Honorouble members and participants at the General Council of the Transnational Radical Party (TRP),
As representatives of the Party for Justice and Integration, congratulating and thanking You for your kind invitation to be present here together with you and collaborating, I would like to inform you, especially those that are not aware, that thanks to this international political organization as TRP and politicians that head it, we`ve been able to introduce to the most important Europian institutions, the issue of Cham population, or as it is mentioned in international policy the case of Cham minority that has remained unsolved between Greece and Albania, dated back to the end of the Second World War.
It was only the collaboration of Cham Community to TRP that made quite possible the approval of a particular motion at its 38th Congress carried out in Tirana in 2002.
But, thanking for everything in respect to the attention paid to Cham Issue and others similar to it, I would like to personally thank the Eurodeputy Mr. Marco Panella, deputy Maurizio Turco, Eurodeputy Marco Cappato and of course The Honourable Minister Emma Bonino that at the last legislature of the European parliament jointly delivered to the former European Commissioner Mr. Chris Patten, an important document on this ‘forgotten’ issue.
Meanwhile, I can`t help thanking in particular the historical leaders of the Radicals,
Eurodeputy Marco Pannella and also Marco Capatto that made possible that for the first time after 62 years sank in oblivion, the presence of an Albanian delegation in order to introduce this just and delicate issue to a very important Eurodeputies group as i.e. Doris Pack, head of the European Delegation for Balkans, Graham Watson, head of European Democratic Liberal Group, the Baroness Sara Lutford, Kallenbach, George Hadgimarkakis and so on.
The Party of Justice and Integration, which the priority in its agenda is the democratic solution of this old cramp towards the Cham Population and the respect of the Principal Rights of Human Beings, had found a great support from this badly treated population, which organized in an NGO and with the limits that Albanian fragile democracy offers, decided to support and to be part in mass the PJI (Party of Justice and Integration) which in its program has the democratic solution of the Cham issue.
We, as an Albanian Political party, depending on your political philosophy that clearly expresses that when the past hides a historical injustice, it has to be indispensable a positive feature, to have in a definite way, after the establishment of the justice, a stable peace, and I am a member of the TRP, so that’s why I would gladly like to remind you of, that such a philosophy is embraced from us since in the beginning of our just struggle and it gives a real pleasure to the Cham population that has never been cruel or violent.
On the other hand, in order to inform those present about this issue, and referring to Greek history about the issue under discussion, they intentionally and severely punished this peaceful population considering them as Italian and German collaborators during the Second World War.
But in fact, referring to that part of history that is linked with the relations of the Greeks and Cham population, we have to affirm that this absurd accusation served as a pretext of a real and cruel genocide against innocent people to which even women, children and elderly could not escape and what’s all those of Muslim faith only.
Everything material and nonmaterial was confiscated: houses, animals and house device, lock stock and barrel, but except this, to be faithful to the real history we ought to affirm that Greece, during whole its history, traditionally has treated its citizens of Muslim faith as Turks, and has used every possibility to expel them from Greece.
After the Independence of Albania in 1913 and the process of its chopping and leaving Thesprotia / Chameria out of the Albanian State, the predecessors of this population instead of taking the status of ethnic minority were massacred and killed continually in order not to raise their voice and react towards this maltreatment being treated as Turks.
Meanwhile, even during 1921-1924 were carried out different expulsions of Cham population of Muslim faith, also considered as Turks in exchange of removal of Greek populations from the Minor Asia, during the Turk revolutions led by Kemal Ataturk.
Meanwhile during the agrarian reforms carried out by the Greek government in 1936, the land of Albanian legitimate owners was grabbed from them and given to Greek citizens coming from Turkey and settled in the Albanian territories of Thesprotia / Chameria.
Dear friends,
But, Turkey that aims to adhere and integrate to European Union, like Albania and other Balkans States, because of the pressure of the European Union and its appropriate Institutions, has amended the Turkish Law on the rights of the ownership of non-Muslim populations.
While the Greek State which is a member of full rights and obligations in EU, does not stubbornly accept to be negotiating about the case of Cham population, which seeks things similar like: the right of Greek citizenship which violently was negated by pressure and taken off collectively; and the right of ownership, which is immortal and according to Greek Constitution also, or even the citizenship right also according to this constitution cannot be negated or removed without the individual will of the citizen.
Why it is rightly asked to the other states that inspire to enter into European Union to meet proper political criterions of the European Democratic Big Family as there are between others even those of ethnic minorities, then why Greece must not be asked to re-examine its dark past and to meet the international standards in respect to Cham population and others.
We want to ask in this case that how is it possible that Greece doesn’t ratify the European Convention on the Human Rights on the Recognition and Protection of the minorities and no-one in this Big Democratic Family asks this member state the practical reasons of this strange situation and behaviour?
In Greece still live ethnic and cultural minorities and among them, of course Cham population and Arvanitas both autochthon and of Albanian origin and they are deprived of every right of their identity like: Language, national symbols and cultural traditions.
Meanwhile Greece never stops demanding the rights of the Greek minority in Albania. They are right and we congratulate them for this, but we want to stress that this minority had always been in much positive political and cultural conditions both in communism and now in democracy, because they have been and are members of the government organisms or institutions.
We as an Albanian political party, brought up with European philosophy towards political and social integration, at first between us and among the Balkans peoples and later with Union of Europe, have asked only for a dialog and understanding in respect of the state of origin of this Cham population, in other words with Greece.
To be more concrete I would like to mention the problem in respect with the cemetery
of the Greek solders killed during the Second World War in 1940 which it is sought to be built in the south territories of Albania.
While everyone expected to see the protests of the Cham population towards this demand, our Party declared in the favour of the Greek demand, considering and proclaiming our step as a sign of a necessary regional political emancipation
But, of course adding, that such an emancipation would be definite only if even the Cham population would be allowed to visit and to put a bunch of flowers to their fathers, mothers, brothers in Chameria which were completely innocent and brutally killed and still have not a cemetery to rest in peace.
But, while I tell you that this political decision was not an easy thing to get to, the leadership, after long debates among us, at last decided to not stress the past any more but to face the future towards the Balkans and Europe. Nevertheless, we didn’t take any positive reply from the Greek part or its political & diplomatic representatives both in Tirana or Athens.
Of course, I want to stress we cannot change our program and philosophy of our party
and we`ll go on this way without stopping till the counterpart reach the same level with our and European Standards and Institutions, with which now we have continual collaboration on this difficult political road so we need everybody’s help and your Organizations in particular.
I also want to inform you we have already sent a Monitoring Dossier of the Albanian-Greek relationship in respect to the Cham minority issue, to The Deputy of the European Commission, Franko Frattini (a copy of which we have it with us and who is interested to have one copy he or she can have it)
The office of Deputy Frattini, has sent us the notice of receiving this material and has devoted the needed attention and informing us that they have a mind to delegate it to the Commissioner for the European Enlargement Mr. Olli Rehn, the Commissioner for the relation of the countries inspiring to join the EU.
The Office of the European Commissioner Mr. Olli Rehn has informed us that the commission is aware of this relative issue of Cham population and fully informed, in particular about the rights of the owners which were confiscated at the end of the Second World War.
But the Commission thinks that such an issue has practically to be of bilateral nature, between Albania and Greece. But in addition of this, the Commission has promised that will continue to closely follow the course of the situation and will continue to urge to action the dialogue between the two neighbouring states in order to reach a satisfactory and favourable solution.
We believe that for practical reasons that the Cham issue will never be solved on a bilateral basis and we can easily prove it. The Albanian state , in the situation it is in, and because of the political and economical needs that has towards Greece can not advance too much.
Let’s mention the fact that just now in Greece, live and work about 500-600 thousands Albanian citizens or immigrants and also the need that Albania has for the ratification of the Agreement of the Association Stabilization in the Greek Parliament and we have to understand that Albania alone, or on her own can reach nowhere or do nothing, and above all when two parts have different attitudes absolutely another third part is needed and this can be done by no one else but European Union and USA.
For a conclusion I want to stress once again that to reach the desired level we need the support of everyone here and of the TRP that has the Kosovo experience as well.
Thank you for your attention,
Tahir Muhedini
President of Albanian party for Justice and Integration
06 December 2006
