Media Release

Time for Rudd Government to Support the Republic of Macedonia

The Organising Committee of the Peaceful Protest ‘Macedonia, Macedonians, Forever’ is calling upon Australia’s Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Foreign Minister Stephen Smith to show fresh thinking and new leadership in foreign policy towards the Republic of Macedonia.

According to the organisers “The Republic of Macedonia is under intense international pressure to give up its biblical and constitutional name in order to integrate into NATO and the EU and avoid further blackmail from ultra-nationalists in Greece who have not yet explained how can a country with an army of 8,000 be a threat to Greece which has an army of 240,000”.

Thousands of Australian Macedonians from all across Victoria will hold a peaceful protest at the steps of the Victorian Parliament on Saturday 24 May 2008 starting from 11.am. The aim of the protest is threefold. First, to encourage the Rudd Government to reverse Australia’s outdated and unfair foreign policy towards the Republic of Macedonia which has now been recognised under its constitutional name by over 124 nations in the UN including USA, China, Russia, the UK, Canada and others. The Australian Macedonian community expects the Australian Government to stop using the term ‘former Yugoslav’ as this is deemed offensive.

The second aim is to send a strong message to the Macedonian people in Macedonia and around the world to never give up on their biblical and constitutional name Macedonia and their unique Macedonian culture, language and identity. The third aim is to call upon the UN, the EU and other relevant stakeholders around the world to work for the protection of the endangered Macedonian nation which has experienced cultural genocide and ethnic cleansing since the country was divided against the wishes of the people, following the break up of the Ottoman empire in 1913 by neighbouring Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Albania.

“The Australian Macedonian diaspora is deeply concerned about the fact that the EU, NATO and the UN find it easier to apply huge pressure on Macedonia instead of scrutinising Greece’s dismal human rights record and its absurd claims and the artificial problems which it created for everyone. We are encouraged by Kevin Rudd’s brave stance on human rights in China and Burma and trust that he will apply pressure on Greece to move away from its self-imposed problem over Macedonia” The Official Spokesperson for the event will be available to give interviews to the Australian media before, during and after the peaceful protest.