PERSECUTION OF MACEDONIANS IN THE DRAMA REGION

PERSECUTION OF MACEDONIANS IN THE DRAMA REGION

April 6, 1934

The whole bourgeois press reported yesterday that at the village of Drenova, region of Drama, which is inhabited by Macedonians, an “anarcho-communist” organization which intended to blow up and set fire to the whole town of Drama, was discovered.

A police detail from Drama raided the village and arrested 8 peasants. In fact, this was a brutal attack against the communists who were presented as anarchists, and whose names were compared with those of the hated Komitajis (insurgents), the obvious aim being to stifle their struggle for the rights of the national minorities. The workers and the peasants of Greece should protest against the deportations of Macedonians, rejecting the slander of an alleged agreement between the communists on the one hand, and the Komitajis, fascist agents of the Bulgarian capitalists, on the other.

“Rizospastis”, ar. 27 (6963), 6, IV 1933, s. 1

(Page 67, The University of “Cyril and Methodius”, Documents on the Struggle of the Macedonian People for Independence and a Nation-State, Volume II)

COMMUNIST LEAFLETS IN SERES

April 15, 1934

On April 15, 1934, the town square was covered with leaflets with revolutionary proclamations calling upon the soldiers to struggle for a solution to their problems and against the beastly reign of terror. Officers imprisoned the soldiers who had read the leaflets, asking them to reveal the names of the individuals who distributed them. The most barbarous methods were used against us Macedonians, soldiers of the Sixth Heavy Artillery Regiment. The majority of us are illiterate, we do not know Greek and therefore we frequently do not understand their orders. The officers tried to teach us to read and write, but their efforts were abandoned too soon and were performed so improperly that none of us learned anything. Following this, the 12 soldiers who did not learn anything were punished by 5 days in jail, each. Two days later we were given one tomato and stuffed pepper each, which is not enough for anyone. The one hundred and forty soldiers, after they had been given this food, gathered around the kettle and, in spite of the officers’ threats, demanded better food for the value of 25 Drahmas. Eventually, their bowls were filled up with food which had been left in the kettle.

Seres, April 15, 1934

A Macedonian

“Rizospastis ar. 195 (7132), 25. IV 1934. s. 3

(Page 67, The University of “Cyril and Methodius”, Documents on the Struggle of the Macedonian People for Independence and a Nation-State, Volume II)

OPRESSION OF THE MACEDONIANS IN VODEN

June 6, 1934

Voden

Here, in Voden, and in our whole district, in the heart of Macedonia, here where we Macedonians do not know any other language but our own Macedonian, various agents of Greek capitalism force us to speak Greek. Consequently, they threaten us constantly with expulsion to Bulgaria, they call us Komitajis expropriate our fields, which we have drenched with our sweat just to produce a piece of bread. In addition, they deprive us of the freedom which our fathers won after many years of struggle in which they gave their lives for the liberation of Macedonia. We live under the yoke of Greek capitalism, literally as slaves. In the elementary schools, the young children who speak their own language are beaten every day. Particularly here in Voden, the henchman and fascist Georgiadis beats the children if they speak their Macedonian tongue, if they wrap their notebooks in red paper, or if they use red ink or red colours.

Second Lieutenant Tagoris is another “great hero”, anti-communist and persecutor of Macedonians. In his slandering of communism in our district, he does not even shrink from such nonsense as saying we are not communists but rather Bulgarian Komitajis etc.

Not long ago, a number of Macedonian comrades were arrested, and Tagoris threatened them with grave consequences if they did not stop agitating among youth. A number of other comrades, Prosfigis, (90) were arrested together with them. They were repeatedly told that the local people (91) were Bulgarian and Komitajis.

To these agents of capitalism the Macedonians keep repeating that they cannot be intimidated by anything and that they will continue their struggle until they attain their full liberation.

Voden, June 6, 1934

A Macedonian correspondent

“Rizospastis” ar. 105 (7042), VI 1934 s. I.

(90) Christian population of multi-national composition, colonized, following the Greco-Turkish war, the part of Macedonia which had been annexed by Greece.

(91) This refers to Macedonians.

(Page 68, The University of “Cyril and Methodius”, Documents on the Struggle of the Macedonian People for Independence and a Nation-State, Volume II)

MACEDONIANS IN THE ANTI-FASCIST FRONT

June 8, 1934

Lerin

- It has been some time now that the whole bourgeois press has launched a campaign against the Macedonian people. It represents a part of the fascist and military measures which the Government of Tsaldaris carries out in its orientation towards on increasingly brutal oppression of the people’s masses in Macedonia.

This campaign is waged not only by the bourgeois press but also by all the other agents of Greek capitalism. The Chief of the Security Service here, Karamaunas, whenever he meets us in the streets, threatens us with the words: “You are Bulgarians and if by any chance I discover any sort of organized movement, I will beat you without mercy and then I will deport you”.

We Macedonians should rise with greater courage and by means of increased activities should reject this campaign because it brings us an even more brutal oppression, starvation, misery and war. Appropriate activities have also been undertaken at the Anti-Fascist Congress. Five hundred drahmas were donated to cover the expenses of our representative. However, this will not do. We should start forming anti-fascist associations, and we should bravely reject the yoke imposed by our oppressors, and create a free and independent Macedonia.

A nationally conscious Macedonian

“Rizospastis” ar. 87 (7074), 8. VI 1934, s. I.

(Pages 68-69, The University of “Cyril and Methodius”, Documents on the Struggle of the Macedonian People for Independence and a Nation-State, Volume II)