Fwd: Internethnic Relations in Macedonia: Joint Statement by IHF and Helsinki Committee of Macedonia
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Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2001 10:09:34 +0300 (EEST)
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Subject: Fwd: Internethnic Relations in Macedonia: Joint Statement by IHF and Helsinki Committee of Macedonia
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Fwd: Internethnic Relations in Macedonia: Joint Statement by
IHF and Helsinki Committee of Macedonia
Joint Statement by the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights of the
Republic of Macedonia and the International Helsinki Federation for
Human Rights
UN Commission for Human Rights, 57th Session,
Item 14, Specific Groups and Individuals, (b) Minorities
Geneva, 12. April 2001
Respectable Chairperson,
I am delivering this statement on behalf of the Helsinki Committee for
Human Rights of the Republic of Macedonia and the International
Helsinki Federation for Human Rights in Vienna, of which we are a
member. The recent armed violence in Macedonia did not surprise our
organization. Nor will we be surprised if more violence erupts. But
even without further violence the situation is very complex and the
interethnic dialogue is heavily burdened. On the one hand, the events
resulted in the Macedonian majority population's increased sensitivity
to the Albanian issue, leading to overreactions, growing mistrust and
fear of movements towards secession. On the other hand, the ideas of
bilateral dialogue or bi-nationalism provoked reactions on the side of
the other minorities in Macedonia - the ethnic Turks, the Roma, the
ethnic Serbians and last but not least - the Vlachs.
The roots of the existing situation that hurts the individual aspect
of the human rights and freedoms could be linked with different
external and internal factors.
First of all, the unsolved issue of the Kosovo status presents a
permanent source of instability in the region and is precondition for
existence of parallel para-military structures under nobody's visible
political control. "Warriors without war," as part of the armed
fighters that took part in the fighting on the territory of Kosovo
(yet not incorporated by the later on regular forces of Kosovo Peace
Corps) were pushed to Macedonia once the Army of FR of Yugoslavia
started regaining the positions on Kosovo in cooperation with the
structures of the international presence in Kosovo.
This influence of the Kosovo is emphasized by the fact that many
ethnic Albanian citizens of Macedonia identify with Kosovo more than
they identify with their own country, the Republic of Macedonia. This
situation is partly due to the self-exclusion of the significant part
of the Albanian population from the development in Macedonia while
traditionally close relations with the Kosovo population and events
were strongly kept. On the other hand, that was partly due to the
limited influence they could exercise concerning the process of
definition of the basic documents and the national symbols of
Macedonia.
Integration and interethnic relations have not been a priority for the
state. There is no common civic framework for Macedonia as such, nor
is there a strategy for building one. The political coalition reflects
an agreement among top party leaders, but no deep-rooted common
discussion exists about how to solve the society's problems. The
average people lack confidence in the government and in the political
parties. Government and political parties assume a homogeneous
attitude exists within among ethnic groups, and fail to take
individual rights into account. Virtually all education, from
kindergarten through university levels, is ethnocentric in
orientation. As a result, higher education has become an ethnic
battleground, a divisive rather than an integrative experience. New
universities aiming at serving the Albanian community are as
nationalistic as the state university. Regrettably, the new
university conceived by Max van der Stoel and so heavily funded by the
European Union and the United States confirms rather than addresses
this problem. We are witnessing a fresh wave of "hate speech"
(especially in some of the State owned printed media). Ethnic
Macedonians and ethnic Albanians are demonizing one another and the
government has not fulfilled its obligations to work against
intolerance.
In this situation the government needs to be encouraged to open up a
dialogue with a wide range of citizens on a wide range of issues. This
dialogue must not exclude persons belonging to different ethnicities
and it must not be based on the idea of bi-culturalism thus ruining
the authenticity of the multiethnic approach. Individuals must be
involved and respected. Citizens must be encouraged to work together
as citizens, not as members of ethnic groups.
We appeal to the United Nations and other international organizations
and friendly governments active in the region to help us as members of
civil society working for peace and human rights in Macedonia.
Thank you.
Mirjana Najcevska, Chair,
Helsinki Committee for Human Rights of the Republic of Macedonia
__________________________________________
Joachim Frank, Project Coordinator
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights
Wickenburggasse 14/7
A-1080 Vienna
Tel. +43-1-408 88 22 ext. 22
Fax: +43-1-408 88 22 ext. 50
Web: http://www.ihf-hr.org
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