From: sachz@montebello.ecom.unimelb.EDU.AU (SAS)
Subject: Oppressed Macedonians in Northern Greece
Followup-To:  soc.culture.yugoslavia,soc.culture.greek
Organization: Dept. Engineering Computer Resources, Melbourne Uni.
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 12:04:57 GMT


Article Published in The Australian, Thursday April 2, 1992, p10.
(GPO Box 4162 Sydney NSW 2001. fax: 288 3077)

Hellenic history's true home

   In recent weeks, I have read numerous stories regarding the "Macedonia"
issue. I would like to lend some facts to this somewhat confusing situation.
   This dispute is simply about the name Macedonia, which is historically
and linguistically Greek.
   Anyone who has studied history knows Macedonia was one of the States of
ancient Greece, as was Athens, Sparta, Corith, Thessally, Thrace etc.
   The Macedonians first settled at the foot of Mount Olympus in about 600 
BC. They spoke Greek, followed Greek customs and worshipped the Greek gods
of olympus.
   King Philip II united the Greek States in about 350 BC. His son, 
Alexander the Great, was born in pella tutored by Aristotle, and spread
hellism throughout the then known world reaching Africa and as far away
as India.
   Today 98 per cent of the three million Greeks living in the State of 
Macedonia in northern Greece are Hellenic like their ancestors.
   So far it's all greek to me!
   The southern republic of Yugoslavia was wrongfully given this name
by Marshal Tito in 1944. The population of about 2,400,000 is a great
ethnic mixture of Albanians, Bulgarians, Serbs, Vlachs, Muslims 
and gypsies.
   The few hundred thousand who call themselves "Macedonia" are of
Slavic/Bulgarian background. Their language is undeniably Slavic and
they have no known texts before 1790.
   No one is denying the right of these people to independene, but let's
be factual and stop this manipulation of Hellenic history and culture.

T.EMMANUEL,
Caringbah, NSW


   In Reply to this article, was submitted the following letter,
which did not get published in 'The Australian' so it is printed here:


7/4/92

Attention: Polly Wilson, Editor Letters Page.

   The offer of T. Emmanuel (Letters,2/4) to 'lend some facts' to the
Macedonian issue was an admirable one. Unfortunately he singularly
failed to do so.

   The dispute is hardly a simple one about the use of the name 
Macedonia. If it was a mere question of nomenclature the Greek 
government would not be expending so much time and energy trying
to oppose the recognition of the independence of Macedonia. Rather
its real concern lies in the fact that there is a large and oppressed
minority of Macedonians in Northern Greece. The fact that they are 
oppressed is supported by the 1991 and 1992 U.S.A. State Department
Human Rights Report which documents the violation of the most
fundamental human rights. Obviously Greece is afraid the existence 
of an independent Macedonian state will encourage the Macedonians in
Greece to fight for their most basic rights. This oppressed minority
will remain no matter what they are called.

   T. Emmanuel also informs us that anyone who has studied history
knows that Macedonia is a greek state (like Athens, Sparts etc.).
Obviously he has never come across one of the more noted Greek
scholars H,D,F, Kitto who states that 'Macedonia has never counted as
a part of Greece' in ancient times. Students of history also know 
that Phillip II certainly did not 'unite' the Greece states, he
conquered them.

   The Macedonians have a basic right to their own name and their
own nation and Greece's opposal to an indepenent Macedonian state
can only be interpreted as irrational and chauvinistic.

EDUOARD PRZOLJKA
Macedonian Information Group
Kogarah, NSW


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