First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade
Unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then
they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
- Martin
Niemöller
I
am writing on behalf of all Macedonian people who live in the Republic of
Macedonia, the neighboring countries and all the countries in the world where
Macedonians reside. Today, in the 21st century, we live in a highly
developed world with democracy and liberal economy but it’s a shame to witness
that some people and nations like the Macedonians have no basic human rights.
There
is the United Nations Declaration of
Human Rights (1948), the European
Convention of Human Rights (1954), and the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (1966) which
determine all basic human rights of all the people in the world no matter where
they are born or where they live now. Unfortunately, all of these declarations
are violated when it comes to one
ethnic group of people and their self-determination rights to identify
themselves as Macedonians in the
Republic of Macedonia and in every other country where Macedonians live like
Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the United
States, Canada, Australia and more.
The
right of self-determination is a basic human right. The great minds that changed
the history of the world like Aristotle, Cicero, Seneca, John Lock, Thomas
Hobbs, Jean Jacques-Rousseau, Immanuel Kant, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine and
Christian theologians all taught this basic right in their lectures.
“Being all equal and
independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or
possessions. Men being, as has been said, by nature, all free, equal and
independent, no one can be put out of this estate, and subjected to the
political power of another, without his own consent.” ―John Locke, Second
Treatise of Government
“There is only one
innate right. Freedom, insofar as it can coexist with the freedom of every
other in accordance with a universal law” (6:237) “Any action is right if it
can coexist with everyone’s freedom in accordance with a universal law, or if
on its maxim the freedom of choice of each can coexist with everyone’s freedom
in accordance with a universal law” (6:230) – Immanuel Kant, Critique of
Practical Reason
The
philosophical ideas defended by the likes of Locke and Kant have come to be
associated with the general Enlightenment project initiated during the 17th
and the 18th centuries. Ideals such as natural rights, moral
autonomy, human dignity and equality provided a normative bedrock for attempts
at re-constituting political systems, for overthrowing formerly despotic
regimes and seeking to replace them with forms of political authority capable
of protecting and promoting these new emancipatory ideals. These ideals
effected significant, even revolutionary, political upheavals throughout the
18th century enshrined in such documents as the United States' Declaration of
Independence and the French National Assembly’s Declaration of the Rights of
Man and Citizen.
We
hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they
are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these
are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights,
governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the
consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes
destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish
it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles
and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to
effect their safety and happiness. - Preamble to the Declaration of Independence
of United States of America
"In
free governments, the rulers are the servants and the people their superiors
and sovereigns". - Benjamin Franklin
“Every man
having been born free and master of himself, no one else may under any pretext
whatever subject him without his consent.” – Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract
We
the Macedonian people are the sovereign people of the country of the Republic
of Macedonia and the power is the people. We, the people, elect our Government
to protect our basic human rights.
But,
today, we have an unconstitutional and an unlawful Junta Government of Zoran
Zaev that come in force on 27 April 2017 in the Parliament. These traitors of
the illegal Junta Government made illegal unconstitutional treaties with our
neighbors Bulgaria, Albania and Greece that are against the basic human rights
of Macedonians in our country the Republic of Macedonia and in our neighboring
countries and everywhere in the world where Macedonians live. These illegal
contracts are: Treaty of strategic
partnership and friendship with Bulgaria, Tirana Platform – Law of Languages and the worst genocidal Nazi-Fascist
treaty ever created in human history – the Prespa
Agreement or Treaty with Greece. With these so-called agreements and
treaties Macedonians are erased from the map and no longer officially exist.
This is a genocide and ethnocide of one people and nation – the Macedonians and
their history and culture. All of these treaties are unconstitutional and
illegal and they are against the basic human rights of ethnic Macedonians in
the Republic of Macedonia, Greece, Bulgaria, Albania and all countries in the
world where Macedonians live.
In
the Treaty of strategic partnership and friendship with Bulgaria they don’t
recognize the Macedonian ethnic group and their Macedonian language and
history. With this agreement Bulgaria is stealing Macedonian history from
Samoil to 1945 when Macedonia gained independence as a state in the Yugoslavian
federation after the WWII. With this agreement they formed a Common
multidisciplinary expert committee on historical and educational issues where
they bargain and bribe each other about historic revolutionaries' figures like
Goce Delcev or Todor Aleksandrov. Bulgaria uses these commissions to acquire
all Macedonian history or else Bulgaria will block our way to the European
Union. Also, Bulgaria is given the right to select the material for our history
books and they insert false Bulgarian history making it their own. These two
nations and ethnic groups are different but Bulgaria denies our human right of
self-identification as Macedonians. With this agreement the Republic of Macedonia
has no rights to ask questions or to help bring to justice the abused human
rights of the Macedonian minority in Pirin Macedonia, Bulgaria.
The
Law of Languages – the Tirana Platform is abolished by the Venetian Commission
and it’s also unconstitutional and illegal in the Republic of Macedonia. With
this law Albanian language become second official language in the Republic of
Macedonia with just 16% of the Albanian minority living in Macedonia. Where can
you find that nonsense in the world This law makes people confused and it
blocks everyday work in our society. The 70% of all Macedonians live in
Macedonia. From them, only 1% speak Albanian. It is hard to conduct everyday
business in regard to this Law. Fines are being set for Macedonians working in
the state sector if they do not speak Albanian. There are also fines for state
institutions to provide an Albanian interpreter even in municipalities that
have no Albanian minority.
The
Prespa Agreement with Greece is the most fascist agreement after the Third
Reich in Nazi Germany from WWII. First this agreement represents an open
genocide and ethnocide of ethnic Macedonians in the Republic of Macedonia,
Greece and everywhere in the world where Macedonians live and work. We wish to
first and foremost alert you of the fact that the June 17 Agreement aims to
change the name, language, and identity of the Macedonians. This type of
undertaking, you will agree, is unprecedented in the history of mankind. It not
only violates the fundamental right to self-determination and basic cultural
rights of Macedonians across the world, but it is a crime against humanity – a
genocide in the making. In the Prespa Agreement there is no name of the country
R. Macedonia that’s make it not valid paper and agreement. Second, it’s not
done and signed by the President of R. Macedonia Gjorge Ivanov but by the
Foreign Affairs Minister which make it unconstitutional. Third, Article 53 of
the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT) declares that agreements
that run counter to the mandatory norms of international law (jus cogens) are
null and void! The Agreement is deliberately done to ignores the verdict of the
International Court of Justice in the Hague from 2011. The Agreement has gone
beyond usual legal standards, and instead penetrated the cultural sphere as
well as the realm of collective and individual human rights of ethnic
Macedonians for self-determination are being denied. The right for nationality,
identity and citizenship Macedonian lost also. With this agreement Greece is
stealing Macedonian Ancient History and Culture of Macedonian people. Also R.
Macedonia has no rights to ask and give help to Macedonian minority that lives
in Greece. Prespa agreement is violation of human rights of Macedonians to use
their identity symbol the sun star of Vergina. R. Macedonia has to erase all
history from education history books and to destroy all cultural statues and
monuments that with this agreement belong to Hellenic republic of Greece.
Macedonian
people held a referendum and they
rejected the Prespa Agreement with Greece on 30 September 2018. But the illegal unconstitutional Government and
their representatives in the Parliament voted to move further in their
tyrannical Government and on force with bribe and corruption agreed to change
our name to North Macedonia. With this our Macedonian identity, name, culture,
history is destroyed and we, the Macedonians, are been erased from the map of
people and nations. This is the genocide and ethnocide of the Macedonian
people.
Therefore,
I am writing to you, to get your help to get our basic human rights back to the
Macedonian people that live in the Republic of Macedonia and in all other
countries in the world.
Why
does everybody speak about the Jewish genocide or the Armenian and the Native
American genocide, but no one dares to speak about the Macedonian genocide done
by Greece? You know we are people too and we are Macedonians. It’s time to
learn and speak openly about Macedonian genocide from 1913 to this day done by
Greece. From the year 1913 when Greece occupied Aegean Macedonia they
systematically tried to assimilate, execute, erase, and expel ethnic Macedonian
people. 15 000 Macedonians were victims of ethnic cleansing by the Greek Army
in Aegean Macedonia. Macedonians after the Greek occupation were forbidden to
speak Macedonian, practice their couture or even bare Macedonian names.
Hundreds of thousands of Macedonians were forced into exile and thousands more
were murdered in numerous attacks lead by Greek Government and Greek Orthodox
Church. After the WWI between 52 000 and 72 000 ethnic Macedonians were
expelled to Bulgaria and 25 000 come to Greece from Bulgaria. They were joined
with hundreds of thousands of refugees from Turkey after the treaty between
Greece and Turkey in 1923. Around 130 000 – 180 000 Macedonians were expelled
and went to Bulgaria and Turkey. Violent massacres occurred in which Greek
civilians were told by their Government and church to attack Macedonian
settlements, killing without remorse. One such massacre was the Zagoricani
village massacre, near Kostur. Further incidents and acts of persecution
occurred under the Greek fascist regime of Ioannis Metaxas. Following the Civil
War in Greece (1946-1949) 40 000 children of ethnic Macedonian descent were expelled
in exile all over the world in Yugoslavia, Poland, Romania, Australia, the USA
and all other countries in the world. These Macedonians were stripped of the
right of citizenship and land. It was stolen to them and to this day they can’t
return on their land in Aegean Macedonia that was occupied by Greece and was
never a part of Greece before 1913. In the civil war in Greece 200 000
Macedonians were expelled. 20 000 Macedonians died in the civil war on the
mountains Vico and Gramos. Greece and Bulgaria denied that any significant
minorities live in their countries. More then 300 000 Macedonians still live in
Greece today and are denied their human rights such as freedom of expression
and religion. Ethnic Macedonian refugees who fled to north Greece after the
Greek Civil War of 1946-49, as well as their decedents who identify themselves
as Macedonians are denied permission to regain citizenship, land, property and
to visit Greece.
To
this day Greece is doing a genocide
to Macedonian people. With the Prespa Agreement 2019 they officially erased the
Macedonians as people and a nation. Greeks stole Macedonian history, culture,
music, literature, name, and the identity of the Macedonian people.
Human
Rights Watch/Helsonki based on the evidence and research has concluded that:
1.
An ethnic Macedonian minority with its own language and culture exist in
northern Greece; 2. The Greek government has denied the ethnic identity of the
ethnic Macedonian minority in violation International human rights laws and
agreements. This is evidenced by open statements by Greek officials; by the
government's denial of the existence of Macedonian language; by the government
refusal to permit a “Center of Macedonian culture” and by the government’s
refusal in the recent past to permit the performance of Macedonians songs and
dances;
3.
Freedom of expression is restricted for ethnic Macedonians in violation of
International human rights laws. Some rights activist has been persecuted and
convicted for the peaceful expression of their views; some convictions are
still in effect;
4.
It is not permitted to teach Macedonian language;
5.
Ethnic Macedonians were discriminated against in employment in public sector;
6.
Ethnic Macedonians and Macedonian rights’ activists are harassed by the Greek
government, followed and threatened by security forces and subject to economic
and social pressure that led to fear in which many Macedonians are reluctant to
assert their Macedonian identity or to express their views openly.
Not
just Macedonians in Greece but ethnic Macedonian in Bulgaria also don’t have
their rights.
1.
Macedonian minority rights should be guaranteed to us in accordance with the
international agreements of minorities;
2.
The introduction of the Macedonian language, history and culture in all
educational institutions in Pirin Macedonia;
3.
The right of radio and TV broadcasting in Macedonian language
4.
There should be an end of assimilation processes and the destruction of the
Macedonian culture.
5.
The right to publish in Macedonian language
6.
The Macedonian church should be independent
7.
The right of the Macedonian political party Ilinden to represent the interests
of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria.
In
1956 187,789 people of Bulgaria declared themselves to be ethnic Macedonians.
The
same rights that apply for Bulgaria should apply for Macedonians in Albania in
Golo Brdo and Small Prespa. Around 350 000 ethnic Macedonians live there. The
position of ethnic Macedonians in Albania is far from that of ethnic Albanians in
Macedonia. The rights of ethnic Macedonians in Albania remain below the most
elementary level.
This
is the list of all the lost, stolen
human rights that as Macedonians
we don’t have any more in our country the Republic of Macedonia and in all the
countries in the world, especially in Greece and Bulgaria where Macedonian
minority lives.
These
are the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations (UN).
Article 1. All human beings are born free and
equal in dignity and rights.
Not
Macedonians! With the Prespa Agreement we don’t exist. We are just citizens of
North Macedonia which is a different identity.
Article 2. Macedonians are facing discrimination
based on ethnicity, race, language, political and national origin in the
Republic of Macedonia, Greece and in Bulgaria.
The
right of self-identification – lost by Prespa Agreement with Greece;
Article 3. Everyone has the right to life,
liberty and security of person.
Macedonians
in Greece don’t have the right of life, liberty and security.
Article 5. No one shall be subjected to torture
or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
This
doesn’t apply for Macedonians in Greece and Bulgaria. In the last century
Macedoninas were subject of cruel tortures in prisons with degrading treatment
and punishment just because they are Macedonians. The same occured in Macedonia
as part of Yugoslavia and Serbian Communist Tito who tortured Macedonians.
Also, in today’s Macedonia we have people tortured in our prisons for
27/04/2017 events when Macedonian patriots defend the Macedonian Constitution
and Law in Parliament.
Article 6. Everyone has the right to recognition
everywhere as a person before the Law.
Macedonians
are not recognized as a nation and their ethnic group by Greece, Bulgaria and
in the Republic of Macedonia.
Article 7. All are equal before the law and are
entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law.
In
the Republic of Macedonia there is no law now, there is no law state.
Article 8. Everyone has the right to an
effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the
fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.
Article 9. No one shall be subjected to
arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
There
are Macedonians being arrested in the Republic of. Macedonia and are in prison
for no other reason than being falsely accused as terrorists. They were just
Macedonian patriots who tried to defend the Macedonian constitution. Other
Macedonians are arrested at the borders and some like the former PrimeMinister
Nikola Gruevski, are in exile.
Article 10. Everyone is entitled in full
equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal,
in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge
against him.
Macedonians
have no fair public trials. Courts are corrupted and make political decision as
delegated by the illegal Junta Government of Zaev. The Junta Government orders
court decisions.
Article
11.1. Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed
innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has
had all the guarantees necessary for his defense.
This
article doesn’t apply for Macedonians in the Republic of Macedonia because paid
propaganda journalists, media and newspapers ruined the lives of the arrested
Macedonians and faked stories accusing them of being guilty.
Article 12. No one shall be subjected to
arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to
attacks upon his honor and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law
against such interference or attacks.
This
article doesn’t apply for Macedonian TV, media and newspapers journalists who
attack family members of the arrested Macedonians and fabricate fake news
stories.
Article 13. Everyone
has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his
country.
This
article doesn’t apply for Macedonians. Some of them like L. Palevski were
arrested at the airport and nobody gave any information to the public not to
the police.
Article 15. Everyone has the right to a
nationality.
Macedonians
have no right of nationality. Their nationality is being erased by the Prespa
Agreements with Greece. There are no more official Macedonians but just
citizens of North Macedonia.
Article 17. 1. Everyone has the right to own
property alone as well as in association with others. 2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his
property.
Macedonians
from Greece that were expelled in the Greece Civil War have lost their
property. Their property was given to other people that took their land.
Macedonians from Aegean Macedonia can’t come back in Greece and return their
land and properties.
Article
18 & 19 Everyone has the right to freedom of thought. Everyone has the
right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold
opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and
ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
Not
Macedonians. We cannot talk about the Greek genocide and occupation, as well as
about the Bulgarian occupation of Pirin Macedonia in 1913. We can’t talk about
the Greece civil war and the genocide of Macedonian people even in the Republic
of Macedonia.
Article 20. 1. Everyone has the right to freedom
of peaceful assembly and association.
2.
No one may be compelled to belong to an association.
Not
Macedonians in Greece. They haven’t had a peaceful assembly or association for years.
Also, the Macedonians in Bulgaria can’t register a legal political party even
though European Courts say they can. Macedonians have no rights of peaceful
assembly and association.
Macedonians
also don’t have the rights of their culture, literature, music, art because
their rights are censured and forbidden in Greece, Bulgarian and today in the
Republic of Macedonia as well.
Therefore,
I’m writing to you to inform you and to ask for your help to stop the Greek
genocide of Macedonians and to preserve our basic human rights from The
Universal Declaration of Human Rights by United Nations UN.
The
illegal Junta Government in the Republic of Macedonia needs to fall fast and
the genocide treaties with Greece and Bulgaria, the Prespa Treaty and the
Treaty of strategic partnership and friendship, because these treaties are
against the basic Macedonian human rights.
Sincerely,
Ile
Milevski M. A. in European Studies,
Sociologist
& Writer
References
- United Nations Declaration of Human Rights;
- The European Convention of Human Rights;
- The International Covenant of Civil and
Political Rights;
- First they came... - Martin Niemöller;
- John Locke, Second Treatise of
Government;
- Immanuel Kant, Critique
of Practical Reason;
- The Declaration of Independence of
United States of America;
-
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contact;
- Treaty of the strategic partnership and
friendship;
-
Tirana Platform – Law of Languages;
- Prespa Agreement or Treaty;
- Human Rights Watch/Helsonki;
- Siljanovska-Davkova, Gordana (2018), “For Prespa Agreement and more”;
-
Popovski, Petar, Stolen History: Documentary Facts About Greek Appropriation of
Ancient Macedonian History, Culture & Civilization', (Volume 1 & 2)
SOURCE LINK: https://www.academia.edu/43495231/Why_Nobody_Talks_About_The_Macedonian_Genocide_
