AMHRC, MHRMI & VINOZHITO DOUBLY QUESTION THE APPOINTMENT OF A 'CRUSADING' EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

Melbourne, Toronto & Lerin
27 July 2012

The Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee (AMHRC), Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) and the European Free Alliance – Rainbow/Vinozhito, a political party of the Macedonian minority of Greece, questions the wisdom of a Special Representative for Human Rights to focus on non-EU states and is deeply concerned about the appointment of Stavros Lambrinidis to this post.

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MHR Review - Issue #11 - June 2012

Download the MHR Review - Issue #11 - June 2012 edition here (PDF - 2.8MB)

In this edition of the MHR Review:

• McDougall’s 2009 UN Report – George Vlahov
• Our Mirror and the Foresight of Lepen – George Papadakis
• For Many Years to Come: Nova Zora, as the Persecution Continues – Dimitri Jovanov
• Beyond Human Understanding? – Jim Thomev
• An Alternative Solution to the Macedonian Name Dispute – Dr. Chris Popov
• How Many Greeks are there in Melbourne? – Dr. Chris Popov
• Greece will eventually have to accept the use of ‘Macedonian’ - AMHRC
• Greek Government ‘Frequently’ Interferes in Australian Policy on Macedonia – AMHRC
• The Macedonian Community of WA and Melville-Jones – Chris Angelkov
• The 29th Annual AMHRC Dinner
• All-Macedonian Sandanski Gathering in Melnik – Stojko Stojkov
• The Macedonian Poet, Nikola Vaptsarov – Dr. Michael Seraphinoff
• Interview with Anton Klimev – Johnny Tsiglev

Download the MHR Review - Issue #11 - June 2012 edition here (PDF - 2.8MB)

2011 AUSTRALIAN CENSUS DATA: ALMOST 100,000 MACEDONIANS IN AUSTRALIA

MEDIA RELEASE
21 JUNE 2012

In the six months prior to the 2011 Australian census held on Tuesday 9 August 2011, the Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee (AMHRC) prepared instructional leaflets in both English and Macedonian, for the benefit of the Macedonian community. The material related to the questions on ancestry, language, country of birth and religion.

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AMHRC condemns the presence of "neo-Nazis" at a local community event

Melbourne (Australia)

The Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee is deeply concerned about the presence of members of a racist "neo-Nazi" organisation at a recent Greek community event in Melbourne.

On Sunday 25 March 2012, the Australian Greek community organised a "Greek Independence Day Parade" at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne. According to the Greek Australian newspaper, Neos Kosmos, the event was attended by a number of Greek community groups, as well as the Premier of the State of Victoria, the Hon. Ted Baillieu, members of the Victorian and Federal Parliaments and representatives from Victoria Police and the Australian Defence Forces.

However what Neos Kosmos failed to report was the fact that the event was attended by members of a Melbourne branch of the so-called "Chrysi Avgi" (Golden Dawn) organisation. Nevertheless, their presence at the parade was 'proudly' displayed on the organisation's official website.

According to a report submitted by the Greek Helsinki Monitor (an Athens based human rights organisation) to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racism and Discrimination (UN CERD), Golden Dawn is "openly neo-Nazi, anti-Semitic, racist and white supremacist and have been involved in many violent incidents against migrants, Macedonians ... as well as in desecration of Jewish monuments."

To view the full Greek Helsinki Monitor submission please click here.

In 2009, on the basis of the report of the Greek Helsinki Monitor, UN CERD officially recommended that Greece ban such groups, calling upon the authorities to "take effective measures to penalise organisations and media outlets that are guilty of such acts. It further recommends that the State party concretely ban neo-Nazi groups from its territory and take more effective measures to promote tolerance towards persons of different ethnic origins."

To view the full UN CERD report please click here.

While the Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee recognises the right of all ethnic communities to organise peaceful national day celebrations and cultural events, the open and unimpeded presence of members of racist groups at such events is totally unacceptable.

Given the fact that members of the "Golden Dawn" group were wearing distinct black coloured clothing with the words "Golden Dawn" in Greek on the back of their attire, they were clearly visible and easily identifiable to all those present including the event organisers. As such, the neo-Nazi group should have been asked to leave the grounds of the Shrine immediately. Regrettably, they were permitted to stay.

In future, Australian political leaders need to take heed of who exactly they are addressing so as to avoid such embarrassing situations. The fact that the Premier of Victoria, the Hon. Ted Baillieu, flanked to the right by his Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Mr Nicholas Kotsiras, addressed a gathering in the presence of a neo-Nazi group, at the Shrine of Remembrance of all places, is very disturbing.

The Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee calls upon community leaders to condemn this incident and ensure the exclusion of racist groups from future community events.

Manifestations of racism and intolerance have no place in Australian society.

MHR Review - Issue #10 - March 2012

Download the MHR Review - Issue #10 - March 2012 edition here (PDF - 6MB)

In this edition of the MHR Review:

• Editorial: On the Re-naming of Macedonians in Australia – George Vlahov
• Tashko Georgievski’s Black Seed – Dr. Michael Seraphinoff
• MHRMI Response to National Post Letter – Bill Nicholov
• Australian Government Recognises Macedonian Community
• Здружени да ја добиеме финалната битка – Игор Павловски
• Chronology of how the Renaming Policy Came to an End
• Искрена благодарност – Игор Павловски
• From Dimitri Jovanov to the AMHRC
• From President Ivanov to the AMHRC
• To and From the Editor of Eurofile – Peter Sarbinov
• Cilevics on Minority Protection in Europe – Vasko Nastevski
• Show Your Support for Macedonian Human Rights
• Interview with Johnny Tsiglev – Ljubica Durlovska
• Intimate Nostalgias – Jim Thomev
• Morally and Ethically Bankrupt Journalism – David Vitkov
• The Fight to (Re) Register OMO “Ilinden” PIRIN – David Vitkov
• Over and Above Carnivals – George Papadakis
• UN Expert on Macedonians in Bulgaria
• American Students Meet Macedonians in Greece – Dimitri Jovanov
• Австралиските власти го користат терминот Македонци – Интервју со Др. Крис Попов од АМКЧП

Download the MHR Review - Issue #10 - March 2012 edition here (PDF - 6MB)

Confidential Australian Government Document Reveals: Greek government 'frequently' interferes in Australian policy on Macedonia

Melbourne (Australia)

Following the Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee’s announcement of the cancellation of the 1994 “Slav Macedonian” directive which renamed the Macedonian community in Australia, the English edition of the Melbourne based newspaper Neos Kosmos published a highly distorted article on the issue. The article quoted several Greek community organisations which reacted to the issue in a typically misleading manner. A local organisation calling itself the “Australian Hellenic Council” (AHC) accused Macedonian and Turkish diplomats in Canberra of “open interference” in an Australian policy matter. The AHC claimed that "it is unacceptable for the representatives of foreign governments to actively guide and participate in efforts to determine Australian domestic and foreign policy."

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