[Prishtina-E] Carlotta Gall's article in NYT about fighting in Macedonia

[Ramis Ahmetaj]

Greetings everyone,

I got no idea why, but the talk of our town has yet to be dominated by what 
is hapenning in our country.  Kosovar politicians are being proved, again, 
as incompentent as they always were.  The government and political parties 
of Albania? Well what can we ever expect from them?  But, thanks for the 
people who seem not to care to much about our politicians, NATO, or anyone 
else for that matter.  Thank GOD, a number of people have realized that you 
can't count on the world to solve your problems.  Now it's not the time to 
discuss whether something is right or wrong.  It is time to take a unified 
stand, and let the world know, that we are here to stay and be great 
contributors to the Balkans and the world at large, but they have to 
understand that we need the opportunity to do so, otherwise we just won't 
stop until we get it ourselves.  GOD bless UCK, UCPMB and whoever is willing 
to fight for the realization of Albanian rights.

Ramis Ahmetaj

>From: "Imer Berisha" <imerprishtina at hotmail.com>
>Reply-To: prishtina-e at alb-net.com
>To: prishtina-e at alb-net.com
>Subject: [Prishtina-E] Carlotta Gall's article in NYT about fighting in 
>Macedonia
>Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2001 20:14:16
>
>             --- Prishtina-E Discussion Forum ---
>        Archives: www.alb-net.com/pipermail/prishtina-e
>
>
>
>Dear friens and compatriots,
>
>this a the letter that I've just sent to the Editor of The NYT, regarding
>today's article of Miss.Carlota Gall
>
>The justice is on the side of Albanians in Macedonia, therefore soon or
>latter the justice will win...keep up the good work.......
>All Albanians are for the European integration and democracy and eventualy
>we will reach the EU but only as equals with others!
>
>thanks
>_________________________________________________________
>To the Editor of The New York Times and Miss.Carlotta GALL
>
>Dear sir/madam,
>
>
>I read today's article in the New York Times and I was surprised to see
>still the stereotype "knowledge" of the facts expressed by your reporter:
>____________________________________________
>Today, for the third day, police forces fired for several hours at ethnic
>Albanian rebels taking cover in the hills above the city. The insurgents 
>are
>trying to claim parts of Macedonia that are overwhelmingly Albanian, and 
>the
>population is quickly dividing between Slavs and Albanians, just as in
>Kosovo.
>___________________________________________
>
>We are all familiar with the demands that NLA National Liberation Army.
>They accept territorial integrity of Macedonia, its Sovereignty.
>
>Therefore I do not really understand why your reporter still insists and
>repeats the claim that rebels "are trying to claim parts of Macedonia".
>
>The guerillas agenda is the same as of Albanian Political Parties in
>Macedonia, that achieved nothing during endless negotiations with 
>Macedonian
>official political structure in the last decade.
>
>This people on the hills are fighting, among other things, for the
>University in Albanian language to be recognized. They have other demands
>that can be summarized as asking for equality within Macedonia.
>
>Many of them are still not recognized as Macedonian citizens, because the
>law is discriminatory for Albanians.
>
>To mae things worse Macedonian President has recently launched his official
>web site, but to no surprise, only in Macedonian and English, seems that he
>feels no need to convey his message to the Albanians in Macedonia, or does
>he think that there is no need to communicate with Ethnic Albanians who are
>citizens of Macedonia. Furthermore this another fact of inequality of
>Albanians and Albanian language in Macedonia.
>
>They have stated they accept the Sovereignty of Macedonia and want to be a
>part of it.
>
>Why is your reporter amputating claims to the rebels that they have not
>made?
>
>Albanians in Macedonia comprise between 30 and 40% of the entire population
>(no precise figure is accepted by either side as there were manipulations
>reported during the census).
>
>NLA National Liberation Army has demanded a census to be carried out
>under the supervision of an international body.
>
>All this demands are very well known to Macedonian Government but they were
>never accepted when brought forward by Albanian Political Parties.
>
>We all need to find a way out from the war.
>I just want to point to the discrimination that went on for so long in
>Macedonia as a fertile ground for unhappy people that will choose to fight
>among other things, for the right to education.
>
>If the above mentioned problems are solved by negotiating with Albanian
>representatives, Macedonia has nothing to fear for its future. Otherwise I
>believe that ignoring the situation and pretending that everything was fine
>for last 50 years, will just draw more Albanians in Macedonia on the
>rebel(NLA) side and this could than become a real danger for all in the
>region but first for Macedonia.
>
>One fear can prevail in Macedonian Government though, and this is the fear
>from real equality between Ethnic Albanians and Ethnic Macedonians, in
>Macedonia as a common country.
>
>At this point I believe there is still time to find a peaceful solution to
>the problem.
>
>The demands of the rebels are the same as demands of the entire Albanian
>people in Macedonia. Ignoring them and pursuing the current path with
>stubbornness, will bring us to the "no turn point", meaning that it will be
>much more difficult to start any kind of negotiations in few months time
>after hundreds and hundreds of people are killed, injured etc. If no
>negotiations are forthcoming, at least with the leaders of Albanian
>Political Parties in Macedonia addressing each and every problem and demand
>for equality of Albanians in Macedonia we will reach the point that this
>will no longer be possible.
>
>On the other hand, best way to disarm the rebels is by addressing the
>problems and anxieties that Albanians have in Macedonia, that were ignored
>so fare.
>
>Your reporter states in the same article the fact that a town with 80% of
>Albanians, Tetova, has 90% Ethnic Macedonian Slavs comprising a police
>force, meaning with only about 10% Albanians.
>
>No comment is needed.
>
>Therefore at the end I would urge you and your reporters to have in mind 
>the
>facts that the rights of Albanians in Macedonia were neglected for decades
>as were neglected in Kosova and Serbia. The fact that Albanians were not
>killed in thousands and on daily bases in Macedonia does not mean that 
>there
>were no problems.
>
>For 10 years no solution was found, because Macedonian Government sow no
>need to improve the status of Albanians in Macedonia. While gross 
>violations
>of human rights in Kosova were at the focus the public, Macedonian
>Government felt complacent, and did nothing to address issues properly.
>
>Macedonian Government at least now should fight the roots of the problem
>i.e. come up with the plan of measures to address the needs and demands of
>Albanians that are not from today or yesterday but have been sitting in
>Macedonian Government's office for years.
>
>
>Imer Berisha
>Cleveland
>Ohio
>
>
>
>
>
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>_______________________________________________________
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