Australian position on Macedonia

[osiris]

the answer to our problems in australia is obvious, too many of our alp members are not as interested in the name as they are about their role in the alp. how any macedonian can vote for either the libs or the alp given their totaly disregard of our rights as citizen of australia bewilders me.

[Prolet]

Osiris, Maybe we could use our voting rights where we can make a difference?

[Napoleon]

Before there was RANN, there was JEFF KENNETT

An old article from the Age newspaper in Australia...interesting reading

The AGE, 20/04/94, Melbourne Australia

[Opinion Analysis]

"If Mr Kennett's policy is not entirely opportunistic,
he must have fallen into the trap of not distinguishing
historical myths from objective history."

Levelling the levendis
----------------------

- The Premier may be a hero to modern-day Greeks,
but his status may not translate into votes,
writes "Peter Hill".


During his visit to Greece Jeff Kennett was declared an
honorary 'levendis', a "Greek hero". He joined a select
group of minor but not insignificant politicians to have
been feted in Greece recently in return for their
unqualified support for that country in its struggle against
the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, against Albania
and now against the European Union. Last year Mikhail
Gorbachev visited Greece. So did a number of United States
senators. All of them gave press conferences at which they
expressed unqualified support for Greece in its struggle
against the infidels from the republic.

What has changed in the meantime is that 60 countries,
including most of Greece's fellow EU members and the US and
Australia, have recognised the republic of Macedonia. Greece
responded by blockading its northern neighbour from 16
February 1994. This blockade is illegal by any standards,
and has been roundly condemned by the EU and the US. On 6
April the EU resolved to take Greece to the European Court
of Justice. By visiting Greece at this moment Jeff Kennett
has lined up with Greece against the EU and the US.

Greece has failed to make any sustained economic progress
since joining the EU.

The contradiction between Greece's apparently glorious
historical traditions and her present lack of economic
progress are in fact one of the roots of the Greek
Government's chauvinist policies. If you can't deliver
bread, give them a good circus. Alexander Zahariopoulos has
written about the nationalist indoctrination of Greek
children in Greek schools. The 'Guardian Weekly' of 10 April has
written that "Greece may be more vulnerable to chauvinism
than any other nation". Jeff Kennett has now joined the
circus.

If Mr Kennett's policy on the Macedonian issue is not
entirely opportunistic, he must have fallen into the
nationalist trap of not distinguishing historical myths from
objective history.

Greece objects to the Star of Vergina on the Macedonian
flag, but the Star of Vergina is not a Greek symbol, expect
in the sense that it happens to have been found on the
territory of the present-day Greek state. While in Greece,
Mr Kennett repeatedly indicated his acceptance of the
nationalist myth that the present-day Greeks are the sole
heirs of the ancient Greek heritage.

The modern-day "Greeks" are not descended from the ancient Greeks.
They appropriated ancient Greek cultural symbols in the 19th Century
simply because they happened to live in more or less the same part of
the world as the ancient Greeks did. Their justification for this was
thus the same as that used by the present-day Macedonians in
appropriating the ancient Macedonian heritage. Most of the 19th-Century
"Greeks" not only did not call themselves Hellenes (it was the
intellectual nationalists that taught them to do that), they did not even
speak Greek, but rather Albanian, Slavonic or Vlach dialects
(as the Melbourne anthropologist Roger Just pointed out in
his celebrated article "Triumph of the Ethnos" in 1989). The
English poet Byron never got over the shock when he came to
Greece expecting to find the tall, Blond, blue-eyed heroes
of antiquity. Most modern-day Greeks look rather different.

In an interview in Greece with Helen Vatsikopoulos of SBS
Jeff Kennett refused to discuss the issue of minorities in
Greece but alluded to such a problem in the Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia. In fact, the Badinter Commission set
up by the European Community at the end of 1991 to vet
former Yugoslav Republics seeking recognition ruled that
Slovenia and Macedonia had no problems with their national
minorities. Ironically, Greece would not have passed the
Badinter Commission's criteria for recognition. Greece` has
repeatedly been criticised by Amnesty International
(November 1992), Helsinki Watch (July 1993) and the US State
Department in its yearly reports for failing to grant
minority rights to the Macedonians in northern Greece (see
also 'The Economist' of 14 August 1993, page 44). Mr Kennett
did well to dodge that issue.

Greece accuses Macedonia of irredentism but Greece itself
harbours designs on southern Albania (which the Greeks,
significantly, refer to as "Northern Epirus"), which led to
an incident last week in which armed Greeks attacked
Albanian soldiers guarding the border, shooting two of them
dead. The Greeks of southern Albania enjoy certain minority
rights, unlike the Albanian minority in Greece which,
according to an authoritative German reference of 1960,
"Greichenland-Handbuch', numbers some 150,000, but which has
no schools and no access to the mass media. In 'Time' of 12
October 1992, US envoy Strobe Talbott accused Greece of
using the issue of the name Macedonia as a cloak for its own
expansionist ambitions.

It is surprising that the Greek Prime Minister, Andreas
Papandreou, hesitated to receive Mr Kennett. They have a
great deal in common. Mr Papandreou won the last election in
Greece by playing the national chauvinist card. The past
three general elections in Greece have been closely fought
and the election of October 1993 was complicated by the
appearance of a new party set up by the conservative
defector and firebrand, Andonis Samaras, who based his new
party, Political Spring, entirely on the Macedonian issue.
But Andreas Papandreou overtook both Samaras and the
established conservative New Democracy party by promising
that there would be no further negotiations with the Skopje
Government if he were elected to office. Mr Papandreou knows
how to respond to new challenges. As Prime Minister from
1981 to 1989 he had made it known that he would not enforce
the various pieces of repressive legislation enacted from
the 1930s to the 1950s and aimed against the Macedonian
minority in northern Greece. These included laws making the
speaking of the Slavonic vernacular an offence even in the
privacy of the bedroom.

In the course of the 1980s, under pressure from Greek
chauvinists, Mr Papandreou successively hardened his stance,
and in 1984 Greece even passed a law making university
degrees acquired in the neighbouring republic of Macedonia
(and other documents from there, including affidavits)
invalid in Greece. Shortly afterwards the province of
Northern Greece was renamed Macedonia. It was not surprising
that, in 1993, Mr Papandreou took up the challenge from Mr
Samaras with gusto. According to a March 1994 opinion poll
in Greece 83 per cent of the population backs the embargo
against their northern neighbour. The chauvinist hysteria in
Greece, today may have less to do with national symbols than
with winning elections.

But Jeff Kennett may be mistaken if he believes that the
Greek vote will win him the next Victorian elections due in
1996. In 1991 there were less than 300,000 Greeks in
Australia, that is, Greek-born people or native Australians
with one Greek-born parent, but a significant proportion of
these people, especially in Melbourne's northern suburbs,
are Macedonians. The total number of first- and second-
generation Macedonians in Australia, including those from
Northern Greece and those from the Former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia, is in the vicinity of 100,000. Moreover the
Greek community is actually dwindling. ANU demographer
Charles Price notes that 81,000 Greeks (35 per cent) have
left Australia in the post-war period, but only about 10 per
cent of Macedonians; and 70 per cent of second-generation
Macedonians but only about 43 per cent of second-generation
Greeks marry out: this gives the Macedonian community a
demographic advantage.

And so Jeff the Levendis may not have clinched the election
yet.

[AMHRC]

AMHRC in Canberra

AUSTRALIAN MACEDONIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE
Level 1, Suite 106, 55 Flemington Rd
North Melbourne VIC 3051
Tel/Fax: +61 3 9329 8960
[email protected]

https://www.macedonianhr.org.au

10 February 2010

AMHRC OFFICIAL VISIT TO CANBERRA

Last week, on 1-2 February 2010, a delegation from the Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee visited Canberra for a number of important meetings with Federal MPs and the Ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia to Australia. The visit was the first in a series of visits planned for 2010 and carries on from several meetings held in Canberra in 2009.

The delegation, led by Jason Kambovski and David Vitkov, met individually with members of the Australia-Macedonia Parliamentary Friendship Group, the Honourable Member for Corangamite, Mr Darren Cheeseman, and the Honourable Member for Cowan, Mr Luke Simpkins. A number of important issues pertaining to Australian-Macedonian relations were discussed, including a future visit by the Friendship Group to the Republic of Macedonia. The idea of the visit, likely take place after the next federal election, was well received by both MPs who said that they looked forward to being part of the delegation.

Mr Cheeseman and Mr Simpkins also welcomed the initiative of the AMHRC to host a National Political Conference on 20 March 2010 in Melbourne. The conference, to be attended by representatives from various states and territories in Australia, will discuss ways and means to unify and improve the Macedonian community’s advocacy work across the country in relation to state and federal MPs. The conference will not just be about gaining support for the recognition of the Republic of Macedonia, but also for the purpose of gaining for our community respect and equitable treatment in general. The MPs noted that the event would be an important step for the Macedonian community in Australia and offered their assistance in making the event a success.

The AMHRC delegation also visited the Embassy of the Republic of Macedonia and met with the Ambassador, His Excellency, Mr Pero Stojanovski. A number of important community issues of mutual interest were discussed and the Ambassador was briefed on the AMHRC’s upcoming initiatives. Mr Stojanovski also confirmed his strong support for the National Political Conference.

__________________________

Established in 1984 the Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee is a non-governmental organisation that informs and advocates to governments, international institutions and broader communities about combating discrimination and promoting human rights. Our aspiration is to ensure that Macedonian communities and other excluded groups throughout the world are recognised, respected and afforded equitable treatment.

[Prolet]

Spolaj Ti AMHRC

Well Done guys

[julie]

the AMHRC have my full support, and thank you from my heart and soul for the wo nderful work you are doing, will the incriminating video of SA Premier Mike Rann be aired at the National Political Conference on 20 March 2010 in Melbourne?

[AMHRC]

Hi Julie,

Thanks for your question. The conference in March, will be only for the Macedonian community. Community leaders from all over Australia will be attending. The aim is to end the anarchic manner in which our community represents itself before Australia's politicians and to put in place reliable advocacy structures for our community, across Australia. Of course, the Rann issue, will have a place in the wider discussion.


Regards,

AMHRC.

[makedonche]

AMHRC
Great work, keep it up, at your disposal for assistance!

[Grotius]

well done

Well done to the AMHRC. You have my support. A truly sensible organisation that knows what it is doing. Others should take note and learn.

[Risto the Great]

Mr Luke Simpkins MP speech to parliament on Rann

Source: http://www.aph.gov.au/hansard/reps/dailys/dr090210.pdf, pages 73-74

Ethnic Communities


Mr SIMPKINS (Cowan) (8.30 pm)—I rise to speak of the problems of elected representatives rampaging through foreign affairs and ethnic community concerns like bulls in china shops. Although I have myself been outspoken on such matters in the past, and my views are on the record, I find it incredible that a Premier of a state in this nation would demonstrate such rank political opportunism as did Premier Rann of South Australia about a week ago.


To wade into the Macedonian issue with one sole purpose in mind, votes for the coming state election, whipping up enmity between communities, is highly irresponsible. Those with knowledge and experience in these matters know that feelings run deep. The depth of that feeling should not be underestimated and to invoke racial division is terrible. It is therefore not surprising that legal action against Mr Rann is likely. I said before that whipping up animosity between communities in Australia is highly irresponsible, but to do so for rank political purposes is nothing less than immoral. There is a history between peoples in Europe that is very recent given the history of that continent. There are not only border disputes, but disputes across a range of issues, that are not black and white. We know that they are issues of national pride, where the blood boils, and therefore they are not matters that should be used for other purposes. As elected representatives we have our views, and that is fine and it is right, but the part we play must be constructive. It must be engaging and it should be to promote the harmonious interactions of life in this nation. It should not be the Premier Rann option of ‘How do I play off communities against each other to get votes?’ It should not be ‘What deepfelt and longstanding ethnic community issues can I harness to try to win an election, whilst leaving bitter divisions behind for the future?’ It should not be ‘Who can I abuse and denigrate as a means to win more votes than I lose?’ What Premier Rann has done is not what should be done. This is not the sort of Australia we want. No group of our Australians should be marginalised in the pursuit of political advantage for another group. This immoral playing off of one group against another completely surrenders the responsibility entrusted to Premier Rann to look after the interests of all South Australians.


What I would say to the Hellenic community is that your concerns and issues have been taken advantage of. The Premier of South Australia sees you as a political opportunity, and from what we have seen, and from the manner in which he has acted, his support is shallow and opportunistic. I would ask all ethnic communities in South Australia to question the motives of a desperate Premier, struggling to save his government, who is willing to take advantage of ethnic community issues. Who will it be next? Which ethnic community will be marginalised next in the pursuit of Premier Rann’s political opportunism? I will say again that all ethnic communities should suspect the motives of such a leader whose main concern is clearly political advantage rather than the interests of all the ethnic communities within his jurisdiction.


I said at the outset that I have myself been outspoken on matters of foreign policy. With regard to various countries I have spoken on what they may regard as internal matters. I have been critical of the lack of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion and other freedoms that democracy holds dearly, yet on every one of these occasions I have spoken to add value, to highlight the rights of people around the world and their relatives in Australia, their rights to the great democratic principles. It has always been to speak up for communities within Cowan and not to blame one community for the concerns of another community.


I will say it again: these matters are complicated. More than 2,000 years of dispute and concerns across the centuries and across many areas are not going to be solved by one speech, especially not via a politically motivated and opportunistic speech. The key point that remains, in this matter so poorly and inappropriately addressed by Premier Rann, is that the governments in Athens and in Skopje have to resolve the issues. This is the fundamental point. As I understand it, there have been certain concessions made, and now those talks and discussions need to be finalised in demonstration of the good faith that has been shown up until now.

As one who has had many discussions regarding both sides of the issue, I would caution anyone against entering this debate lightly. As a responsible elected representative of the nation, I would discourage anyone from opening wounds between any ethnic communities in this country. As I previously said, to do so for rank political purposes is immoral and the damage that can be done to a harmonious Australia is a dangerous byproduct that we do not want to see.

Thank you Mr Simpkins for offering some perspective to a matter of great concern to all Macedonians. And also for making it clear how the Australian Greeks are being treated like pawns by being thrown into this debate.

Thank you Zoran for the information.

[Stojacanec]

Thank you Mr Simpkins for your level headed remarks about a desperate man in Mike Rann.

If there is any justice in the world Mike Rann will not be premier after March 20 and he pays dearly for his rash narrow minded statements.

[Soldier of Macedon]

Well said, although the lack of reference to Macedonians or their community, the people that Rann was being racist towards, leaves a little to be desired. Was a citation of the Macedonian people not necessary, or is Simpkins trying to appear objective to not 'upset' the Greek community?

I don't view the matter as that simple, where, should one choose to support a side he is automatically against the other side. This is not about gaining favour with this or that community. The Macedonians are the one's who are being racially discriminated against by a segment of the Greek community and opportunistic politicians like Rann. To support the Macedonian side in this dispute is not to be anti-Greek, it is to be anti-Racist.

[Rogi]

Just as an FYI, Luke Simpkins MP, is the co-Chair of the Australia-Macedonia Parliamentary Friendship Group.

[Soldier of Macedon]

Good to know, thanks Rogi.

What is the reason why the Macedonian people were not mentioned, in your opinion?

[osiris]

What is the reason why the Macedonian people were not mentioned, in your opinion?

fear of the repercusions