ARCFYM Demands End to FYR Macedonian's DiscriminationToronto, Canada, June 22, 2008 -
ARCFYM calls on the international community to demand that FYR Macedonia finally end its discrimination of its large Greek minority, and specifically, Greek political refugees and allow their 4th World Reunion on July 20, 2008 to proceed unimpeded. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the evacuation by the International Red Cross of 28,000 Greek children , aged 2-14, during the II World War. They were subsequently stripped of their Greek citizenship and have been consistently denied entry into FYR Macedonia simply because they assert their Greek ethnic identity.
ARCFYM calls on the international community to demand that FYR Macedonia finally end its discrimination of its large Greek minority, and specifically, Greek political refugees and allow their 4th World Reunion on July 20, 2008 to proceed unimpeded. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the evacuation by the International Red Cross of 28,000 Greek children , aged 2-14, during the II World War. They were subsequently stripped of their Greek citizenship and have been consistently denied entry into FYR Macedonia simply because they assert their Greek ethnic identity.
They were excluded from the 1982 law that allowed the free return of political refugees who were “Greek by genus”.
"This will be the last chance for many of these clidren, who are now in their 60's and 70's, to visit their birthplaces. FYR Macedonians officials had promised to allow us entry for our last reunion in 2003 only to ultimately turn us back. This cannot happen again," said Giorgos Papadopoulos, President of ARCFYM (Association of Refugee children from Former Yugoslavic Macedonia).
"FYROM openly blacklists Canadian, American and Australian citizens of Greek descent. The governments of these countries, among others, must protect the rights of their citizens and demand from FYROM that this practice be ceased immediately or face repercussions," said ARCFYM President Ioannis Ellinas.
ARCFYM calls on international government officials, media, human rights organizations and other interested parties to attend the border crossing between the FYR Macedonia and Greece at Niki / Medjitlia on July 20, 2008 to monitor FYROM's compliance with its obligations under international human rights law.
"This will be the last chance for many of these clidren, who are now in their 60's and 70's, to visit their birthplaces. FYR Macedonians officials had promised to allow us entry for our last reunion in 2003 only to ultimately turn us back. This cannot happen again," said Giorgos Papadopoulos, President of ARCFYM (Association of Refugee children from Former Yugoslavic Macedonia).
"FYROM openly blacklists Canadian, American and Australian citizens of Greek descent. The governments of these countries, among others, must protect the rights of their citizens and demand from FYROM that this practice be ceased immediately or face repercussions," said ARCFYM President Ioannis Ellinas.
ARCFYM calls on international government officials, media, human rights organizations and other interested parties to attend the border crossing between the FYR Macedonia and Greece at Niki / Medjitlia on July 20, 2008 to monitor FYROM's compliance with its obligations under international human rights law.
As estimated more than 100.000 ethnic Greeks from Vardarskan Macedonia, will pass borders to their birthplaces (i.e. Monastirion/Bitola, Stromnitsa, Meleniko, Krousovo e.t.c.) at 20-7-2008. More of them will have maps of the United Macedonia, means Macedonia as it was, before Slavic occupation.
Will FYROM deny the entranche to these poor Greeks, back to their homeland in Monastirion / Bitola?
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