AUSTRALIA MACEDONIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
AMCC meets with John Howard at Federal Budget 2007

By Branko Ivanovski

A delegation of the Australia - Macedonia Chamber of Commerce (AMCC) led by National Chairman Peter Ristevski, and Vice - National Chairman Justin Naumovski along with a group of Australian Macedonian businessmen attended the Australian Federal Government’s annual Budget announcement for 2007/2008 at parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday, May 8, 2007. The AMCC were also joined by the leader of the MPD “Brat Ljube” organisation for NSW Zlate Angelkoski as well as the Ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia to Australia Viktor Gaber.
This is the second consecutive year in the history of the Australian budget that the Australian Federal Government and the ruling Liberal party have officially invited the Australia Macedonia Chamber of Commerce. The Macedonian presence at this year’s budget was the largest organised representation by any ethnic group within Australia, strongly showing the seriousness and influence of the AMCC lobby power within Australian political circles.
The delegation of the Australia - Macedonia Chamber of Commerce held constructive meetings with Australian Prime John Howard and Attorney General Phillip Ruddock. They also met with senior officials from both the Liberal and Labor parties. Topics discussed were the recognition by Australia of Macedonia's constitutional name, increasing trade and co-operation between Australia and the Republic of Macedonia, the idea of creating and increasing Foreign Direct Investments into Macedonia.
Importantly the issue of “Brat” Ljube Boskoski and the commencement of his trial in The Hague were raised in all meetings, as the judge presiding over the trial is an Australian. As a result the Macedonian Diaspora of Australia is in a very influential position to lobby for his release. The AMCC feels this is an issue that cannot be left untouched until Ljube Boskoski receives freedom.
The AMCC, in its short existence, has managed to gain respect from both Australian and global leaders, whilst also working effectively with the newly elected Macedonian government under the leadership of Premier Nikola Gruevski. The organisation has become a strong advocate for the political and socio-economic needs and advancements of Macedonians and the Republic of Macedonia.
Big things are planned for the future. Lets wish the AMCC the best of luck in its endeavours and help strengthen their cause.
For more information please contact:
AMCC National Chairman – Sydney: Peter Ristevski
peter@amkcc.org.au
AMCC Vice – National Chairman – Melbourne: Justin Naumovski
justinijan_mk@hotmail.com

Mike Rann
Premier of South Australia or Greece?

Macedonia belongs to Greece, like the Acropolis does, Mike Rann, the Premier of South Australia, said in Athens.
In the course of his visit to Greece, he met with the Minister of Macedonia & Thrace, Georgios Kalantzis, and the regional prefect Panayiotis Psomiadis.
According to Greek newspaper Eleftherotypia, Rann said that no nation should steel the history and insignia belonging to another nation.



8 May 2007
The Hon Mike Rann MP
Premier of South Australia
GPO Box 2343
ADELAIDE SA 5000

Dear Premier,
The United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD) notes with concern the inflammatory and anti-Macedonian comments made during your recent visit to Greece, stating that Macedonia belongs to Greece.
There are two issues at stake here. Firstly, the Greek Government has portrayed a biased and inflammatory misrepresentation of history; and secondly, the Greek Government continues to deny the most fundamental human rights to its ethnic Macedonian minority. Until the late 1980’s, the Greek Government saw Macedonia and ethnic Macedonians as a foreign country and foreign peoples. When it became clear that the Republic of Macedonia would proclaim independence in 1991, the Greek Government panicked and overreacted by claiming Macedonia was really Greek for two reasons: (a) because Greek forces illegally invaded and occupied southern Macedonia (known as Northern Greece or Greek Macedonia) in 1913; and (b) because a sizable ethnic Macedonian minority lives in Northern Greece, which the Greek Government refuses to recognise and suppresses their most fundamental human rights.
These human rights abuses have been thoroughly documented by many international agencies, including the European Court of Human Rights, the OSCE, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the United States State Department and the European Union. It is because of these reasons above that the Greek Government denies the right of the Republic of Macedonia to use its legitimate and historic name.
UMD is concerned that you are unaware of the significance of the comments you have made. Because of the continued human rights violations perpetrated by the Greek Government against its ethnic Macedonian minority, these comments are comparable to denying freedom and democracy and are an inhibitor to building stability in South- East Europe. The Republic of Macedonia is a sovereign and democratic state, it is a candidate country for the European Union and the NATO alliance and it is a staunch ally of Australia and the United States in the war on terror. Macedonia belongs to its citizens, not to Greece.
UMD calls on you to retract these regretful remarks and apologise to the Australian Macedonian community and the sizable Macedonian Community of South Australia.

Yours sincerely
Tom Vangelovski
Director
United Macedonian Diaspora (Australia)

Macedonian history lesson for Mr. Rann
- If Macedonia simultaneously belonged to Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia, as each claimed, why did they then agree to partition it? Why did they the 1913 Treaty of Bucharest agreeing to Macedonia's partition without any signs of protest?
Greek Acts against the Macedonians
(1912 – 1994)
By Peter Medichkov
The following chronicles the methods employed by Greece in its effort to eradicate the centuries old Macedonian ethnic presence in Aegean Macedonia (Greek Macedonia) in the name of Greek territorial expansion. Specific laws and decrees are presented against the backdrop of relevant historical events affecting Macedonians in Aegean Macedonia.
The chronology begins in 1912 when Greece, for the first time ever, came into possession of Macedonian territory and this by force of arms, almost a decade after the 1903 Ilinden (St. Iliya Day) Uprising lead by the IMRO (Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization) in a failed effort to free Macedonia from the Ottoman yoke.
The ominous prophecy of Harilaos Trikoupis, Greek Prime Minister from 1882 to 1895, foretold what the neighboring Greek state had in mind for Macedonia and its people:
“When the Great War comes, Macedonia will become Greek or Bulgarian, according to who wins. If it is taken by the Bulgarians, they will make the population Slavs. If we take it, we will make all of them Greeks”.
1912 Balkan Wars
Irredentist Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria and Montenegro drive a crumbling Ottoman Empire out of the Balkans and pursue territorial expansion into Macedonia. Greek army enters Aegean Macedonia ostensibly to “liberate” Macedonia from the Ottoman.
1913
The Greek, Serbian, Bulgarian alliance breaks down over competing claims for Macedonia. Bulgaria miscalculates and attacks Serbia and Greek armies. Ottoman forces rejoin the war against Bulgaria. Bulgaria defeated, loses territorial gains in Macedonia.
From “liberation to tyranny”, Greek army commences savage and bloody “ethnic cleansing” of the towns of Kukush, Doiran, Demir-Hisar and Serres in the Aegean Macedonia.
160 Macedonian villages burned, and atrocities committed. Mass exodus of refugees.
Treaty of Bucharest (Aug. 10, 1913), ends the War and partitions Macedonia.
Greece refers to conquered Macedonian lands as the “new territories” under “military administration”. Not yet officially incorporated into the Kingdom of Greece.
Military occupation augmented by influx of administrators, educators; police brought from Greece.
Professor R.A. Reiss reports to the Greek government: “Those whom you would call Bulgarian speakers I would simply call Macedonians...Macedonian is not the language they speak in Sofia... I repeat the mass of inhabitants there (Macedonia) remain simply Macedonians.”
1917
LAW 1051 Greece inaugurates new administrative jurisdictions for governing newly acquired lands in Aegean Macedonia.
1919 Treaty of Versailles (Paris)
England and France ratify the principles of the Bucharest Treaty and endorse the partition of Macedonia.
Greece pursues the forced expulsion and denationalization of Macedonians and begins colonization by transfering “Greeks” into Aegean Macedonia.
Article 51 of Treaty of Versailles espouses equality of civil rights, education, language, and religion for all national minorities which Greece violates and ignores.
Neuilly Convention and forced exchange of populations. About 70,000 Macedonians expelled from Aegean Macedonia to Bulgaria and 25,000 Greeks transfered from Bulgaria to Aegean Macedonia.
Greek Commission on Toponyms issues instructions for choosing Hellenized names for Macedonian places in Aegean Macedonia.
1920
Greek Ministry of Internal Affairs publishes booklet: “Advice on the change of the names of municipalities and villages” in Aegean Macedonia.
1925
76 names of Macedonian villages and towns in Aegean Macedonia Greekized since 1918 by Greek authorities.
League of Nations pressures on Greece to extend rights to Macedonian minority.
ABECEDAR Primer printed in Athens for use by Macedonian school children in Aegean Macedonia. Written in Latin alphabet and reflects the Macedonian language spoken in Bitola-Lerin (Florina) district in Western Aegean Macedonia.
Serbs and Bulgarians protest to League of Nations. Primer undermines their claim that Macedonians are Serbs and Bulgarians respectively.
Greece counters with last minute cable to League: “the population.....knows neither the Serbian nor the Bulgarian language and speaks nothing but a Slav-Macedonian idiom.”
Greece “retreats” so as to preserve Balkan alliances. Primer is destroyed after League of Nations delegates leave Salonika (Solun).
Thereafter, Greece denies existence of Macedonians. Refers to Macedonians as “Slavophone Greeks”, “Old Bulgarians” and many other appellations but not as Macedonians.
1926
Legislative Orders in Government Gazette #331 orders Macedonian names of towns, villages, mountains changed to Greek names.
1927
Cyrillic inscriptions (Macedonian alphabet) in churches, tombstones and icons rewritten or destroyed. Church services in the Macedonian are outlawed.
Macedonians ordered to abandon personal names and under Duress adopt Greek names assigned to them by the Greek state.
1928
1,497 Macedonian place names in Aegean Macedonia Greekized since 1926.
English Journalist V. Hild reveals, “The Greeks do not only persecute living Macedonians., but they even persecute dead ones. They do not leave them in peace even in the graves. They erase the Macedonian inscriptions on the headstones, remove the bones and burn them.”
1929
Greek Government enacts law where any demands for national rights for Macedonians are regarded as high treason.
LAW 4096 directive on renaming Macedonian place names.
1936
Reign of terror by fascist dictator General Metaxas, (1936-40). Macedonians suffer state terrorism and pogroms.
Thousands of Macedonians jailed, sent to internal exile (EXORIA) on arid, inhospitable Greek islands, where many perish. Their crime? Being ethnic Macedonian by birth.
LAW 6429 reinforces Law 4096 on Greekization of toponyms (place names).
DECREE 87 accelerates denationalization of Macedonians.
Greek Ministry of Education sends “Specially trained” instructors to accelerate conversion to Greek language.
1938
LAW 23666 bans the use of the Macedonian language and strives to erase every trace of the Macedonian identity.
Macedonians fined, beaten or jailed for speaking Macedonian. Adults and school children further humiliated by being forced to drink castor oil when caught speaking Macedonian.
LAW 1418 reinforces previous laws on renaming.
1940
39 more place-names Greekized since 1929.
1945
LAW 697 more regulations on renaming toponyms in Aegean Macedonia.
1947
LAW L-2 citizens suspected of opposing Greek government in Civil War stripped of their citizenship, including relatives, arbitrarily and without due process.
1948
LAW M properties confiscated from citizens who fought against government and those accused of assisting.
28,000 child refugees, mostly Macedonians, from areas of heavy fighting evacuated to Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania. Greece denies their right of return to this day.
RESOLUTION 193C (III) United Nations Resolution calls for repatriation to Greece of child refugees.
U.N. UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS ARTICLE 19: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive an impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
DECREE 504 continues property confiscations of exiles and colonization of Aegean Macedonia with people from Turkey, Egypt and other parts of Greece. Parcels of land given to the colonists along with financial incentives.
1959
LAW 3958 allows confiscation of property of those who left Greece and did not return within five years.
Several villages in Aegean Macedonia forced to swear “Language Oaths” to speak only Greek and renounce their mother Macedonian tongue.
1962
DECREE 4234 reinforces past laws regarding confiscated properties of political exiles and denies them right to return.
1968
EUROPEAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS accuses Greece of human rights abuses.
1969
Council of Europe declares Greece “undemocratic, illiberal, authoritarian, and oppressive”. Greece forced to resign from Council of Europe under threat of expulsion.
Military Junta continues the policy of colonizing the confiscated lands in Aegean Macedonia. Land handled over to persons with a “proven patriotism” for Greece.
European Convention For the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms signed by Greece states: ARTICLE 10(1) “Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers”.
1976
DECREE 233 suspends about 150 past decrees, government decisions and laws since 1913. Regulations for the confiscation of properties belonging to Macedonian political exiles not affected.
1979
135 places renamed in Aegean Macedonia since 1940. The Greek vigil regarding names is an indicator of the Macedonian ethnic identity in Aegean Macedonia.
1982
Greek internal security police urges intensive campaign to wipe out remaining Macedonian language and consciousness in Aegean Macedonia.
LAW 106841 political exiles who fled during the Civil War and were stripped of their citizenship are allowed to return providing they are “Greek by ethnic origin”. The same rights are denied to Macedonian political exiles born in the Aegean Macedonia.
U.N. UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS ARTICLE 17, “No one can be deprived of his own property against his will”.
1985
DECREE 1540, Political exiles who fled during Civil War allowed to reclaim confiscated lands provided they are “Greeks by ethnic origin”. Same rights denied to Macedonian exiles born in Aegean Macedonia.
U.N. UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS ARTICLE 13, “Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, as well as to return to his own country”.
1986
International writers’ organization, PEN, condemns Greece’s denial of the existence of Macedonians and their language.
Greece escalates climate of fear in Aegean Macedonia.
Greece officially calls the Republic of Macedonia as the “Republic of Skopje”, after the name of its capital city; and Macedonians are called “Skopjans”.
The term “Skopjans” used to label Greek citizens who declare themselves as ethnic Macedonians. “Skopjans” laced with hatred, and racism. It connotes a traitor to Hellenism.
1990
CSCE COPENHAGEN CONFERENCE ON THE HUMAN DIMENSION, to which Greece is a signatory, states in ARTICLE 32: “Persons belonging to national minorities have the right freely to express, preserve, and develop their ethnic, cultural, linguistic, or religious identity and to maintain and develop their culture in all its aspects, free of any attempts as assimilation against their will”. ARTICLE 33: “Participating states will protest the ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identity of national minorities... and create conditions for the promotion of that identity”.
GREEK HIGH COURT DECISION 19 refuses registration of “CENTER FOR MACEDONIAN CULTURE” in Florina (Lerin). Appeal is turned down by High Appeals Court in Salonika. Further appeal dismissed by Supreme Administrative Council of Greece in Athens.
1991
CSCE MEETING ON NATIONAL MINORITIES IN GENEVA, in which Greece participated states: “Issues concerning national minorities...are matters of legitimate international concern and consequently do not constitute exclusively an internal affair of the respective State... Participating States reaffirm, and will not hinder the exercise of, the right of persons belonging to national minorities to establish and maintain their own educational, cultural and religious institutions, organizations and associations”.
Belligerent anti-Macedonian propaganda incites Greek population into a state of chauvinistic hysteria.
Translation from Greek: “Hang the Skopje Gypsies”
1993
Macedonian human rights activists Hristos Sidiropoulos and Tasos Boulis were prosecuted under Greek Panel Code: Article 36, Para 191; disseminating false information; Para 192; inciting citizens to disturb the peace. Their crime? Declaring themselves as Macedonians in an interview for Greek magazine ENA.
Macedonian human rights activist and priest Nikodimos Tsarknias derobed and expelled by Greek Orthodox Church because of his human rights activities. Tsarknias refused a Greek bribe which would have elevated him to bishop in 1989. He received death threats.
1994
Greece continues to deny the existence of Macedonians in Aegean Macedonia despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Greece continues repressive and unrelenting policies against Macedonians in Aegean Macedonia despite objections by international human rights organizations.

Greek journalist wishes Macedonia Good Luck
- Ms Bakodimou wished Macedonia “Good Luck” without FYR
On Eurovision song contest, Ms Bakodimou made comment during the presentation of the FYR Macedonian entry wishing Good Luck to Macedonia.
It might be seem a bit silly for most Europeans but calling plainly “Macedonia” the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is a major issue in Greece especially since the Greek government is in intense and open discussions with the Republic concerning this issue the past few months. Ms Bakodimou of course was crucified by the entire Greek media. Nevertheless Ms Bakodimou ignored the Greek media and decided to make statements exclusively to the broadcaster she belongs (Alpha Television) and not even to ERT for which she works the past few weeks. The media are vowing for the past 12 hours against ERT and Ms Bakodimou for the way the handled the on-air apology which turned out to be an apology to FYR Macedonia and not to the Greek viewers. More over an employee of ERT appeared next to Ms Bakodimou saying “Let’s get over with Eurovision to get some rest”.
Oikotimes

Macedonian Professionals Networking Evening
Dear Macedonians,
An informal networking evening has been organised for Australian- Macedonian Professionals (young and old) in Melbourne.
All Macedonians are welcome and invited to attend to meet and network with fellow Macedonians from various professions over a drink; converse, exchange numbers, business cards and have a make new Macedonian friends!
It's time for us Macedonians to know who else is out there, it's time for us to support one another, so come along and bring your Macedonian friends.
WHEN: Wednesday 23rd May, 2007
TIME: 7:30pm
WHERE: Mink Bar, 29 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda
p.s. Don't forget to bring your business cards!

Macedonian national minority envoy in US and Canada to seek support
Representatives of Macedonian national minority organizations from Greece, Bulgaria and Albania are concluding their first joint visit to the US and Canada, aiming to inform government officials, diplomats and members of the Congress about the violations of human rights against Macedonians in all three countries.
Greece and Bulgaria, who continue to refuse to recognize the existence of their Macedonian national minority, were heavily criticized during the meetings.
“We still cannot believe how two member states of the European Union are allowed to behave like this towards a significant part of their citizens”, said Stojko Stojkov, co-president of the Macedonian political party in Bulgaria OMO Ilinden Pirin. “US officials showed great interest in our situation and promised support and inquiries towards the governments of our countries”, Mr Stojkov added.
The political party established to represent Macedonians in Bulgaria, OMO Ilinden Pirin, remains unregistered by the Bulgarian authorities and has appealed to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg on the issue.
Meanwhile, FA-Rainbow, the political party of the Macedonians in Greece, was also in the spotlight last week with a motion for a resolution at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). Members of the Assembly, covering almost all of the political spectrum, expressed their deep concern about the “high number of sustained human rights violations against the Macedonian ethnic and linguistic minority of northern Greece” and urged the Legal Committee to make a relevant report, highlighting the legally binding obligations Greece has undertaken on the matter towards all major international organizations.
These recent developments have provoked a reaction from the Greek state. Socialist Greek MP and member of PACE, Theodoros Pangalos, claimed that any attempt to legitimize any kind of dialogue with the Macedonian community in Greece could be considered as “national treason”, while the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs informally expressed its “discontent” to the US authorities for not informing the Greek embassy in Washington DC about the official meetings that the Macedonian delegation had there.

A CALL TO ALL MACEDONIANS

Dear Macedonians,
TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE!
It’s time to unite now! Not tomorrow, not next week or next year- NOW!!!
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia Mr. Gruevski, has initiated vigorous new policies, new programs, that will awaken the conscience of our Macedonians.
Prime Minister Gruevski needs our support NOW! So he can effectively implement these programs.
Our Macedonian Orthodox Church (M.O.C.) needs our support now, also. However The Synod of M.O.C., must cleanse itself of the divisive anti Macedonian elements that caused and are still causing severe problems to our Identity and unity in the Diaspora. Priests, Bishops, and even the Poglavar must be replaced if guilty. No anti Macedonian should be tolerated in responsible positions.
MACEDONIANS Lets us go back to the year 1897, the than Prime Minister of Britain Mr. Gladstone said “MACEDONIA for the MACEDONIANS”.
MACEDONIANS RAISE YOUR VOICES let the world hear that we existed even before the year of 2365- Our glorious heritage is equal to none.
We shall exist no matter what our enemies conjure up. They will not succeed to erase our identity.
We seek FREEDOM, JUSTICE, HUMAN RIGHTS, and EQUALITY for all the people in this world.
Your response will be greatly appreciated.
President:
M. VELOVSKI
Secretary:
A. STREZOVSKI