Epilogh MAK-NEWS 07/02/95 (M.I.L.S.) [**]

Merika akomh nea apo thn pGDM, opws ta eide to MILS:

  • * Ajiwmatoyxos toy OHE dhlwse oti den eixe programmatisqei kammia synanthsh Tserbenkofski-Bans gia xqes. [O ellhnikos typos (Kaqhmerinh kai Nea, kata to APE) egracan omws oti oxi mono egine synanthsh, alla htan kai anepityxhs logw ths adiallajias toy Tserbenkofski.]
  • ** Dhlwseis toy YpPai ths Ellados G. Papandreoy pros thleoptiko kanali twn Skopiwn. Dhlwse oti to empargko blaptei kai tis dyo pleyres, kai oti oi dyo xwres exoyn polla koina qemata sta opoia mporoyn na synergastoyn, enw eyxetai oti oi synomilies metajy twn dyo xwrwn qa exoyn qetika apotelesmata.
  • * Sthn Boylgaria o YpAm ths pGDM, gia synanthseis me ajiwmatoyxoys toy boylgarikoy YpAm. [Den dinei alles leptomereies.]
  • * To YpEs ths pGDM aporriptei thn ekqesh toy amerikanikoy YpEj gia ta anqrwpina dikaiwmata sthn pGDM.
  • . H Boylgaria triplasiase ta telh eisodoy aytokinhtwn apo thn pGDM.
  • . Dieqnhs ekqesh rouxwn, yfasmatwn kai kallyntikwn sthn pGDM.
  • * Tmhma ekqeshs gia ta anqrwpina dikaiwmata sthn pGDM, apo ton eidiko apestalmeno toy OHE sthn xwra.

    Dhmhtrhs Paneras

    Boston, MA

    MILS NEWS

    Skopje, 7 February, 1995

  • CRVENKOVSKI AND VANCE MEETING NOT SCHEDULED
    Macedonian Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski yesterday visited the UN in New York, and according to Macedonian Radio, he was supposed to have met UN mediator Cyrus Vance. A UN official, however, stated no such meeting had been scheduled for the day.

  • GREEK EMBARGO DAMAGES BOTH SIDES
    In an exclusive interview with A1 Television, Greek Minister Yorgos Papandreou expressed the hope that the Greek embargo on Macedonia will soon be ended. He said the blockade is damaging both countries. "I believe we have many common areas for cooperation," he said. "I hope talks between our two countries will yield positive results." Nova Makedonija writes that Aleka Papariga, Secretary- general of the Greek Communist Party, said at a press- conference in Athens the Greek government must reevaluate its Balkan policy. Papariga reportedly demanded that the government urgently lift the embargo and start a direct dialogue with Skopje.

  • HANDZHISKI IN BULGARIA
    Macedonian Defense Minister Blagoj Handzhiski began his official visit to Bulgaria today and is expected to meet officials of the Bulgarian Ministry of defense.

  • INTERIOR MINISTRY DENIES U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT
    Regarding the Report by the U.S. State Department on the human rights situation in Macedonia and the reported cases of police violations of basic rights, Dime Gjurev, under- secretary in the Ministry of Interior, gave an interview for A1 television. While respecting the U.S. State Department's work, he said he must refute certain statements in the report, particularly the claim that the police must be notified beforehand of any intended public gathering. This is just not true, he said. The police do not require any organizations to do this although some have voluntarily done so. Gjurev said the police act strictly by the regulations when summoning people for informative talks and holds them no longer than 24 hours. A small number of cases of detention longer than 24 hours by police officers were investigated and appropriate disciplinary measures have been undertaken. According to the Ministry of Interior, such incorrect reports are due mainly to inaccurate reporting to the State Department by monitors in the field. Regarding the report by UN Special Rapporteur Tadeusz Mazowiecki concerning the rights of the Serbian minority in Macedonia to exercise religious ceremonies, Gjurev said the problem is a result of the failure of the Serbian Orthodox Church to register in Macedonia therefore disallowing Serbian clergy to give services within the territory of Macedonia.

  • NEW ROAD TOLLS IN BULGARIA
    Road tolls for all vehicles entering Bulgaria have been tripled by a decision of the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport. The Ministry also raised the transit fee. Trucks with the TIR marks will now pay 24,000 Bulgarian Levs ($300 according to the official rate of exchange), while buses will be charged 4,800 Levs ($60).

  • FASHION FAIR "MODEST '95" BEGINS
    The 17th international "Modest" fair of textile, leather, clothes, cosmetics and machines for the textile industry opened in Skopje yesterday. The "Modest '95" fair will last until 10 February, presenting products by 80 firms from Yugoslavia, Italy, Slovenia, the Arab League, Turkey, Bulgaria, France and Macedonia.

  • MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR'S REPORT ON MACEDONIA
    The following extract regarding the Republic of Macedonia is taken from the report on the human rights situation in the former Yugoslavia, submitted by Tadeusz Mazowiecki, UN Special Rapporteur. 2. Recent developments 103. A group of ethnic Albanian intellectuals has requested the opening of a university in their native language. In response, the government has announced that the initiative complies neither with the constitution nor with the law on higher education, and is therefore unconstitutional and illegal. The Ministry of the Interior has consequently proceeded to call in all those involved in the initiative for "informative talks" although no formal charges have reportedly been made. 104. Although the aim of the request was the establishment of a public university, it should nevertheless be noted that, according to article 45 of the constitution of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (hereafter referred to as the republic), "citizens have the right to establish private institutes at all levels of education (...) under conditions determined by the law." There would appear to exist an inconsistency between the constitution and the Law on Streamed Education of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia, which is still in force and determines, inter alia, the conditions for the opening of a university; it does not provide for the creation of a higher education institute by private initiative. 105. Ethnic Albanian students of the Pedagogical Academy also complain that, except for courses on teaching methodology, all subjects are taught in the Macedonian language. They are requesting that the courses be given in Albanian. The government reportedly expressed a favorable towards the issue last June. 106. The attention of the special rapporteur has again be drawn to the latest developments regarding the difficulties faced by the Serbian population in the Republic in registering its religious community. Its request was denied again on the same grounds: incomplete documentation attached to the request and incitement to religious or political intolerance and public disorder. The Serbian population is awaiting the decision of a new judicial appeal. 107. In his 4 November, 1994 report, the special rapporteur mentioned that a census was held between 21 June and 4(?) July to determine the total population legally resident in the republic. This followed a recommendation by the International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia. The entire process was supervised by the Expert Group set by the Council of Europe which considered that it had been conducted in a satisfactory manner and that its results were reliable. According to the first official results, the republic has a total of population of 1,935,877 inhabitants, 66.5 per cent of whom are ethnic Macedonians, 22.5 per cent Albanians, 4 per cent Turks, 2.3 per cent Rhomas, 2 per cent Serbs and 0.4 per cent Vlachs. 108. The special rapporteur also noted that the first round of the presidential and parliamentary elections had taken place in the entire territory of the republic on 15 October in a fairly peaceful atmosphere. He was subsequently informed that the process was completed on 13 November, since elections had to be repeated in some electoral units due to reported irregularities. The existence of some inconsistencies between the constitution and the relevant laws has also been reported. C. Conclusions and recommendations 109. In his 4 November, 1994 report, the special rapporteur drew attention, inter alia, to the following points: a) The negative impact on the human rights situation of the delay in the enactment and implementation of some of the basic laws related to the juridical structure of the state; b) The reported limited enjoyment of the right to a fair trial and the persistence of cases of excessive use of force by the police; c) The importance of non-governmental organizations as an indispensable source of information regarding the human rights situation and the efforts of the government in that field; and d) The negative influence of the economic situation on the social stability of the country, due, inter alia, to the losses connected with the levying of sanctions against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) and to the Greek embargo. 110. With regard to the additional information presented in the present report the special rapporteur points out that: a) While acknowledging the efforts made by the government to promote and respect the rights of ethnic and linguistic minorities, the special rapporteur urges the government to give favorable consideration to the initiative aimed at the promotion of the educational system at the university level; b) The Serbian population living in the republic should not be prevented from enjoying, in accordance with the law, services of the religion of their choice; c) The international community should offer its economic assistance in order to prevent the destabilization of social relations owing to the deterioration in the implementation of economic and social rights.