Violations of Human Rights in Macedonia

Looking the Other Way

In its latest report, the non-governmental organisation Human Rights Watch accused the international community of ignoring evident police violence and other forms of violation of human rights in Macedonia because this country is considered to be an extremely important partner in this region.

AIM Skopje, 8 May, 1998

The latest report of the Council of Ministers of the European Union, which judges the level of democratic improvements in Macedonia, differs very much from the specific stereotype created about this state by international organisations, and especially from the picture presented until now to the home public by official Skopje, connected with its own image existing abroad. Among numerous complaints related to Macedonia's progress in adopting European standards, remarks related to the freedom of press were especially noted here and received by opposition media with emphasised approval. European ministers consider that the level of democratisation in this field is influenced by the fact that Macedonian Radio-Television is controlled by the ruling party, and that monopoly in printing and distribution of newspapers limits the development and influence of independent newspapers. Commenting on these judgements, Blagoja Hadzijski, Minister of Foreign Affairs, expressed absolute disagreement with his European colleagues saying that mistakes are possible even on such a level, but that Macedonia should be worried by the question of real motives for such a "review". It should be mentioned that the report of European ministers arrived soon after an April report of Human Rights Watch which also presented some negative items related to Macedonian politics. That is how twice in one month the current Government found itself in front of a mirror in which it could not recognise itself.

Human Rights Watch, a respectable independent non-governmental organisation from New York published a report titled "Police violence in Macedonia", on April 6. Relying on its own sources and customary methodology it presented quite a long analysis in which Macedonian government was accused of police violence, and mentioned at the same time that this was tolerated by the international community. According to this report Macedonian police applies violence very often especially against members of minorities, as well as against Macedonian citizens who have their own political attitudes and belong to lower social and economic strata. Exceeding of authorisation in the well known Gostivar case was specially marked in the document. To remind, in the beginning of July last year, three ethnic Albanians were killed and more than a hundred wounded, on the occasion of removing the Albanian flag from Gostivar city hall, in the clash between the police and demonstrators. Macedonian officials were reproached for having congratulated the policemen in public in spite of evident exceeding of duty thus making it clear that the government would apply force again. It is suggested in the controversial report that the American government is partly responsible for these events because it trained Macedonian policemen involved in Gostivar case. Human Rights Watch stated that about 350 policemen from Macedonia were trained with American help. The OSCE mission in Macedonia was also criticised because it supposedly missed to comment on the controversial events.

According to the local practice, the report was accepted with different attitudes. The official government, via Zoran Ivanov, the government spokesman, assessed it as irrelevant. Ivanov expressed doubt regarding methodology applied by Human Rights Watch, and offered consultations with the government in similar cases, as well as "additional education". It is interesting that media which are usually considered as "state" completely ignored the report, considering it also to be irrelevant although the same media devoted a lot of space to irrelevant humanitarians from New York on some previous occasions when the image of Macedonia was favourable or when some of neighbouring countries were criticised. Opposition parties and, naturally, media loyal to them reacted in a completely different manner. On that side, the report is judged as very important, since Human Rights Watch has great influence on most of the governments in the world and its findings could have negative influence on Macedonian reputation in the world.

The local public expected the reactions of the named international factors with special interest. The first to react was the American Embassy. Responsibility of Washington concerning behaviour of certain policemen in Gostivar was resolutely denied, and simultaneously the figure of 350 policemen educated with the American help was questioned. The Embassy also rejected the assessment that the controversial events had not been commented on, claiming that it had provided an integral and truthful presentation of the event. The OSCE Mission in Macedonia did not agree with the estimation of the Human Rights Watch which claimed that the OSCE did not pay enough attention to phenomena of human rights violation in this state. In reply to the criticism about OSCE officers failing to publicly comment on cases of violation of human rights, the Skopje OSCE Mission declares that it is much "more efficient to look for solutions through direct communication with the involved parties than by giving it publicity in media". In spite of the fact that they disagree with the humanitarians concerning the assessment of their own contribution, the OSCE employees temporarily working in Skopje think that the controversial report mostly reflects the local circumstances from the point of view of organization of human rights.

Human Rights Watch replied promptly to the mentioned reactions. The OSCE is once again reproached for applying silent diplomacy instead of open accusation of the Macedonian government. Motives for such action of the officers of the highest European security authority could be recognised in the need to promote Macedonian stability. But, Human Rights Watch believes that this aim cannot be achieved by "ignoring police brutality and politically engaged courts. Abuse of human rights, especially related to decrease of the rights of minorities, will undoubtedly contribute to increase of tensions and conflicts". According to the "humanitarians", Macedonia is considered by the OSCE, the UN and especially the United States to be a very important partner in South-East Europe and one of the major supports for stabilisation of the region and that is why they are ready to look the other way when its government's actions are concerned.

In this context, inclination of the American government towards the official Skopje is especially emphasised. In the mentioned answer, cited extensively by the opposition media, or even carried in extenso by some of them, it was stated that according to an explicit order of the State Department, the UN Commission for Human Rights decided on April 22, to exempt in the future Macedonia from the mandate of the Special Rapporteur responsible for these matters in the region of former Yugoslavia.

AIM Skopje

BUDO VUKOBRAT