Minority Policy Statement

[keravnios]

Το παρακάτω κείμενο ανήκει στον eugene
rousidis πρόεδρο του American Hellenic Institute. Είναι Κύπριος, η γυναίκα του από Δρυμάδες Χιμάρας. Ήταν σύμβουλος του προέδρου Ρίτσαρντ Νίξον, είναι ρεπουμπλικάνος και φίλος του G. Bush.

Albania
Although some improvements have been made lately in the conditions
and treatment of the Greek minority, continuing acts of
discrimination and persecution tolerated by the government of Albania
against the nation's ethnic Greek minority constitute subtle ethnic
cleansing aimed at making ethnic Greeks feel isolated, powerless and
vulnerable so that they will abandon their homes and move south to
Greece.

The personal safety of ethnic Greeks in Albania is also at risk by
reason of direct intimidation by security forces and the burning of
schools, churches and businesses by lawless bands that the police
allow to operate with impunity. Nowhere are ethnic Greeks given a
fair deal or even a fair count. Although Albania successfully sought
a census to measure the Albanian minority in neighboring FYROM, its
government resists the demand of the European Union to measure its
minorities, so it can continue to claim that the Greek minority is
small when it constitutes at least 10 percent of the country's 3.5
million population.

We call on the U.S. government, in its own interest and the interest
of maintaining peace and stability in the southern Balkans, to
undertake an intense diplomatic dialogue with the government of
Albania to ensure that the rule of law is observed and minority and
basic human rights are protected. The U.S must make clear that
Albania must treat its minorities fairly and humanely the way it
wants Albanian minorities in neighboring countries to be treated.

American Hellenic Institute
1220 16th Street, NW � Washington, D.C. 20036
Tel. 202-785-8430
Fax 202-785-5178

brought to us by Dimitris Koutoulas