Hague judgement reinforces need for Macedonia to end shameful name negotiations

Melbourne (Australia), Toronto (Canada) and Skopje (Macedonia)
5 December 2011

Not that any more incentive should be needed to stop negotiating your own name, but in a 15-1 vote, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague ruled today that Greece violated the United Nations' sponsored Interim Accord (a 1995 "agreement" between Macedonia and Greece) when it vetoed the Republic of Macedonia's entry to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in April 2008.

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Show your support for Macedonian Human Rights. Silence is NOT an option!

MHRMI and AMHRC call on Macedonians throughout the world to show their support for human rights for Macedonians throughout the Balkans.

MHRMI and AMHRC finance and organise all Macedonian human rights activities and work directly with every Macedonian human rights organisation including Vinozhito, OMO Ilinden PIRIN, MAEI, Nova Zora, Narodna Volja, Ilinden Tirana, the Home of Macedonian Culture, and all others.

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AMHRC meets with Prime Minister Julia Gillard MP

Representatives of the Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee (AMHRC) yesterday had the opportunity to meet with the Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon Julia Gillard MP and other government Ministers. The meetings took place in the context of the Community Cabinet day held in Werribee, Melbourne.

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AMHRC Winter Review - 2011

In this issue of the AMHRC Review:

• Snapshot Diary of our tour around Australia – George Vlahov
• Editorial – George Vlahov
• Good Things – Eftim Mitrevski
• Interview with Artist Robert Mihajlovski – John Tsiglev
• To Mr. Ferri – Dr. Chris Popov
• To the United Nations – Ivan Hristovski
• In Review: “The Sirdar” – Dr. Michael Seraphinoff
• The AMHRC Expresses thanks to Western Australian MP John Hyde
• MHRMI Complaint against Canadian MP on CBC News
• OMO, AMHRC and MHRMI Condemn Bulgarian Census “Results”
• MHRMI and the AMHRC Denounce Clinton
• Welcome Visit to Bulgaria of UN Minority Rights Expert
• In Review: the Poetry of Dushan Ristevski
• Towards a Partial Reading of Dushan Ristevski’s Stolen Thoughts – Jim Thomev
• Ilinden in Ofchareni, Aegean Macedonia – Dimitri Jovanov
• The BBS Channel 5 Interview with Aristotle – Jim Thomev

Download the AMHRC Winter Review - 2011 here.

AMHRC and MHRMI denounce Albania's denial of Macedonian identity during its Census

Melbourne, Australia and Toronto, Canada

The Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee (AMHRC) and Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) denounce Albania's state-sponsored persecution of its Macedonian minority during the implementation of its census.

In the region of Golo Brdo, census taker instructors openly stated that the Macedonian language will be excluded as an answer to the question of what language is spoken at home. This was later confirmed in the field and other reports assert that census takers have been skipping questions 38 and 39 which pertain to language spoken and to ethnicity. "We feel like a threatened species, we are simply erased" declared Edmond Osmani, Vice President of MAEI.

Although it is officially denied, the Albanian state applies a rigid minority zones policy. "If you leave a minority zone, like the Prespa region, you automatically lose your status as a Macedonian and become Albanian" said Vasil Sterjo, from the Macedonian Alliance for European Integration (MAEI).

In Macedonia, on the other hand, the Albanian minority have illegally increased their numbers, evidently to show that ethnic Albanians amount to 20% of the total population of the Republic of Macedonia, so that Albanians can maintain a privileged status among Macedonia’s ethnic minorities. Field reports indicate that two censuses are taking place: one in parts of Western Macedonia where ethnic Albanians live and another one in the rest of the country. In Western Macedonia, identification methods contrary to international regulations have been implemented.

AMHRC and MHRMI condemn the Albanian government for its refusal to amend its minority policy practices and its refusal to heed a joint declaration signed by Albania’s minority representatives earlier this year.

We call on the EU, OSCE and other relevant institutions to recognise the invalidity of the census in Albania and the severe irregularities in Macedonia and to take steps that will ensure proper census implementation.

MHRMI and AMHRC reiterate demand that Macedonia end name negotiations

Toronto, Canada and Melbourne, Australia
(8 September, 2011)

On the occasion of the Republic of Macedonia's 20th anniversary of its independence, Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) and the Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee (AMHRC) reiterate our demand that Macedonia immediately cease negotiations over its name.

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