By P. Stoikos
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In his letter dated 4rth February 2007, addressed to the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, the member of MAKIBE (OYRANIO TOXO/RAINBOW) party, Pavlos Filipov (Voskopoulos in Greek) from Florina-Greece, was asking for the immediate promotion of the FYROM accession to NATO so as for the security and political stability in South-West Europe not to be disturbed.
In the same letter, Mr. Filipov raises also the question of the so-called ‘Macedonian’ minority protection in Greece, asking from the USA to exercise their influence on the Greek government, to observe the minority rights, as they arise from the international treaties and conventions. The same person, indirectly, raises the issue of the minority self-determination right.
Mr Filipov’s right to determine himself according to his own will is indisputable. Yet, since he declares his interest in the minorities and the protection of human rights in Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria, there is no evidence whatsoever of doing anything similar regarding the rights of FYROM civilians of Greek conscience, especially in the area of Pelagonia.
Mr Filipov is member of a party which runs legally and freely in Greece at the same time that the FYROM authorities deny the reinstitution of the Greek community of Monastiri, which operated organized in the area till 1930.
In his letter dated 4rth February 2007, addressed to the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, the member of MAKIBE (OYRANIO TOXO/RAINBOW) party, Pavlos Filipov (Voskopoulos in Greek) from Florina-Greece, was asking for the immediate promotion of the FYROM accession to NATO so as for the security and political stability in South-West Europe not to be disturbed.
In the same letter, Mr. Filipov raises also the question of the so-called ‘Macedonian’ minority protection in Greece, asking from the USA to exercise their influence on the Greek government, to observe the minority rights, as they arise from the international treaties and conventions. The same person, indirectly, raises the issue of the minority self-determination right.
Mr Filipov’s right to determine himself according to his own will is indisputable. Yet, since he declares his interest in the minorities and the protection of human rights in Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria, there is no evidence whatsoever of doing anything similar regarding the rights of FYROM civilians of Greek conscience, especially in the area of Pelagonia.
Mr Filipov is member of a party which runs legally and freely in Greece at the same time that the FYROM authorities deny the reinstitution of the Greek community of Monastiri, which operated organized in the area till 1930.
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The above text is the result of telephone exchange with my friend Giorgos from Monastiri. Giorgos is not asking for self-determination like Mr Filipov did; he claims the right for his two daughters to be allowed to be taught the language and the traditions of their ancestors. He claims the right for “the Greek community of Monastiri,” which was annulled in 1930 by the Serbian authorities, to be re-instituted.
The above text is the result of telephone exchange with my friend Giorgos from Monastiri. Giorgos is not asking for self-determination like Mr Filipov did; he claims the right for his two daughters to be allowed to be taught the language and the traditions of their ancestors. He claims the right for “the Greek community of Monastiri,” which was annulled in 1930 by the Serbian authorities, to be re-instituted.
3 σχόλια:
Well said. No double standards. full application of human and minority rights.
When will Mr Voskopoulos and his friends understand that there is no obligation for the Greek government to recognize any ethnic minority. The Greek government is obliged to guarantee to everyone in Greece the human rights which appear in the European Convention on Human Rights (which is wider than the Universal Declaration on Human Rights) and recognition of ethnic minorities (either under the name of their choice or otherwise) and introduction of minority languages into the state education system are not required (they aren't even mentioned!).
One of the rights guaranteed by the European Convention (and the Greek constitution) is freedom of expression. This means that Mr Voskopoulos can identify himself as anything he wants from "Macedonian" to "Martian" and he can speak whatever language he wants. Another right guaranteed by the Convention is freedom of association, the right to found and belong to organizations, unless there is a justifiable reason for banning a particular organization (for example Turkey has banned the PKK for being terrorist and FYROM has banned the Bulgarian minority association Radko for being separatist).
I am sick and tired of hearing pro-FYROM nationalists insisting that Greece is in some way violating "fundamental" and "basic human rights" of "minorities" by simply not acknowledging them but instead treating them as any other Greek citizen. I defy anyone to produce a human rights provision binding on Greece regarding minority rights which Greece has violated.
It must be understood that minority rights and human rights are two very separate concepts. The former are optional (assuming a treaty to the contrary hasn't been signed and ratified), the latter obligatory. Greece may be doing the absolute minimum in the minority rights area and FYROM going the extra mile, but neither of them are systematically violating "ethnic minorities' human rights" by not recognizing a particular minority.
Για ήρεμα Βαλκάνια πριν και μετά από το τέλος των πετρελαίων :
http://www.aee.gr/hellenic/1st%20month/0%208/080301/Mar%202008.htm
http://www.aee.gr/english/99what_new/08/0803%20Macedonians%20etc/Macedonians.htm
http://klimatika.blogspot.com/2008/01/die8nis-ekehiria-alilovoi8ia.html
http://www.aee.gr/hellenic/1%20overpopulation/overpopulation%20gr.htm
http://www.aee.gr/hellenic/1%20overpopulation/overpopulation%20en.htm
Climate change may spark conflicts, EU told
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/10/eu.climatechange
A summit of Nato leaders in Bucharest next month will discuss the problem for the first time, while a new manifesto for a radical overhaul of the western alliance moots the possibility of Nato being used "as an instrument of energy security".
A report from the EU's top two foreign policy officials to the 27 heads of government gathering in Brussels for a summit this week warns that "significant potential conflicts" are likely in the decades ahead as a result of "intensified competition over access to, and control over, energy resources".
The seven-page report, obtained by the Guardian, has been written by Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy supremo, and Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the commissioner for external relations. It predicts that global warming will precipitate security issues for Europe, ranging from energy wars to mass migration, failed states and political radicalisation.
The report warns of greater rich-poor and north-south tension because climate change will be most catastrophic in the poor south.
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