URGENT! ACT NOW! Educate US Congress on Res. 300

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На Август 3, 2007 Американсите сенатори Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Barack Obama (D-IL), и Olympia Snowe (R-ME) ја представија резолуцијата S. Res. 300 :


110TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION S. RES. 300
Expressing the sense of the Senate that the Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia (Macedonia) should stop the utilization of materials that violate
provisions of the United Nations-brokered Interim Agreement between
Macedonia and Greece regarding ‘‘hostile activities or propaganda’’ and
should work with the United Nations and Greece to achieve longstanding
United States and United Nations policy goals of finding a mutuallyacceptable
official name for Macedonia.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
AUGUST 3, 2007
Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Ms. SNOWE, and Mr. OBAMA) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Senate that the Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia (Macedonia) should stop the utilization
of materials that violate provisions of the United
Nations-brokered Interim Agreement between Macedonia
and Greece regarding ‘‘hostile activities or propaganda’’
and should work with the United Nations and Greece
to achieve longstanding United States and United Nations
policy goals of finding a mutually-acceptable official
name for Macedonia.
Whereas, on April 8, 1993, the United Nations General Assembly
admitted as a member the Former Yugoslav Re-
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•SRES 300 IS
public of Macedonia (Macedonia), under the name the
‘‘Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’’;
Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 817
(1993) states that the dispute over the name must be resolved
to maintain peaceful relations between Greece and
Macedonia;
Whereas, on September 13, 1995, Greece and Macedonia
signed a United Nations-brokered Interim Accord that,
among other things, commits them to not ‘‘support
claims to any part of the territory of the other party or
claims for a change of their existing frontiers’’;
Whereas a pre-eminent goal of the United Nations Interim
Accord was to stop Macedonia from utilizing, since its admittance
to the United Nations in 1993, what the Accord
calls ‘‘propaganda’’, including in school textbooks;
Whereas a television report in recent years showed students
in a state-run school in Macedonia still being taught that
parts of Greece, including Greek Macedonia, are rightfully
part of Macedonia;
Whereas some textbooks, including the Military Academy
textbook published in 2004 by the Military Academy
‘‘General Mihailo Apostolski’’ in the Macedonia capital city,
contain maps showing that a ‘‘Greater Macedonia’’ extends
many miles south into Greece to Mount Olympus
and miles east to Mount Pirin in Bulgaria;
Whereas, in direct contradiction of the spirit of the United
Nations Interim Accord’s section ‘‘A’’, entitled ‘‘Friendly
Relations and Confidence Building Measures’’, which attempts
to eliminate challenges regarding ‘‘historic and
cultural patrimony’’, the Government of Macedonia recently
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•SRES 300 IS
renamed the capital city’s international airport ‘‘Alexander
the Great Airport’’;
Whereas the aforementioned acts constitute a breach of
Macedonia’s international obligations deriving from the
spirit of the United Nations Interim Accord, which provide
that Macedonia should abstain from any form of
‘‘propaganda’’ against Greece’s historical or cultural heritage;
Whereas such acts are not compatible with Article 10 of the
United Nations Interim Accord, which calls for ‘‘improving
understanding and good neighbourly relations’’, as
well as with European standards and values endorsed by
European Union member-states; and
Whereas this information, like that exposed in the media report
and elsewhere, being used contrary to the United
Nations Interim Accord instills hostility and a rationale
for irredentism in portions of the population of Macedonia
toward Greece and the history of Greece: Now, therefore,
be it
1 Resolved, That the Senate—
2 (1) urges the Former Yugoslav Republic of
3 Macedonia (Macedonia) to observe its obligations
4 under Article 7 of the 1995 United Nations-brokered
5 Interim Accord, which directs the parties to
6 ‘‘promptly take effective measures to prohibit hostile
7 activities or propaganda by state-controlled agencies
8 and to discourage acts by private entities likely to
9 incite violence, hatred or hostility’’ and review the
10 contents of textbooks, maps, and teaching aids to
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•SRES 300 IS
1 ensure that such tools are stating accurate informa2
tion; and
3 (2) urges Macedonia to work with Greece within
4 the framework of the United Nations process to
5 achieve longstanding United States and United Na6
tions policy goals by reaching a mutually-acceptable
7 official name for Macedonia.

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Во горе наведената резолуција се бара од Македонија да престане со кршење на договорот на Обединетите Нации од 1993 Помеѓу Македонија и грција .И да работи со обединетите нации и Грција за да не се нарушат односите помешу Америка и грција и да го поддржува официјалното име на Macedonia .
Затое е потребно да се реагира од страна на Сите Американски Македонци испратете писмо до сенаторот во вашата држава . Еве еден пример :

[INSERT YOUR NAME]
[INSERT YOUR ADDRESS]
[INSERT YOUR CITY, TOWN, ZIP]

September __, 2007

The Honorable ________________
[ADDRESS]
Washington, D.C. 20510

RE: Withholding Support of S. Res. 300

Dear Senator ____________:

As a Macedonian-American and resident of the State of _____, I respectfully request that you withhold any support of S. Res. 300, which was introduced to the Senate on August 3, 2007, and refrain from serving as a co-sponsor of such resolution if so requested.

The “name dispute” addressed in the Resolution is a bilateral issue between the Republic of Macedonia (Macedonia) and Greece. United Nations mediated talks between Macedonia and Greece are on-going and are the sole forum for matters related to the “dispute.”

Contrary to the Resolution, the Republic of Macedonia (“Macedonia”) is not distributing propaganda in violation of the Interim Agreement between itself and Greece. The map referred to in S. Res. 300 is a map of the entire region of Macedonia, the partition of which in 1913 is well documented. An accurate historical map is hardly “propaganda.”

S. Res. 300 will have no impact on the “dispute” as the same can only be resolved once both nations adopt a constructive attitude towards the negotiations. Macedonia has already made many concessions to resolve the “dispute” by (1) amending its constitution to disclaim any “territorial ambition” against Greece, (2) changing its national symbols in response to Greek demands, and (3) allowing itself to be referred to by the insulting term the “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” at the UN, and many other organizations until the talks yield results. Macedonia’s constructive position is best reflected in its willingness to accept the most recent proposed solution to the “dispute” made by U.N. Mediator Matthew Nimitz, a proposal that was stubbornly refused by Greece.

When Greece adopts a concessionary attitude in the negotiations instead of its current practice of incredulously referring to Macedonian “intransigence” in such talks, coupled with threats to block Macedonia’s EU and NATO accession, the “dispute” will finally come to an end. Unfortunately, S. Res. 300 will only embolden Greece, which is already using the introduction of the Resolution in its own propaganda war against Macedonia.

Thank you for considering my request and for your service to the State of ____________. I hope that you will continue to fight for equal opportunity and justice and that you will accordingly withhold any support of S. Res. 300.

Sincerely,


[TYPE YOUR NAME HERE]

[INSERT YOUR NAME]
[INSERT YOUR ADDRESS]
[INSERT YOUR CITY, TOWN, ZIP]

September __, 2007

The Honorable ________________
[ADDRESS]
Washington, D.C. 20510

RE: Withholding Support of S. Res. 300

Dear Senator __________:

As a Macedonian-American and resident of the State of __________, I respectfully ask that you refrain from supporting S. Res. 300, which was introduced to the Senate on August 3, 2007 and that you decline any requests to co-sponsor such resolution.

S. Res. 300 concerns the “name dispute” between the Republic of Macedonia (“Macedonia”) and Greece and purports to express Senate’s sentiment on this bilateral dispute between these two foreign nations. As a majority of UN members (over 120) recognize Macedonia’s real name, it is clear that Greece has lost this artificial issue. UN brokered talks are underway to formalize a bilateral solution and this should be the only forum through which the two nations may attempt to resolve any bilateral concerns. The United States has made its position clear by recognizing the Republic of Macedonia under its official name and resolutions like these are counterproductive and wasteful.

Greece is a home to a significant community of ethnic Macedonians. Greece’s treatment of this minority, as documented by our own State Department, the Greek Helsinki Monitor, and the European Court of Human Rights is simply abhorrent and includes the denial of such basic rights as (1) the freedom of speech, (2) the freedom of association, (3) the freedom to petition government for the redress of grievances, and (4) the equal protection of law.

Greece’s shameful treatment of its Macedonian minority, reminiscent of our sad history of segregation, dates back to the 1913 partition of Macedonia amongst Greece, Serbia, and Bulgaria, which resulted in brutal forced assimilation campaigns by all three nations against Macedonians.

The existence of an independent Macedonian state with the name “Macedonia” is anathema to Greece, because such state is and will continue to be a reminder of Greece’s failed attempts to stamp out the Macedonian people and erase their ethnic identity. These attempts range from official prohibitions on the use of the Macedonian language to the forced expatriation 44,000 ethnic Macedonian children from Greece during the Greek Civil War. The passage of S. Res. 300 will simply provide a tacit approval of Greece’s denial of the most basic rights that we as Americans hold most dear and will do nothing to advance a resolution of the “dispute.”

Accordingly, it is my sincere hope that you will withhold any support of S. Res. 300, and continue to fight and work for the civil and human rights of all people. Thank your for reviewing my concerns and for your service to the American people.

Sincerely,


[TYPE YOUR NAME HERE]

[INSERT YOUR NAME]
[INSERT YOUR ADDRESS]
[INSERT YOUR CITY, TOWN, ZIP]

September __, 2007

The Honorable _________________
[ADDRESS]
Washington, D.C. 20510

RE: Withholding Support of S. Res. 300

Dear Senator ___________:

As a Macedonian-American and resident of the State of __________ I hope that you will not support the passage of S. Res. 300, which was introduced in the Senate on August 3, 2007, and that you will not serve as a co-sponsor of such resolution if so requested.

The “name dispute” addressed in the Resolution is a bilateral issue between the Republic of Macedonia (“Macedonia”) and Greece. While many people within Greece (including its former Ambassador to Macedonia who was removed from her post immediately after speaking freely on this issue last month) have realized that the “name dispute” is lost because the majority of UN member countries recognize Macedonia under its constitutional name, the UN brokered talks aimed at resolving the “dispute” continue.

S. Res. 300 addresses Macedonia’s “hostile actions” and violations of the Interim Agreement between the two nations, but it fails to condemn Greece’s threats to veto Macedonia’s EU and NATO accessions. Such hostile threats are a clear violation of the Interim Agreement. In addition, such activity by Greece has been met with widespread criticism from other EU and NATO members.

More importantly, given our own nation’s recognition of Macedonia’s name, there is no rational basis upon which the derogatory term “Macedonia” should appear in any legislation before our Congress. The passage of S. Res. 300 will not impact the “dispute”, but with its inaccuracy and anti-Macedonian bias will alienate Macedonia while its soldiers fight alongside ours in Afghanistan and Iraq.

While Greece is understandably frustrated at its failure to prevail in a diplomatic debacle of its own making, the proper way to address such frustration is through the UN talks and not the passage of a resolution in the United States Senate. Furthermore, at a time when our nation is facing such serious challenges as immigration reform, national healthcare reform, and international terrorism, the Senate should be focused on advancing the interests of and protecting the American people and not on needlessly interjecting itself into the “name dispute.”

Thank you for receiving my concerns and for your service to the American people. I hope that you will continue addressing issues that truly concern Americans and accordingly withhold any support of S. Res. 300.

Sincerely,


[TYPE YOUR NAME HERE]



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