DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR PROHIBITING THE WORK OF

HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS IN MACEDONIA?

AIM, Skopje, January 26,1995

The Balkans are, currently, an area where people are losing their lives in war theatres and where the number of those who have difficulty in ensuring even the basic necessities for survival is growing daily. In order to bring those shooting at each other to their senses, armies of different countries under the UN flag have been here for a long time now, and almost all world humanitarian organizations have been active for years in the area of the Balkans so as to save the hungry refugees and the socially needy categories of the population. Macedonia is no exception in this respect despite the fact that it is not at war.

After war broke out in the territory of the former Yugoslavia and after the first refugees from war-stricken areas started coming and seeking safety in Macedonia, different world humanitarian organizations also came to help the refugees as well as the local population. At present, a number of humanitarian organizations are working in Macedonia, including those known world-wide such as : the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UNICEF, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Echo, Equilibrium, the World Health Organization, Hemisphere, Al Haramani, the Dutch Church, the Catholic Church for Humanitarian Action, the projects Hope, Cric and Igase.

There are also several local humantiarian organizations, which the world organizations use as a "service" and which help them in the implementation of their humanitarian operations. Their aid most often consists of food, toiletries, clothes, medicaments, medical equipment, equipment for kindergartens, scholarships for studies abroad and technical equipment for social work centers. Significant aid, which does not go only to the refugees but also to the socially needy population of Macedonia is in question. All these are well-known and recognized world humanitarian organizations which have extended relief in other parts of the world too.

Their assistance to Macedonia has been more than important, especially in the first year of its independence, when there were difficulties in procuring basic foodstuffs. The aid from these humantiarian organizations is still of enormous importance for this young state whose economy is experiencing a veritable collapse, and where the number of those unable to ensure their bare survival is growing by the day. That is why it is surprising that some of these humanitarian organizations are encountering various obstacles in carrying out their activities in Macedonia. What is in question? Previously, these organizations had to register with the economic department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. At present, in keeping with a decision of the Government, they have to register with the Ministry of the Interior.

In this way, they have been classed together with ordinary associations of citizens and political parties, and their activities are approved or prohibited by the Macedonian police. This unlogical act has resulted in the fact that some humanitarian organizations are currently unable to carry out their activities because they cannot register in Macedonia. They must help the refugees and the local population "hiding" from the authorities which are more bent on hampering their work than finding solutions to enable them to extend assistance to those in need of it. A typical example of this unlogical act resulting from a legal vacuum - in all likelihood not only because of this but also for some other reasons - is the humanitarian organization Cric with headquarters in Reggio Calabria, Italy, and the World Islamic organization for humanitarian relief - IGASE, from Jidda, Saudi Arabia.

According to the explanation of lawyer Nikola Polenak, the legal counsel for these two humanitarian organizations, in Nova Makedonija, the registration of Cric was put off because of incomplete documentation, because the Ministry of the Interior insists on proof that this organization has been inscribed in the court register in Italy. But, says Polenak, such proof cannot be produced, because such non-governmental humanitarian organizations are not registered by courts according to Italian civic law. Lawyer Polenak justifiedly asks: should our government, so as to satisfy its regulations, ask the Italian Government to change its civic legislation?

Accordingly, the humanitarian organization CRIC remains unregistered and without a work permit in Macedonia. As opposed to the mentioned Italian humanitarian organization, the Ministry of the Interior of Macedonia explains that the World Islamic Humanitarian Organization, Igase, has not been registered because it does not meet the requirements of Article 23 of the Law on social organizations and associations of citizens, writes Nova Makedonija. Thus, from the standpoint of this legal regulation, this humanitarian organization is guilty of toppling the constitutional order of the Republic of Macedonia and endangering the independence of the country. This legal provision prohibits the work of organizations and associations violating human rights and freedoms, endangering peace and equality, destroying public moral and spreading religious and national intolerance.

Only those who signed the decision rejecting IGASE's application for registration know how the Ministry of the Interior of Macedonia came to the conclusion that this recognized world humanitarian organization was dangerous to Macedonia. Facts show that this organization has for over a year been providing food, medicaments, blankets for homeless from Bosnia accommodated in local refugee camps. This same humanitarian organization provided medical instruments for the Children's Hospital Kozle in Skoplje, where not only Moslems are treated, but rather the opposite.

No one in his right mind can understand let alone justify such absurd decisions of the Macedonian Ministry of the Interior. But it is a fact that the humanitarian organizations Cric and Igase are currently "suspicious" to the local authorities and have to carry out their activities "sub rosa". Even if the activities of these two organizations posed a threat to Macedonia, the Ministry of the Interior should have to produce some arguments in support of that, and inform the public, and not prohibit their work on the basis of pure assumptions. While the Ministry of the Interior invokes the letter of the law, the local population spreads its truth about the non-registration of Cric and Igase.

It is rumoured that the real reason that the Macedonian authorities will not legalize Cric's activities is that it is from Reggio Calabria and uses mafia money. The problem with the Islamic Igase is, according to local talk, that it helps mostly followers of Islam and works on the spreading of Islam in these regions. Even if all this were true, no one has the right to prohibit their work on the basis of guesswork. For,if that logic were followed, then a label of "espionage" could be attached to any organization. And if Macedonia does not need humanitarian assistance, there are other ways of telling the world that.

Finally, such an approach raises the question : is the police to be responsible for determining whose external humanitarian aid the population is to receive. If that is the case, then such states are called by names other than democratic. Moreover, if humanitarian aid is distributed on the basis of national and religious affiliation, that means that the step leading to an overall division has been made and that you do not trust the hand extending help to you just because it is of a different "colour".

Kim MEHMETI