians after the Balkan wars in 1912, when Macedonia was partitioned between Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria. I read a quote from some Macedonian sources who quoted him as saying "only the Irish can know how the Macedonians feel" or vice versa. I am sure you both will know what he means.

I don't want you to write this yourself because you might get in trouble with your superiors. I am not sure why the RFE and ICG both continue to ignore the plight of Macedonians in Greece since both the State Department and the CIA have reported on this in the past and since the ICG and RFE are funded predominantly by the US. Its a mystery, I tell ya!

Maybe you can leak some information about this policy of your organizations to your Irish writer friends (... oh no! ... make that an English writer, that way your bosses will not be suspicious.

I can't find the link right now, but on some Irish website, it was mentioned that Ireland was discovered by a Macedonian. Get some one to write that up also. The Irish may continue to reside in Ireland until the controversy of ownership with Macedonians can be adjudicated by Javier Solana.

All the best.

Two Pseudo Rights Groups Talking Nonsense With Each Other

Calling the ICG and RFE fronts for the CIA would be giving them too much credit. Having them trading nonsense with each other is very funny. This interview with Gareth Evans, a nasty little piece of work,. is simply designed for misinformation to pressure the Serbs to capitulate on Kosovo. Its not going to work. Russia and China will stand firm against Kosovo independence for their own self-interest.

Macedonians will remember this former Australian Foreign Minister as adopting the Greek position on the Macedonian name issue. His "compromise" was to call everyone from the Republic of Macedonia ... wait for it ..."Slav Macedonians" ... including the Albanians!, Turks!, Jews! ... you get the picture. Good fun from a total goof!

"ICG: Russia likely to abstain from UNSC vote on Kosovo
Makfax vesnik:

Prague /23/02/ 15:05

Russia, regardless of the current opposition to the UN plan on Kosovo, will abstain from voting at the UN Security Council, which will lead to Council's adoption of Martti Ahtisaari's blueprint, ICG's president said.

In an interview with Radio Free Europe, Gareth Evans - the president of the International Crisis Group (ICG) said the Council's approval would not mean a formal proclamation and recognition of Kosovo's independence by the UN Security Council. However, it will put Kosovo on the road to statehood and each country can recognize Kosovo individually.

Although there is no mention of the word 'independence' in Ahtisaari's plan, Kosovo will be given clear perspective for self-rule.

'The plan is very carefully drafted, as there is no mention of 'independence', which is thorn in the eye, particularly to Russia, ICG's president said.

He added that Kosovo, however, could not enjoy a full independence given the need for long-term international presence. /end/"

RFE Stops Macedonian Language Service

Radio Free Europe is closing down its Macedonian language service. This is good news and bad news. The good news is that Macedonians will not have to listen to anti-Macedonian message in their own language from an organization that is helping to subvert the national integrity of their country and helping to repress Macedonian minorities in Bulgaria and Greece. For those of you that are interested to know why I feel this way, please see the links below.

The bad news is that a number of Macedonians are going to lose their jobs in "the belly of the beast". These people must know what is going on at RFE. they must know why it ignores human rights violations in Greece. It must know why it has taken an anti-Macedonian stance. Now we will lose access to this information. On the other hand, they will be allowed to write about their experiences and we may be closer to the truth. Before you leave guys, why not take your remaining co-workers to lunch, (especially Patrick and Ulrich) have a beer, discuss "office politics". We really need to know what is going on.

ICG = CIA: You be the Judge
This Article is an Example of Why RFE is Anti-Macedonian
RFE Bias Against Macedonia
The Clash of Orthodoxies
Radio Free Europe is the Problem not the Solution
Transitions Online (RFE) ignores Macedonians in Greece
Ulrich Buechsenschuetz Radio Free Europe

RADIO FREE EUROPE/ RADIO LIBERTY:

"'The budget request for RFE/RL is sufficient to support our continuing mission to promote freedom and democracy to peoples in Eastern Europe, Russian, the Caucasus, and Central and Southwestern Asia,' said RFE/RL Acting President Jeffrey Trimble. 'We are eager to continue to enrich our programming for Iran, and while RFE/RL programming to Romania and Macedonia remain popular in those countries, the elimination of these broadcasts and other proposed reductions are necessary to allow the BBG to achieve its stated priority of strengthening targeted programming to provide essential access to news and information to critical audiences,' Trimble said.
"

RFE Let This One Slip By

Radio Free Europe is not known for promoting the plight of ethnic Macedonians in Greece. This post from 2003 must have slipped by mistake. Good article.

GREECE SET TO OPEN BORDERS FOR ETHNIC MACEDONIAN CIVIL-WAR REFUGEES. Fifty-five years after the end of the civil war that ravaged his country between 1946 and 1948, Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Loverdos gave a remarkable interview to the Athens daily "Eleftherotypia" of 8 June. In the first-ever such statement by a Greek official, Loverdos signaled that his government is set to change a 1982 law on political emigrants so that Greek-born ethnic Macedonian civil-war refugees would be allowed to re-enter the country. The announcement came just in time for the preparations for the third international meeting of civil-war refugees, which will take place in the northern Greek town of Florina on 15 July.

1995 US State Department Report on Human Rights in Greece

As I have said before, the US State Department is providing more information on the plight of ethnic Macedonians than either Radio Free Europe and Freedom House. "It's-a-low-down-dirty-rotten-shame."


Greece

The government and public opinion considered that minorities were defined exclusively in the Treaty of Lausanne and reacted negatively to any definition of "minorities" based on the mathematical standard of a group being referred to as a "minority" because it does not form a "majority" or a plurality of the total population.

The government did not recognize the Slavic dialect spoken by persons in the northwestern area of the country as "Macedonian," a language distinct from Bulgarian. Most speakers of the dialect referred to themselves as "natives." A small number of Slavic speakers insisted on the use of the term "Macedonian," a designation which generated strong opposition from the ethnic Greek population. These activists claimed that the government pursued a policy designed to discourage use of their language.

On October 20, the ECHR ordered the government to pay $42,294 (35,245 euros) to the Rainbow Party for violations of 2 ECHR articles: the right to a fair hearing and the right to freedom of assembly and association. The ruling faulted police for failing to take measures to prevent, or at least contain, violence during a 1995 demonstration instigated by the town council and local priests, during which Rainbow Party members were assaulted after the group hung a sign written in both Greek and the "Slavomacedonian dialect" outside party headquarters. The ECHR also held that the seven years and one month that authorities took to investigate the case was an excessive and unreasonable amount of time.

In May 2004 a former Greek Orthodox priest who became a priest of the Macedonian Orthodox Church was issued a three‑month prison sentence, later suspended, for holding religious services without a house of prayer permit. He appealed the sentence, but at year's end there was no decision.

The law permits the government to remove citizenship from persons who commit acts contrary to the interests of the country for the benefit of a foreign state. While the law applies to citizens regardless of ethnicity, it has been enforced in all but one case only against persons who identified themselves as members of the "Macedonian minority." The government did not reveal the number of such cases, but it was believed to be low, and there were no reports of new cases during the year. Dual citizens who lost their citizenship under this provision sometimes were prevented from entering the country on the passport of their second nationality. Activists charged that several expatriate "Slavo-Macedonians" whose names appeared on a "black list" were barred from entering the country.

A number of citizens identified themselves as Turks, Pomaks, Vlachs, Roma, Arvanites (Orthodox Christians who speak a dialect of Albanian), or "Macedonians" or "Slavomacedonians." While some members of these groups sought to be identified as "minorities," or "linguistic minorities," others did not consider that these identifications made them members of a "minority." The government formally recognized only the "Muslim minority" and did not officially acknowledge the existence of any indigenous ethnic groups, principally Slavophones, under the term "minority." The previous government, however, affirmed an individual right of self‑identification. Some individuals who defined themselves as members of a "minority" found it difficult to express their identity freely and maintain their culture. Use of the terms Tourkos and Tourkikos ("Turk" and "Turkish") is prohibited in titles of organizations, although individuals legally may call themselves Tourkos (see section 2.b.). To most Greeks the words Tourkos and Tourkikos connote Turkish identity or loyalties, and many objected to their use by Greek citizens of Turkish origin.

US State Department (again!) Takes Greece to Task Over Ethnic Macedonian Minorit y Rights

I love ironies and this is a big one.There are a number of psuedo-human rights groups, starting with Radio Free Europe and Freedom House, which ignore human rights abuses against ethnic Macedonians by the Greek government. These groups are funded by the US government. However, US government reports, such as this one on religion,and one on human rights, put a spotlight on Greek government abuses. If someone can put together a good analysis as to why this should be so, I would love to hear it.

Greece
International Religious Freedom Report 2006
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

In May 2004, Nikodim Tsarknias, a former Greek Orthodox priest who is now a
priest of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, was sentenced to three months in
prison, a sentence which was suspended by the Aridea Criminal Court of
First Instance, on charges of establishing and operating a church without
authorization after he held Macedonian language religious services without
a house of prayer permit. Tsarknias's sentence could not be appealed in the
country; he intended to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.

What is Patrick Moore Talking About? I don't Know.

I have noticed a decidedly anti-EU tone of several posts about the Balkans from Radio Free Europe. This is just another one of those articles that criticise the EU. You will never see an article critical of the US, since it funds Radio Free Europe. RFE's range definition of Europe has expanded to include Iran, Iraq and Tartarstan (!) (Russia). Anyway, this article is a combination of common sense and nonsense that would take too much time to critique. It's the anti-EU tone that has tweaked my interest.

Balkans: Is It Time For An Alternative To The EU?
RADIO FREE EUROPE / RADIO LIBERTY

Patrick Moore


PRAGUE, June 25, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- One truism of postcommunist Europe is that all the countries of Eastern Europe and the Balkans will sooner or later join the EU and NATO. It seems, however, that the countries of the western Balkans might find themselves in a "black hole" outside the EU for the foreseeable future even if they are surrounded by member states. Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia face uncertainty in their hopes to join the EU.

The Brussels-based bloc has a particular attraction for the countries of the region for three reasons.

Looking Toward The EU

First, membership means a seat at the table where decisions affecting all of Europe are made. The small Balkan states might not wield much influence, but it is better to be inside looking out than outside looking in, or so the argument has run.

Second, joining the EU symbolizes the end of the continent's division and the inclusion of former communist countries -- including war-torn states -- in the "rich man's club." For former Yugoslavs, whose passport was once the only one in Europe with which one could travel freely to the East or West without a visa, it means a return to a normal situation. It also means an end to the inconvenience and humiliation of having to go through often-long procedures for something that was once so simple as a visit to relatives working in Germany. The importance of visa-free travel for ordinary people in the western Balkans should not be underestimated.

And third, as poorer members of a wealthy organization, the western Balkan states would be able to look forward to a cornucopia of subsidies, as well as opportunities for fairly unfettered study and work. In short, even if NATO membership will some day provide for these countries' security requirements, joining the EU is still regarded in the region as an essential part of its rite of passage into the modern, prosperous, and democratic world.

Avoiding The Black Hole

For Brussels, integrating the western Balkans has long meant that there will be no "black hole" in the middle of the EU -- especially after Bulgaria and Romania join in 2008 or so -- in which organized crime could flourish. More recently, some Western governments have come to see EU membership for the western Balkans as a way of keeping out of that region unwelcome but well-funded political, criminal, or religious influences from Russia or the Middle East.

By offering the prospect of membership, the EU has, moreover, a powerful lever to influence precisely the kind of changes -- called "reforms" -- that it wants to see implemented. Progress has been slow in some countries, but the view from Brussels for years was that it is better to have slow progress than to isolate a potentially volatile region that is indisputably part of Europe and right on the doorstep of several member states.

Expansion Fatigue Strikes

But then on May 29, 2005, French voters rejected the proposed EU constitution by a clear majority, and Dutch voters did the same by an even larger margin three days later. In both cases, objections to further enlargement of the EU after the admission of 10 new members in 2004 played at least some role in the vote.

One year after those two votes, the EU is none the clearer as to its goals and how to achieve them. In June 2006, a summit took place in Vienna, but there was no agreement on any of the key issues, including the fate of the constitution. The only consensus seemed to appear in putting off any possible movement on thorny questions until the German Presidency in the first half of 2007, or maybe to the French Presidency in the second half of 2008.

It was perhaps telling for the newer members -- and those who would like to join -- that a joint declaration by the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia was "slapped down," as the "Financial Times" put it on June 17, by Luxembourg, Germany, and other, unnamed EU founder states. The five Central European countries had called into question what they regard as their second-class status within the bloc and demonstrated their willingness to work together. Some observers recalled French President Jacques Chirac's remark about a 2003 declaration by a similar group of countries, which backed the U.S. decision to invade Iraq. The French leader said at that time that they had missed an opportunity to "shut up."

Before and during the summit, several leaders of older member states made it clear that one cannot speak of enlargement, at least beyond Romania and Bulgaria, before the growing EU has decided at least on how it will manage its internal affairs. That would mean 2009 at the very earliest. Consequently, many people in countries hoping to join that body began to fear that their chances of obtaining membership within a reasonable time frame had become much slimmer as a result.

This was true for Croatia, which had long sought to convince itself that its membership on the heels of Romania and Bulgaria was a foregone conclusion. Many people in the western Balkans suspected that the EU was keeping them at arm's length as a pretext for dodging the larger and more controversial question of Turkish membership. After all, the reasoning in the Balkans went, had not the West Europeans told them for years that integrating such small states would not require much money and effort on Brussels' part?

Meanwhile, antireform forces in the Balkans took heart, blocking police and constitutional reform in Bosnia. In Serbia, they continue to thwart the arrest and extradition to the Hague-based war crimes tribunal of former Bosnian Serb General Ratko Mladic, with the result that relations between Belgrade and Brussels are on hold.

Time For A Local Alternative?

The question then arises: if Brussels is unlikely to offer the western Balkans a serious "European perspective" within a clear time frame and if some people in those countries are becoming less enamored of a EU that does not seem to want them, might it not be time for the people in the western Balkans to reexamine old beliefs about the necessary postcommunist rite of passage and look for alternatives? Has not the obsession with EU membership become something of a white elephant, like the EU-sponsored bridge over the Prut River from Romania to Moldova that stood unused for several years for want of a road on the Moldovan side?

How else might the countries of the region modernize their economies and expand their markets than with top-down efforts at nation-building and seemingly endless rules imposed from abroad? Might it not be to their advantage to concentrate first on developing straightforward free-trade and travel arrangements that would not involve compromising what for most of them is newly won sovereignty in favor of a distant and unelected bureaucracy?

Some Euroskeptics have long argued that the EU is cumbersome, inflexible, nontransparent, and dominated by Paris and Berlin. Might some other parts of Europe now find themselves faced with an opportunity to develop alternative ideas to the EU model that are simpler, more democratic, and hence more likely to produce clear results and win popular support? After all, there is no better incentive for learning to think outside the box than being denied permission to enter the box.

Ohrid is 5 years old and 2006 Election

This is a basic reporting of the recently held election.

RADIO FREE EUROPE/ RADIO LIBERTY:
Patrick Moore

August 29, 2006, Volume 10, Number 8

MACEDONIA'S OHRID AGREEMENT IS FIVE YEARS OLD. Macedonia has just marked the fifth anniversary of the Ohrid agreement, which was brokered in August 2001 by U.S. diplomats with EU support. The pact led to the end of armed hostilities between insurgents from the roughly 23 percent ethnic Albanian minority and government forces led by politicians from the ethnic Macedonian majority.

The main underlying principle of the deal was to institutionalize a role guaranteed by law for the Albanians in the public life of the country (see "RFE/RL Balkan Report," August 14, 17, and 24, 2001). This has moved along by fits and starts, but the necessary changes are largely in place as far as the international community is concerned. Only sporadic armed incidents now take place, and these are probably more of a criminal than a political nature (see "RFE/RL Balkan Report," February 25 and June 10, 2005).

A deep cultural and political divide continues to separate the two communities, however. Their shared political life remains stormy or even confrontational, but the same can often be said about the political tensions within each of the respective ethnic communities. This picture reflects political patterns in much of the postcommunist Balkans.

But Macedonia continues to hold largely peaceful elections and change governments on the basis of their results. In practice, two coalitions have emerged, which alternate in power. One consists of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) of outgoing Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski, and the Democratic Union for Integration (BDI) led by Ali Ahmeti, the former leader of the insurgents. The second group is made up of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (VMRO-DPMNE) -- long led by former Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski and now headed by Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski -- and its partner, the Democratic Party of the Albanians (PDSH) of political veteran Arben Xhaferi.

Some Details on Macedonian Rights Struggle in Bulgaria

Dear Nicoleta,

You have written a good article, which I think accurately represents the struggle in Bulgaria between Macedonians and and the Bulgarian govenrment for humand rights, and within the Macedonian community in Bulgaria, as to just what it means to be a Macedonian.

However, I think that this is just one half of the article. Where is the other half?. You know, the one where the Eruopean Union allowed Bulgaria to apply, even though it does not legally recognize the Macedonian language or ethnicity. The one where the diplomats of the EU said to the Bulgarians not to bring up the question of the rights of Macedonians and Bulgarians in Greece (if they know what's good for them!). I'm sure you must remmber it. It also includes an interview with the powers that be at Radio Free Europe, as to why Greece's human rights record is off limits.That's the one. when you find it, please send a copy to me. Thanks.

Elective History

by Nikoleta Popkostadinova
Transitions On Line
Radio Free Europe

15 August 2006

New tensions arise between Sofia and Skopje over identity and history.

SOFIA, Bulgaria | Nikola has little patience for what appears to be a diplomatic conflict between Bulgaria and Macedonia. "One history, one land, but too many dullards on both sides of the stupid border," he says as he contemplates the latest escalation in tension.

The 72-year-old man is quiet for a while as he stares at the green crowns of the trees below his balcony in downtown Sofia.

The pensioner was born in a village in Pirin, Macedonia, in the province of Blagoevgrad in Bulgaria, where he has lived most of his life. But Nikola says he is a Bitolan since his ancestors came from the town that today lies in the independent state of Macedonia. He admits that he has never visited Bitola, which lies about 200 kilometers from the border between the two countries. But he claims to be a Macedonian, as well as a patriotic Bulgarian citizen.

To Nikola, Macedonia is simply an unfortunate land split among four countries.

"No one will ever let her go, right?" Nikola asks, not really seeking an answer. "The great powers, the Balkan countries, the EU, and who knows what other acronyms will always mess with her, I know."

Can't we Orthodox Slavs "just get along"

It seems that Serbia is not keen on allowing the Montenegrin Orthodox Church to build churches in Serbia while at the same time complaining about the fact that the pro-Serbian Macedonian defrocked Bishop and convicted criminal Jovan Vraniskovski is not allowed operate freely in Macedonia. Now as I understand it, there is a small community of Macedonians in Belgrade who were refugees from Greece. Why can't the Macedonian Orthodox Church buy a lot and announce that they are buiilding a Macedonian Orthodox Church. Same thing goes for Pirin Macedonia . Lets play some offence! I think that we already have one in Greece, but it is in limbo ... not recognized but not bothered either. Here are three links about this issue that previously appeared in "The Macedonian Tendency"

RFE on Bishop Jovan

The Clash of Orthodoxies

More Bad Press on Jovan

MONTENEGRIN ORTHODOX CHURCH FACES OPPOSITION IN SERBIA
Radio Free Europe, Friday, August 18, 2006 Volume 10 Number 152

Cetinje Archbishop and Montenegrin Metropolitan Mihailo contended on August 17 that the Montenegrin Orthodox Church has the right to build churches in Serbia, B92 reported the same day. Mihailo, the head of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, was responding to comments the day before in which Serbian Religion Minister Milan Radulovic said the Montenegrin Church is banned from building in Serbia. "There is only one Orthodox Church in Serbia, and that is the Serbian Orthodox Church. No group of citizens can under any circumstances establish any orthodox church, or establish what is already in existence and has a tradition and a historical continuity," Beta and B92 quoted Radulovic as saying on August 16. "It is astonishing that a minister can make statements of this kind, but I believe these are his personal opinions," B92 quoted Mihailo as saying in response. Mihailo added that he will personally lay the foundation stone for a planned Montenegrin Orthodox Church in Lovcenac. BW

ICG = CIA: You be the Judge

Dear Nicholas Whyte,
Europe Program Director
International Crisis Group

When I mentioned in my post to The Macedonian News Service, that your group, The International Crisis Group was a front for the CIA, you obviously took it in a negative light. Nothing could be further from the truth. The CIA is merely an instrument of American foreign policy that purses “the US national interest” without regard to human rights, war or peace, or collateral damage on other countries. I have encouraged the government of Macedonia to develop close ties with the CIA as you can see from the posts below. Lets face it, when someone has got you by the "yatse", you don't have much room to maneuver.

CIA Spy Spills the Beans on Macedonian Adventure
Macedonia Strengthen ties to CIA
Investigation: Macedonia Implicated in “Abduction” Case
CIA Kidnapping With Macedonian Help Gets the Times Treatment
On Lindsay Moran, CIA Spy, From A Macedonian Who Knew Her.
Pseudo-Human Rights : Freedom House on Macedonia

NGO's covering the Balkans that address the issue of Macedonians in Greece or the Kurds of Turkey are "human rights groups". These include Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and The US State Department on Human Rights (with input -- and no irony -- from the CIA).

NGO's that ignore the Macedonians and Kurds are what I have come to call "semi-official pseudo human rights groups" groups. These include, The International Crisis Group, Radio Free Europe, and Freedom House (in the case of Macedonians in Greece). I have just searched for any reference in the ICG web site to the plight of Macedonians in Greece ... and what a surprise ... I found none. I searched for compelling analysis of the plight of Kurds in Turkey and found this article, “Iraq: Allaying Turkey's Fears Over Kurdish Ambitions”. You may think that this is your finest hour, I do not.

Every barber, every hairdresser, every taxicab driver and every other member is the chattering classes in the Balkans thinks that The International Crisis Group is a front for the CIA and so do I. (not that there’s anything wrong with it!)

This Article is an Example of Why RFE is Anti-Macedonian

I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that Robert Alagjozovski has written an excellent article for "Transitions (Radio Free Europe)". Robert, keep up the good work and keep writing for Transitions. The bad news is that the assignment given to Robert by the editors of "Transition" was basically anti-Macedonian because it did not include a survey of the use of symbols in other Balkan countries.

I know at least one village in Greece elected a Macedonian mayor from Vinoshito and there are numerous mayors of Turkish speaking villages in Thrace. Are they allowed to fly Macedonian and Turkish flags. How about the Turks in Bulgaria? How about the Kurds of Turkey? How about the Greeks of Albania? By focusing on the deficiencies of Macedonia, without including the context of other Balkan countries, RFE adds to a European drum beat for Macedonia to live up to so-called European standards. Meanwhile, Greece, a member is good standing of both Nato and the EU denies basic human rights to ethnic Macedonians. By definition, Greece's values regarding minority rights are EU values.


Transitions Online: Flagging the Issue: "Flagging the Issue
by Robert Alagjozovski
27 June 2005

A debate on symbols for Macedonia’s minorities exposes rifts within the country – and the ruling coalition.

SKOPJE, Macedonia | Before taking its summer recess, the Macedonian parliament is trying to pass legislation that would fully implement the Ohrid Framework Agreement, which ended the country’s brief civil war of 2001. Any further delay could dampen hopes of the country becoming a candidate for European Union membership by the end of this year.
"

RFE Bias Against Macedonia

Macedonians need a daily internet news magazine that can put a spotlight on media bias against Macedonia. Reality Macedonia could have met that need with more help.

Radio Free Europe is funded by the US and is sensitive to pressure from the Greek lobby. Below is an e-mail that I sent to RFE regarding such bias. My assumption is that they will not correct their errors.

To: Ulrich Buechsenschuetz ub@itinerarium.de
Monday, June 27, 2005
Re: MACEDONIAN GOVERNMENT CONFIRMS JAIL SENTENCE FOR MAVERICK CLERIC
June 24, 2005


1. This statement is false. Jovan was tried for "allegedly" inciting religious and ethnic hatred He now stands "convicted" of inciting religious and ethnic hatred.

Serbian Orthodox Bishop Jovan must spend 18 months in jail for allegedly inciting religious and ethnic hatred

Replace with this one:

Serbian Orthodox Bishop Jovan was convicted of inciting religious and ethnic hatred and was sentenced to 18 months in jail.

2. This paragraph makes no sense. The Macedonian Church enjoys the overwhelming support Macedonians. The Serbian and Bulgarian Churches are supported by a few quislings.

In 1967, the communist Macedonian authorities recognized a MPC separate from the SPC and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, which has a much smaller number of Macedonian adherents than the other two. The SPC and other Orthodox churches do not recognize their Macedonian counterpart, regarding it as schismatic. PM

Replace with this one:

In 1967, the MPC declared independence from the SPC, which, in 1945 was denied by Communist leader Tito when the Macedonian republic and the Macedonian language were recognised. For over 20 years Macedonians resented being nominally tied to the SPC, viewing as a vestige of Serbian colonialism. The SPC, branding this move as "schismatic", successfully lobbied other Orthodox Churches to deny recognition to their Macedonian counterpart.


The Original Article
RFE, June 24, 2005


RADIO FREE EUROPE/ RADIO LIBERTY:

"MACEDONIAN GOVERNMENT CONFIRMS JAIL SENTENCE FOR MAVERICK CLERIC"

An appeals court in Bitola confirmed on 23 June that Serbian Orthodox Bishop Jovan must spend 18 months in jail for allegedly inciting religious and ethnic hatred, Reuters reported. Jovan, who became a central figure in the long-standing dispute between the Macedonian Orthodox Church (MPC) and the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) when he switched allegiance from MPC to the SPC in 2003, was sentenced in August 2004 (see 'RFE/RL Newsline,' 20 August 2004 and 'RFE/RL Balkan Report,' 23 January and 6 August 2004). Jovan must now surrender to police within eight days or risk arrest. He said after the appeals court handed down its ruling that he is 'ready to go to jail if that is what the court says.'

The central problem is deeply rooted in what historians call the Macedonian Question and interrelated issues involving the traditional Balkan tendency to equate one's nationality with one's religion. In 1967, the communist Macedonian authorities recognized a MPC separate from the SPC and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, which has a much smaller number of Macedonian adherents than the other two. The SPC and other Orthodox churches do not recognize their Macedonian counterpart, regarding it as schismatic. PM"

RFE on Bishop Jovan

RADIO FREE EUROPE/ RADIO LIBERTY: "MACEDONIAN GOVERNMENT CONFIRMS JAIL SENTENCE FOR MAVERICK CLERIC

An appeals court in Bitola confirmed on 23 June that Serbian Orthodox Bishop Jovan must spend 18 months in jail for allegedly inciting religious and ethnic hatred, Reuters reported. Jovan, who became a central figure in the long-standing dispute between the Macedonian Orthodox Church (MPC) and the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) when he switched allegiance from MPC to the SPC in 2003, was sentenced in August 2004 (see 'RFE/RL Newsline,' 20 August 2004 and 'RFE/RL Balkan Report,' 23 January and 6 August 2004). Jovan must now surrender to police within eight days or risk arrest. He said after the appeals court handed down its ruling that he is 'ready to go to jail if that is what the court says.' The central problem is deeply rooted in what historians call the Macedonian Question and interrelated issues involving the traditional Balkan tendency to equate one's nationality with one's religion. In 1967, the communist Macedonian authorities recognized a MPC separate from the SPC and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, which has a much smaller number of Macedonian adherents than the other two. The SPC and other Orthodox churches do not recognize their Macedonian counterpart, regarding it as schismatic. PM"

EU Reconsiders Expansion

Two articles from two pseudo human rights groups, IWPR and RFE, both discussing the possible delay of EU expansion caused by the rejection of the constitution. My prediction is that Macedonia will be stringed along for years all the while being subverted by the Greeks on the outside and the Albanians on the inside. The EU is pathetic. We need to call on Russia ... with love.

Institute for War and Peace Reporting:

"Macedonia is today the pivotal state in terms of EU integration. Until a few months ago, there was a consensus among EU policy makers that its membership application was going well.

The European Commission was expected to deliver a positive report in the autumn, followed by a decision at the EU council in December to give Macedonia candidate status. This could have led to the beginning of membership talks before the end of 2006 or in early 2007.

Now, however, some EU member states have second thoughts and seek to slow down this process. Objectively, this would be difficult to explain: after all, Macedonia has largely implemenbted the Ohrid Agreement and meets the Copenhagen political and human rights criteria (the hurdle for gaining candidate status) at least as much as Central European countries in 1997 or Turkey in 1999, when they became candidates.

Such a strategy looks risky, given the importance of internal stability and the investment the EU has already made in Macedonia, and given the risks that emerge as the United States and EU seek to settle Kosovo’s status. A serious setback would send a very negative signal to the region as a whole."

RADIO FREE EUROPE/ RADIO LIBERTY:

"At least one leader of a major EU member state indicated before the summit that he remains committed to enlargement, stressing that its benefits far outweigh its costs. During a joint news briefing with Macedonian Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said in Berlin on 8 June that unspecified 'populists' are seeking to destroy the EU by attempting to prevent the western Balkan countries from joining that body.

Asked if the EU can afford to fund further enlargement in that region, Schroeder replied: 'Instability is much more expensive.' He added that 'you would be amazed if I told you how much the current situation in the Balkans with European soldiers costs.' He argued that 'Macedonia's example without any doubt...shows that the region's stability is linked to its European perspectives.' He also warned that eliminating these 'perspectives' would fuel instability in the region. At the same time, the chancellor refrained from naming concrete dates for the EU accession of the countries in the western Balkans.

The results of the Brussels summit indicated that Schroeder's pro-enlargement views are in the minority. Regional leaders were not slow in reacting to the unpleasant news but generally sought to put on a brave face. Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said in Brussels on 16 June that members of the European People's Party, which is a coalition of conservative parties active in European affairs, have given 'full support' to Croatia's bid for EU membership. He added that negotiations could start now and last two to three years, during which time all outstanding problems between Zagreb and Brussels could be resolved. "

Macedonians Need More Children

Good article about the rise of Albanian population in Macedonia. I am always suspicious of Radio Free Europe's analysis. They are to the right of the CIA and the US State Department which at least recognises Macedonians in Greece.


RADIO FREE EUROPE/ RADIO LIBERTY: "Macedonia: A Political Pact To Regulate Demography?"

14 June 2005 (RFE/RL) -- The age-old issue of the relationship between politics and birthrates has reemerged in Macedonia. During a conference on recent demographic developments at the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts (MANU) in Skopje on 3 June, Ilija Aceski -- who is a professor for social sciences at Skopje university -- triggered a controversy over whether demographic trends can be regulated through political agreements.

Discussions about the possible negative impact of some demographic trends in modern societies are not confined to Macedonia. In some western European countries such as Germany, politicians face the problem that decreasing birthrates and aging societies will inevitably undermine the current state-regulated pension systems. Mainland China is well-known for its one-child policy to curb population growth.

'Problematic Developments'

But references to "problematic demographic developments" in Macedonia almost inevitably pertain to the fact that the country's 23 percent ethnic Albanian minority continues to grow due to a high birthrate, while the ethnic Macedonian majority's birthrate continues to decline (see "RFE/RL Balkan Report," 11 April, 17 October, and 12 December 2003).

Macedonian nationalists have -- just like their counterparts in neighboring Serbia -- long warned of demographic trends favoring the Albanians across the Balkans. In Serbia, it was the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU) that played an important role in promoting this idea. With its 1986 memorandum on the alleged grievances of Serbs in Yugoslavia, the SANU facilitated Slobodan Milosevic's ascension to power, ultimately paving the way the wars in Croatia, Bosnia, and Kosova during the 1990s (see "RFE/RL East European Perspectives," 5 March, 30 April, and 14 May 2003).

Aceski's presentation in Skopje should be viewed against this backdrop; he reportedly worried aloud that ethnic Albanians would consolidate their majority in certain parts of the country and ethnic Macedonians would leave those areas.
In an editorial for the daily "Utrinski vesnik" of 11 June, Ivica Bocevski slammed the conference at the MANU as a "pseudo-scientific" event. Bocevski wrote that the MANU followed its Serbian counterpart's footsteps in promoting nationalist ideas.


In order to slow this trend, Aceski proposed that the government work out a "demographic agreement" to help curb such developments. The measures proposed by Aceski include tax relief and other state subsidies for families from those ethnic groups in the minority in areas with a different ethnic majority. According to Aceski, such measures would provide incentives for Macedonians to stay in the overwhelmingly Albanian-population parts in western Macedonia.

At the same time, Aceski also proposed that the state reduce its subsidies to families by cutting support for school costs, health care, and welfare benefits. Aceski apparently hoped that this would effectively reduce the incentives for families to raise more children than they can financially afford. (He did not mention that Albanians are generally known throughout the Balkans for having large families.)

Aceski's final aim is to avoid "ethnically clean" territories in Macedonia, which, in his view, could negatively affect the functioning of the state. That is why he called his proposed pact an "anti-segregationist" agreement. The document itself should be drafted by a state body that includes representatives from all ethnic groups in the country. It should be a "political answer to the low birth rate of Macedonians and the high birth rate of Albanians."

Skeptical Audience

Already during the conference at the MANU, Aceski's proposal was met with skepticism. Former Prime Minister Nikola Kljusev said the Macedonian government cannot introduce measures to regulate population growth like China, but should nevertheless consider defining a population policy.

Abdylmenaf Bexheti, who is a former chairman of the ethnic Albanian Party for Democratic Prosperity and a professor at the private Southeast European University in Tetovo, said that such an agreement is not feasible. Bexheti argued that even the 2001 Ohrid peace agreement, which ended hostilities between ethnic Albanian insurgents and the Macedonian security forces -- has not yet been fully implemented.

But perhaps the most pointed criticism came from an ethnic Macedonian. In an editorial for the daily "Utrinski vesnik" of 11 June, Ivica Bocevski slammed the conference at the MANU as a "pseudo-scientific" event. Bocevski wrote that the MANU followed its Serbian counterpart's footsteps in promoting nationalist ideas. Instead of being a stronghold against "quasi-scientific" views, "we saw the MANU as the 'avant-garde of Macedonian nationalism,'" Bocevski wrote.

For him, the problem was not only Aceski's presentation but also the widespread and often uncritical media coverage of his proposal. Bocevski said that because of this publicity he was forced into a discussion by his friends but resolved the problem with a computer. By entering the current growth rates of the Albanian and Macedonian populations, he showed his friends that even if the Albanian population continued to grow at its current pace, it would be a matter of centuries rather than decades before Albanians were in the majority in Macedonia.

Nonetheless, given the widespread anti-Albanian feelings among ethnic Macedonians, Aceski's proposal rather than Bocevski's debunking is likely to attract more supporters among the majority population.

Again, Mountain Men With Guns

This incident seems to be a program to paralyze the Macedonian government. We will have to see if the American Ambassador allow the Macedonian police to take action.

RADIO FREE EUROPE/ RADIO LIBERTY: "ANOTHER ARMED INCIDENT OUTSIDE MACEDONIAN CAPITAL
A group of armed men held a four-member police patrol for several hours in the village of Kondovo outside the Macedonia capital Skopje on 5 June, dpa reported. Despite sporadic gunfire, nobody was wounded in the incident. The armed group was reportedly led by Agim Krasniqi, who admitted that he provoked the incident, the private A1 TV reported on 7 June. At the same time, Krasniqi refused to surrender to the authorities, saying he would not get a fair trial. The Interior Ministry declined to comment on the case. Krasniqi's group in effect occupied Kondovo in late 2004 for several weeks before it agreed to disarm following talks with the leaders of the two main ethnic Albanian parties. The group allegedly sought to protest what it called the slow implementation of the 2001 Ohrid peace agreement (see 'RFE/RL Newsline,' 15 and 20 December 2004, and 'RFE/RL Balkan Report,' 10 December 2004 and 14 January 2005). UB"

Don't let UMINK Play With Matches

I don't know anything about Soren Jessen-Petersen, but he is playing with fire. Why can't he wait for final talks between Kosovo and Serbia. Why is creating anxiety where none should exist. This is a manufactured issue ... I smell a plot!

RFE/RL Newsline, 05-06-06: "[41] UNMIK HEAD SAYS KOSOVAR-MACEDONIAN BORDER DEMARCATION TO BEGIN BEFORE STATUS TALKS

Soren Jessen-Petersen, who heads the UN civilian administration in Kosova (UNMIK), said after a meeting with Macedonian Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski in Skopje on 2 June that the demarcation of the border between Kosova and Macedonia will begin before the future status of the province is decided, the private A1 TV reported. Buckovski said talks between Macedonia, UNMIK, and the elected Kosovar authorities on technical issues will start on 9 June (see 'RFE/RL Newsline,' 13, 16, and 17 May 2005). However, Enver Sopjani -- an adviser to Kosovar Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi -- said the Kosovar government has yet to decide whether it wants the border to be demarcated before or after the talks on the future status of the province, adding that the demarcation cannot be decided without the consent of the Kosovar authorities. UB"

More on Serbian - Macedonian Church Fight

It is embarrassing for the Prime Minister of Macedonia to be appealing to the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew. He is working hand and glove with the Greek Church in Athens to deny the ethnicity of the Macedonian people. I still do not know why our people cannot open a dialogue with the Russian Church. Macedonians don’t want mediation, we just want recognition.

RADIO FREE EUROPE/ RADIO LIBERTY: "MACEDONIAN CHURCH DISPUTE HEATS UP...
In an open letter, Macedonian Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski has called on Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew, who is the spiritual head of the Orthodox Churches, to support a dialogue between the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) and the Macedonian Orthodox Church (MPC), Makfax news agency reported on 30 May (see 'RFE/RL Newsline,' 27 May 2005 and 'RFE/RL Balkan Report,' 23 January and 6 August 2004). Buckovski said the SPC's latest decision to recognize only the pro-SPC Archbishopric of Ohrid as canonical not only fails to resolve the church question in Macedonia, but could also increase religious tensions. The MPC, which split from SPC in 1967 with the support of the communist authorities, is not recognized by any other Orthodox Church. UB

...AS THE FOREIGN MINISTRY SLAMS THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
The Macedonian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on 30 May that the decision of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) to recognize only the pro-SPC Archbishopric of Ohrid as canonical is an attempt to create parallel institutions aimed at undermining the autocephalous status of the Macedonian Orthodox Church (MPC), RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service reported. The statement added that the SPC's latest move is a 'throwback to the past' that does not serve the interests of the Macedonian or Serbian nations and could hurt the development of relations between the two countries. The ministry called on the authorities of Serbia and Montenegro to do whatever they can to prevent 'moves aimed at denying [the identity of] the Macedonian people, state, and institutions,' regardless of where such threats may originate. PM
"

RFE's Analysis of the Partition Issue

Another discussion of the possible partition of Macedonia. I wonder why it has become such an issue at this time when the border between Kosovo and Macedonia is on the agenda. I wonder.

RADIO FREE EUROPE/ RADIO LIBERTY: "Macedonia: Did Nationalist Leaders Plan To Divide Country Along Ethnic Lines?
Macedonia

By Ulrich Buechsenschuetz

June 07, 2005

Ever since fighting broke out between the ethnic Albanian insurgents of the National Liberation Army (UCK) and the Macedonian security forces in early 2001, there have been persistent but unconfirmed reports that some politicians in Macedonia had a hidden agenda to partition the country along ethnic lines in order to consolidate their own power.

The most prominent politicians widely suspected of working on such division plans were former Prime Minister and former Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (VMRO-DPMNE) Chairman Ljubco Georgievski, who governed the country from 1998 until 2002. The other main suspect was Democratic Party of the Albanians (PDSH) Chairman Arben Xhaferi.

When the VMRO-DPMNE and the PDSH formed a coalition in 1998, there was speculation about what prompted two rivals like the Macedonian Georgievski and the Albanian Xhaferi to collaborate. Both had a reputation of being nationalists, and analysts have repeatedly raised the question whether there was more to cement their good working relationship outside their shared conservative, strictly anticommunist ideologies.

At the height of the conflict, in May 2001, the Georgi Efremov, then-president of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts (MANU), proposed to cede the heavily Albanian-populated areas of western Macedonia around Debar and Tetovo to Albania, while Macedonian-populated areas on the western bank of Lake Ohrid in Albania were to be added to Macedonia. The scattered Albanian population living throughout Macedonia was to be 'resettled.'

At that time, there were widespread rumors that Efremov's plan was a trial balloon launched on Georgievski's behalf. Given the openly hostile public reaction to that plan, Georgievski subsequently denied that he considered any territorial swap or the division of Macedonia along ethnic lines.

But in late March 2003, Georgievski himself wrote in a column that changing the existing the borders in the Balkans might be a way to resolve interethnic problems. Shortly after that editorial, he followed with another, in which he discussed the question whether Albanians should be 'resettled' in order to 'save' the ethnically mixed cities of Skopje, Kicevo, Kumanovo, and Struga for the Macedonian nation.

Two years after these editorials appeared, in late June, Xhaferi told Kosovar television broadcasters that he and Georgievski repeatedly discussed the issue of dividing Macedonia along ethnic lines while they were in power. The interview was subsequently republished by two Kosovar dailies.

Xhaferi reportedly said that already in 1998, he and Georgievski started to talk about a plan to peacefully divide Macedonia. Both agreed that that a multiethnic society could not function and that such societies were 'fictions' of the international community.
Georgievski has denied that he and his colleague discussed the division of Macedonia before the 2001 conflict.


Xhaferi also said they discussed a possible division with politicians from neighboring countries, most notably with the late Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic. Xhaferi added, however, that he and Georgievski did not agree on concrete modalities, not least because of the war in neighboring Kosova in 1999. From Xhaferi's point of view, the peaceful division would have avoided bloodshed in Macedonia.

In a press release in response to Xhaferi's interview, Georgievski denied that he and his colleague discussed the division of Macedonia before the 2001 conflict. 'We talked about the issue for the first time when the daily 'Vecer' published a text on the 'Exchange of Territories and Populations between Macedonia and Albania' in May 2001,' Georgievski said. 'At that time, Mr. Xhaferi did not want to discuss this problem and the conversation was over.'

Georgievski's new party, the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization -- People's Party (VMRO-NP), said it does not support any division plans. For VMRO-NP acting Chairwoman Vesna Janevska, Xhaferi's interview was simply the beginning of the PDSH's campaign for the 2006 parliamentary elections. Janevska added that the VMRO-NP supports the 2001 Ohrid peace agreement as well as a multiethnic Macedonia. 'This is the party's one and absolute position,' she said. 'Multiethnic states are a reality, and we are convinced that radicalism does not have a place in Macedonia any longer.'

Xhaferi's interview seems to have taken even his own party by surprise. A PDSH spokesman said his party will wait for the video recordings to arrive from Prishtina to see whether the reports in the print media correspond with what Xhaferi said on TV or whether his interview could be interpreted in a different way.

Ermira Mehmeti of Macedonia's governing ethnic Albanian Democratic Union for Integration (BDI) said if Xhaferi now believes that a multiethnic Macedonia has no future, he must explain why he signed the Ohrid peace agreement -- which provides for the consolidation of a multiethnic society -- in the first place.

In the meantime, Public Prosecutor Stavre Zikov said his office will scan Xhaferi's interview to see whether there is any reason to take legal action against the PDSH leader."