Press Release
Press Release
MHRMI and AMHRC Call for the Reinstatement of All Original Macedonian Names in Mala Prespa and Golo Brdo
Toronto, Canada and Melbourne, Australia (March 19, 2013) - Following the Albanian Parliament's long-overdue decision to reinstate the original Macedonian name of the village of Pustec, Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) and the Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee (AMHRC) call for the reinstatement of all Macedonian names in the regions of Mala Prespa and Golo Brdo in Albania. The Albanian government had previously renamed Pustec using the Albanian name "Liqenas" in an attempt to suppress the Macedonian identity of the region.Albania must also immediately end its state-sponsored persecution of its large Macedonian minority and ensure that Macedonians have instruction in the Macedonian language in all levels of education and throughout the country, not just in official "minority zones".
Ironically, European Union members Greece and Bulgaria continue their outright denial and blatant persecution of their Macedonian minorities. One hundred years after the fateful partition of Macedonia in 1913, Bulgaria and Greece are still attempting to eradicate the Macedonian identity without fear of repercussions from the European Union. Greece, in particular, forcibly changed the names of all Macedonian people and toponyms into Greek in the 1920s, and any attempt to reclaim personal names by Macedonians continue to be suppressed by the Greek government.
MHRMI and AMHRC demand that the EU force its member-states to live up to their human rights obligations under international law. Furthermore, as the use of dual-names in other EU countries has become commonplace, MHRMI and AMHRC call on the EU to promote the use of the original Macedonian names of villages and other toponyms in Bulgaria and Greece.
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Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) has been active on human and national rights issues for Macedonians and other oppressed peoples since 1986. For more information: www.mhrmi.org, twitter.com/mhrmi, facebook, info@mhrmi.org, 1-416-850-7125.
Established in 1984 the Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee (AMHRC) is a non governmental organisation that advocates before governments, international institutions and broader communities about combating discrimination and promoting basic human rights. Our aspiration is to ensure that Macedonian communities and other excluded groups throughout the world are recognised, respected and afforded equitable treatment. For more information please visit www.macedonianhr.org.au, email info@macedonianhr.org.au or via +61 3 93298960.