[AMCC-News] Press-Releas: EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL CITIZENS OF FYR OF MACEDONIA: ALL CITIZENS EQUAL BEFORE THE LAW

[Mentor Cana]

                             PRESS-RELEASE

         EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL CITIZENS OF FYR OF MACEDONIA
                 ALL CITIZENS EQUAL BEFORE THE LAW

                                        "NATIONAL FREEDOM"
                                        Humanitarian Foundation
                                        456 River St., Paterson, NJ 07524
                                        Tel: (973) 523-9203
April 02, 2001

The "National Freedom" Humanitarian Foundation, as well as the
Albanian-American community and their societies throughout the US and
Canada, are deeply concerned with the situation in FYR of Macedonia and the
discriminatory treatment of the Albanian population by the Macedonian
Government.

The current situation seems to be a natural consequence to the unresponsive
nature of the Macedonian Government towards the legitimate demands of the
Albanian population for equal rights in all aspects of life.

For many years, the Macedonian Government has systematically denied equal
cultural, civil and human rights to its Albanian population, comprising at
least 1/3 of Macedonia's total population. The discrimination stems from
the Macedonian Constitution itself and spans across every aspect in the
daily life of Macedonia Albanians, treating them as second-class citizens.

The Albanian population, respects the territorial integrity of the
Macedonian state, with the following demands for equal rights for all of
its citizens:

 - Citizenship based Constitution, not an ethnic one: Changes in FYROM's
   Constitution to elevate Albanians and other ethnic groups to statehood
   forming citizens in peaceful coexistence. The current preamble of the
   Constitution privileges the Macedonian ethnicity above the others.

 - Equal Employment Opportunities for every citizen. Macedonia Albanians
   are being systematically discriminated when applying for jobs in the
   public as well as the private sector. As a result, Macedonians fill most
   jobs in the police, army and the public sector, despite the availability
   of adequately trained Albanian professionals.

 - Education in mother tongue at every level. As taxpayers and citizens of
   FYROM, Albanians are currently not entitled to state funded projects.
   Albanians shall be entitled to a state funded University whose language
   of instruction ought to be Albanian.

 - Institutionalization of the Albanian language. Reforming the state and
   local laws to allow for equal use of the Albanian language alongside the
   Macedonian in every institution.

 - Cultural and religious heritage: FYROM Government ought to nurture the
   cultural and religious heritage of all of its ethnic groups, not only
   the Macedonian one.

We call on the international community to mediate immediate negotiations
between the Macedonian Slav-led Government and the political
representatives of the National Liberation Army (NLA), to address and
peacefully resolve Macedonia Albanians' legitimate grievances and demands
for equal rights.