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Macedonian
Human Rights Movement International applauds Macedonian President Branko
Crvenkovski's statement in response to comments by Greek President Karolos
Papulias stating that there is no Macedonian minority in Greece. On May 17,
2006, Papulias said, "There is no Slavic minority in Greece, there is only a
Muslim minority which enjoys all its rights."
Crvenkovski responded,
"The existence of an ethnic minority in a democratic state does not depend on
the statements, views, announcements, or decrees of the president or the prime
minister of that state. The existence of an ethnic minority in a democratic
state primarily depends on the individual sentiment of every citizen of that
state. It is a fact that, in the Republic of Greece, there is a significant
number, that is, a large percentage of citizens who personally feel as members
of the Macedonian nation. This is a fact that everyone, including the Greek
authorities, must accept."
On May 20, 2006, the Bishop of Northern
Greece, Pavlos, stated "Only Greeks live in the geographical region of
Macedonia in Greece, we do not have any minorities here, neither do we admit the
presence of such and this is not because we must say so but because there arenąt
any.”
Despite these declarations, Greece's persecution of its ethnic
minorities has been well-documented, including numerous European Court of Human
Rights convictions for violating the rights of its large Macedonian and Turkish,
among other, minorities.
MHRMI calls on the international community, and
specifically the European Union to condemn Karolos Papulias's and Bishop
Pavlos's statements and demand that Greece finally recognize its large
Macedonian minority and grant it the human rights that it is guaranteed by all
international human rights conventions.
Bill Nicholov,
President
Macedonian Human Rights Movement International
Address: 157
Adelaide St. West, Suite 434, Toronto, Canada M5H 4E7
Tel:
416-850-7125 Fax: 416-850-7127
e-mail: info@mhrmi.org website: www.mhrmi.org
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