CONSTITUTION - Part 01

CONSTITUTION

Of the United Macedonian Organization “Ilinden” (OMO “Ilinden”) in Pirin Macedonia

Article 1 OMO “Ilinden” aims to unite all Macedonians, citizens of the People's Republic of Bulgaria, on cultural grounds.

Article 2 In accordance with Article 19 of the Helsinki Declaration of Human Rights and Article 52 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bulgaria, OMO “Ilinden” will seek to recognize the rights of Macedonians in Bulgaria.

Article 3 OMO “Ilinden” will establish itself as follows; a) Branches of OMO “Ilinden” will be set up in every village; b) Each Branch will be led by a local leadership body; c) OMO “Ilinden” at its highest levels will be guided by a Coordinating Committee based in the city Blagoevgrad.

Article 4 Anyone can become a member of OMO “Ilinden”, regardless of gender, language, religion, party affiliation, or social status, provided the person is not compromised by dishonesty and immorality.

Article 5 А person can become a member of OMO “Ilinden” by submitting an application to their local branch.

Article 6 Any members who violate the Constitution of the Organization will be expelled.

Article 7 OMO “Ilinden” is a voluntary organization. Members can leave of their own will.

Article 8 OMO “Ilinden” will not violate the territorial integrity of the People's Republic of Bulgaria.

Article 9 OMO “Ilinden” will not be involved in violent, brutal, inhumane and illegal acts in order to achieve its goals.

Article 10 OMO “Ilinden” is against any kind of separatism, nationalism, chauvinism, assimilation and genocide.

Article 11 OMO “Ilinden” will support the right to self-determination of every person, regardless of their ethnic and religious affiliation.

Article 12 Members of OMO “Ilinden” are obliged to help each other like brothers.

Article 13 The organization will assist morally and materially all its members who are destitute (repressed or improperly removed from their job).

Article 14 To the outside world, OMO “Ilinden” will be represented by its Governing Body: President, Secretary and Speaker.

Article 15 The Coordinating Council will consist of 11 members, including: President, Vice President, Secretary, Chief Coordinator and Speaker.

Article 16 The Coordinating Council will be elected by majority vote for a period of one year.

Article 17 OMO “Ilinden” will hold a Congress once every year on August 2 – on Ilinden, the day in 1903 when the Macedonian Uprising against the Ottomans took place.

Article 18 The highest governing body of all OMO “Ilinden” activities will be the Congress. The Coordinating Council will be accountable to the Congress. The Congress will elect the Coordinating Council and assign a position to each member.

Article 19 OMO “Ilinden” will be financed by membership fees, voluntary contributions etc… and by other means in accordance with the laws of the People's Republic of Bulgaria.

Article 20 OMO “Ilinden” will have its own bank account inside the People's Republic of Bulgaria.

PROGRAM

Of the United Macedonian Organization “Ilinden” (OMO “Ilinden”). 1. OMO “Ilinden” will popularize Macedonian history and culture and make it known to the entire world. 2. OMO “Ilinden” will protect Macedonia’s history, culture and traditions through propaganda, education and science. 3. OMO “Ilinden” will provide a free forum to express alternative views on Macedonia’s social and political development. 4. OMO “Ilinden” will maintain close links with organized Macedonians living abroad. 5. OMO “Ilinden” will cooperate with all organizations, associations, unions, political parties, state institutions, governments and others who are prepared to have dialog on equal terms. 6. OMO “Ilinden” will attend official celebrations of events and personalities. 7. OMO “Ilinden” will generate propaganda about itself and prepare it for mass distribution by any means possible. 8. OMO “Ilinden” will liaise with all cultural institutions and invite lecturers to give presentations on the history of Macedonia and the Macedonian people. 9. OMO “Ilinden” will have its own emblem and seal. 10. OMO “Ilinden” will work to help the Bulgarian state through economic, spiritual, environmental and social crises. 11. OMO “Ilinden” will liaise with all religious sects in the country and abroad. So, this is OMO “Ilinden’s” Constitution and Program. As everyone can see there is no information that suggests, even in the slightest, that there are violations of the territorial integrity of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria. Why then do they call us separatists, traitors, emissaries of Skopje, agents of Belgrade and so on?! Shortly after OMO “Ilinden” was created we decided to partake in the 1990 annual celebration of Yane Sandanski’s tragic death. This was our crucial test and it happened to take place on the75th anniversary of Yane Sandanski’s death; a man who the Macedonian people deservedly called “Pirin Tsar” and the Turkish Sultan called “Sandan Pasha”. Yane Sandanski was one of the longest lasting fighters of the Macedonian uprising against the Ottomans. He fought for eighteen long years. He was a true son of Mother Macedonia. He never surrendered his weapons; he never stopped fighting for an autonomous Macedonia and he fought against foreign propaganda originating from Bulgaria,

Serbia and Greece. He disliked the Balkan governments, but mostly he disliked the Bulgarian government. Several assassination attempts were made on Sandanski’s life, mostly by paid assassins paid by the Bulgarian government, including one in Solun and one in Sofia. At the end, on April 22, 1915, Macedonia’s enemies rejoiced. A number of mercenaries ambushed Sandanski in the dense forests in Pirin Mountain. He was alone but this son of Macedonia, born in the village Vlahi in Pirin Macedonia, fought fiercely and gallantly in this uneven struggle, until he was mortally wounded. The entire Macedonian Nation from all over Pirin Macedonia grieved for him and showed its respects, a sign of love and reverence. A magnificent funeral was held for him at the Rozhen monastery near the church he had built himself. Also, as a sign of immense respect and deep admiration for the work and sacrifices of this immortal son of Mother Macedonia, we the members and supporters of OMO “Ilinden”, organized and carried out a glorious celebration in his honour. Unfortunately we had to go through many great obstacles and endure much physical and psychological stress, in order to pay our respects and show the whole world that Yane Sandanski still has followers in Pirin Macedonia and that a Macedonian nation exists and that Macedonian people live in Bulgaria today. The official Bulgarian government banned OMO “Ilinden” from gathering and from paying its respects to Sandanski but granted the vrhovists permission to do the same the day before on April 21st! The vrhovists were also provided with free transportation from Petrich, Gotse Delchev, Sofia and other places, for the sole purpose of attending the celebration and in hopes of attracting a larger crowd. On top of that, music bands and famous entertainers were hired to perform, even Bishop Pimen from Nevrokop was asked to attend, but in the end the vrhovist celebration turned out to be a flop. Despite all they had done they still failed to bring the thousands of people they were expecting. How ironic that the descendents of those who brutally murdered Yane Sandanski 75 years before now came to bow before him and pay their respects, a man who they hated for everything that he stood for. What irony of fate it is that they, the enemies of the Macedonian people, would now come and shed crocodile tears at a man’s grave whom for generations they despised! But there are true Macedonian people in Pirin Macedonia, people who are still alive and well and know that Yane Sandanski would want them to honour him properly and candidly!

The proof of this can be found on April 22, 1990 when, despite all odds, 10,000 true Macedonians rose to the occasion and gathered at Rozhen Monastery and properly paid their respects to the great Macedonian son. Despite being banned, despite their transportation being seized and despite all other obstacles placed before them, the true Macedonians came and did what they intended to do, properly honour Sandanski. OMO “Ilinden” organizers had prepaid for bus transportation from Petrich, Sandanski, Blagoevgrad, Mikrevo, Kresna etc. to take the people to Rozhen Monastery, but the Bulgarian authorities refused to allow the buses to leave the depots! But all this did not dampen the spirits and enthusiasm of the participants! Many found other forms of transportation and came to the event. They came to be part of not only the celebration but of the newly formed all Macedonian OMO “Ilinden” organization of which they had heard so much! In spite of all the risks and chances that they took, our brave patriotic Macedonian organizers and speakers from Blagoevgrad and Sandanski were able to put on an amazing historic show for the 10,000 supporters of OMO “Ilinden”. But before the celebration began, when a few members from the OMO “Ilinden” Coordinating Council were gathered on stage deciding the agenda, the Sandanski Prosecutor came on stage and asked: “Which one of you is Stoian Georgiev?” Without any hesitation I said: “I am Stoian Georgiev! Who are you and what do you want?” He then said: “I am the Sandanski Municipality Prosecutor and as you know you are forbidden from having this celebration!” “No we are not!” I replied. “We sent you a letter and informed you that today April 22, 1990 we would be holding a celebration here at the “Rozhenski Monastery” locality in honour of the 75th anniversary of Yane Sandanski’s tragic death.” “Yeah, I got your letter and I answered it. My answer was that we do not approve of your celebration!” he exclaimed. “But we did not receive such a response!” I replied. And that was the truth. “Well then, I am informing you right now!” he said. I looked around for a moment and with my hand I pointed to the crowd and said: “Do you see the large crowd gathering? That crowd came here to hear what we have to say. They didn’t come here to listen to you, Mr. Prosecutor!” “Know that you will bear full responsibility for all the consequences of this!” he said. “Yes, I will take full responsibility!” I replied conclusively and harshly. With those words the prosecutor turned away and slowly came down off the stage while witnessing first hand a real Macedonian celebration, honouring the proud king of Pirin. At the same time all around us the place was buzzing with MVR agents and servants of the

state in civilian clothes watching and listening, waiting to see and hear what would happen. Five papers were read on stage about Sandanski’s legendary life and contributions. The “Miss Stone” affair in the early twentieth century brought Sandanski and Macedonia into the limelight all around the world. The speakers who, for two long hours, addressed the audience about the historical injustices of Europe, which in 1913 partitioned Macedonia into three parts, were greeted with tumultuous applause. I read a paper on contemporary Bulgarian Party practices regarding the Macedonian Question, which was later published in the magazine “21” - Skopje, under the title “The Proud Voice of Pirin” Here is what I said: “Thank God, we lived to see the time finally come on November 10, 1989 when we conscientiously witnessed a BKP and SDS rally, in the “Macedonia” square in Blagoevgrad. Finally a single direction from otherwise mutually exclusive parties. We have yet to see their burning passion, anger and bitterness. In as much as SDS is threatening that the “Romanian Timisoara” will be repeated on the Bulgarian scene it still chants “Down BKP”, “BKP -Mafia!”, “Death!” etc. And the Communists say, “We won with blood -with blood we will give up”! This unfortunate Balkan Nation (Bulgaria) is still familiar with the pain of its most recent history. A party here can only come to power with a coup, only after the spilling of fraternal blood. Almost all revolutions have been carried out by hired killers. And hired killers, naturally, used to be found among the Macedonian immigrants in Bulgaria. But that’s another topic. Now we are talking about unity, the unity of the conflicting BKP and SDS parties. Unity built on a possible but elusive idea – great Bulgarian chauvinism. For centuries the same idea, the same thinking has been nurtured; access to the three Seas -Black, Aegean and Adriatic. Only this idea can unite BKP and SDS! Only this kind of deceptive thinking can unite these mutually exclusive competitors. Only this kind of deranged imagination can calm Satan’s wrath. What a wonderful topic it will make for some talented artist to capture this image for future generations; the demonic combat of the “farmers” over a piece of land called Macedonia. The Macedonia for which tons of ink have been used to write about and rivers of fresh young blood spilled to possess it. The very same Macedonia for which there is “no” history of its own. The Macedonia whose territory, paid with the price of thousands of victims, has given us the first Republic in the Balkans – the Krusevo Republic!

The very same Macedonia which gave birth and raised such Macedonian National Revolutionary giants as Gotse Delchev, Damian Gruev, Yane Sandanski and others. That same Macedonia on whose territory the world watched all Balkan wars and tragedies unfold. The same Macedonia which gave the world the largest number of immigrants in the early twentieth century! That Macedonia and those Macedonian people with whom Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece have played politics since 1912 and are still playing politics to this day! That Macedonia whose fate no one can predict! That Macedonia, divided between Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece, a country whose sons and daughters are forced to play the role of experimental mice. And depending in which country those sons and daughters live, they can be called Bulgarians, Greeks and Serbs! Is this not an absurdity for people living in democratic and legal states that have signed the 1946 UN charter for human rights to act in this manner? Is there a world where other people are less fortunate than Macedonians? Are there any other countries divided into three parts?! Why can’t some people understand that Pirin, Vardar and Aegean Macedonia are not zoos under the patronage of Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece where the Macedonian people are experimental mice, whose rights can be broken at the will and pleasure of the Bulgarians, Serbs and Greeks? Do Macedonians have no rights? Our Macedonian brothers and sisters in Yugoslavia fought for their freedom and created the Socialist Republic of Macedonia where one can proudly and without fear say: “I am Macedonian!” The Macedonian language is now freely spoken in the Socialist Republic of Macedonia but in Bulgaria that same language is interpreted as a language full of Serbians words. Perhaps there are some words that have found their way into our language from the Serbian language but most of these words are “modern words” that did not exist in the past. But because today these words are not understood by the Macedonians in Pirin Macedonia, the Bulgarians interpret them as Serbian. But that is the least of our problems. The most important thing about this is that our Macedonian brothers and sisters have their own language, music; the best and most melodious music in the Balkans etc. The situation for the Macedonians in Greece unfortunately is quite different. There our Macedonian brothers and sisters are not allowed to speak their own native language! The Macedonian situation in Bulgaria, under the Zhivkov dynasty, was very delicate and contradictory at best. Unlike in G. Dimitrov’s time when Delchev’s ideals were put into practice in Pirin Macedonia and the Macedonians were allowed to study in the Macedonian

language, in Todor Zhivkov’s time the Macedonians in 1965 were forced to “voluntarily” enroll in Bulgarian schools and voluntarily declare themselves Bulgarians by nationality. What an absurdity! And now, after November 10, 1989, the most responsible members of the government and SDS claim that no Macedonians exist in Bulgaria. The same claims are also made by the representatives of the “Vardar” club and by the Association of Macedonian Cultural and Educational organizations - Sofia. These clubs and associations were created with the blessing of the official Bulgarian government in order to undermine and circumvent the Macedonian people’s right. Therefore to all this, we the inheritors of the legacy of Gotse Delchev, Dame Gruev and Yane Sandanski, declare that: “No one has the right to speak on behalf of the Macedonian people!” Certainly not they! These great Bulgarian chauvinists are protecting the cause in radically different terms from those of the autonomists. The vrhovists have a club close to the “Macedonia” cinema in Sofia, a real ministry, a paid president, secretary, workers and a policeman stationed in front of the club to protect them. And no one has ever asked us, the thousands of repressed Macedonians or so-called “autonomists” of whom hundreds and hundreds have been incarcerated for just being Macedonians and sent to suffer in the camps and prisons of socialist Bulgaria. And what was the “worst crime” of which we were found to be guilty? Being Macedonian of course! And why hasn’t anyone asked how we survived being stuck in these camps and prisons? Does anyone know how many mothers, fathers, wives and children spent their days and nights crying for their loved ones during these forty or so years while this people’s regime has been in power? Does anyone know? If anyone wants to know the real situation in Pirin Macedonia, let them look in the vaults of the State Security Service in Blagoevgrad. There they will find files on hundreds and maybe thousands of Macedonians prosecuted for “offenses” which in civilized countries would be considered exercising “human rights”. Where else in the world is being “Macedonian” a punishable offense? This is sad, truly sad for Bulgaria which pretends to be a legal and civilized state! Even sadder is the Macedonian condition in this country and in Greece where Macedonians are treated like mice in an experimental lab. But Macedonians are not mice; they are a proud people with a glorious past, a people worthy of respect, a people who want to build a future together with the Bulgarian, Greek and Yugoslav people.

If this alternative was understood and accepted by the people of these Balkan countries, if they had known about Macedonia in perpetuity they perhaps would have ceased to create scenes of bloody dramas and regarded Macedonia as a bone of contention. And this would have benefited everyone. The peoples of the Balkan countries will soon be crossing through the threshold of the 21st century as civilized European nations that make up the European family. We are only ten years away from joining the European family, then perhaps out hopes and dreams will finally come true and we from the top of Pirin will be able to say: “Bulgarian brothers, Yugoslav brothers, Greek brothers, we, the Macedonians, want to live in peace with you and with all nations in the world!” Let us now speak the words of the immortal Gotse Delchev who said: “I understand the world solely as a field for cultural competition among nations.””

Petrich, 14.04.1990

April 22nd was a great day of celebration for all members and supporters of OMO “Ilinden” as well as the 10,000 Macedonians who attended the 75th Anniversary event. There were two television crews in attendance, one Bulgarian and a team from TV Skopje, which filmed the entire event. Thanks to these film crews, both friends and enemies of OMO “Ilinden” now had an exact record of all the statements made by the speakers. Today, here in the Republic of Macedonia the people wept with happiness and sadness as they watched the historic Rozhen Monastery event on television. They were sad to have witnessed the suffering of their fellow brethren in Pirin Macedonia and at the same time they were filled with joy to have learned that the Macedonians had not disappeared from Pirin, Macedonia, despite the persistent and oppressive denationalization measures the Bulgarian authorities had undertaken against them! Around 70 to 80 citizens of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia managed to make it to the Rozhen Monastery and had been fortunate to personally witness the event. Those people were truly happy to have been there and seen the 10,000 participants because up to that moment they were not even sure if a Macedonian consciousness existed in Pirin Macedonia. They were also impressed by the speeches and wept when the speakers spoke about Macedonia and its cruel fate. Here is what a friend of mine from the Republic of Macedonia had to say about the Rozhen Monastery celebration:

“What we saw on April 22, 1990 at the Rozhen Monastery cannot be described with simple words. A person had to be there to truly appreciate what happened that day. It was truly a Pirin epic which will be remembered for many years to come and will remind future generations of what OMO “Ilinden” accomplished that day. The small group of people from the Socialist Republic of Macedonia that was present there rejoiced like children because their brothers from Pirin were alive and Macedonia and the Macedonian name - would never perish!” Then twelve days later, May 4, 1990 marked the 87th anniversary of the heroic death of the unforgettable Gotse Delchev, the greatest of the great Macedonian heroes, the great leader of the Macedonian people. On May 4, 1990 around 100 OMO “Ilinden” members gathered together in Blagoevgrad to light candles and lay flowers at Gotse Delchev’s monument, located in the city centre at “Macedonia” square. Here too we were accompanied by vrhovists who arrogantly and violently shouted “traitors”, “Titoists”, “servants of Skopje” and other uncivilized profanities that they carried in their anti-Macedonian arsenal. At one of the OMO “Ilinden” Coordinating Council meetings, a three member delegation was selected to attend an official celebration of the 87th anniversary of Gotse Delchev’s death, in Skopje. So on May 3rd, 1990 Teodosei Popov, a member of the Coordination Council, Pavel Ivanov, a member of OMO “Ilinden” and I left for the Republic of Macedonia. We went by car up to Zlatarevo. My wife had come with us to take the car back. Beyond that we had made an agreement with our friends from the Yugoslav side to wait for us at the border. We passed through Bulgarian Customs without any problems. They searched our luggage and then let us go. As expected there was a car waiting for us on the Macedonian side of the border which took us straight to Skopje and dropped us off at a hotel. The next day, May 4th, at 10 o’clock in the morning we arrived at Gotse Delchev’s grave where I was invited to say a few words on behalf of the OMO “Ilinden” Organization. This was the first time that I spoke in front of so many people and naturally I was a bit nervous. In my speech I said that besides Alexander the Great of Macedonia there has never been a bigger, brighter and warmer personality than Gotse Delchev. His name and work, like a rosy dawn, will eternally shine and illuminate the three parts of Macedonia. I also said a few words about our struggle in the Pirin part of Macedonia which was led under very difficult conditions. I was interrupted by tumultuous applause several times. The people in attendance seemed happy because there were representatives from our organization at this important event.

In the afternoon we were taken to TV Skopje where Teodosei read the Constitution and Program of our Organization. After that we met with reporters and historians at the Macedonian Institute of National History. Our visit in Skopje went very well. On May 5th our friends took us back to the border. Unfortunately the Bulgarian border authorities confiscated all the books we were given. They even confiscated our video cassette of the Rozhen Monastery event, given to me by the director of RTV Skopje, which to this day has not been returned to me. The next Saturday the Coordinating Council of OMO “Ilinden” held a meeting in the city Sandanski. After a turbulent debate the members present gave our three day performance in the Republic of Macedonia a very good assessment. After that I returned to my job at the school where I worked in the investment service and this is how I passed my days in Petrich and in Pirin Macedonia. At the same time we submitted an application to register our Organization at the District Court in Blagoevgrad. Now I want to take you forward to May 19, 1990 when, after sleeping on the shores of beautiful Lake Doiran, I attended a meeting held at the Yugoslav-Greek border near Gevgelia. Many people had gathered there, I would estimate about forty thousand. The place even had a stage. There I was introduced to Vasil Tupurkovski, whom I recognized from seeing him on Skopje television, when he spoke at a rally on February 20, 1990, in support of the national rights of the Macedonian people in Pirin Macedonia. In the afternoon the organizers took a break from delivering speeches and at that point gave the microphone to Dr. Vasil Tupurkovski then President of SFR Yugoslavia. Dr. Tupurkovski delivered a dismal speech during which he said he would take full responsibility for the termination of the presidential transition. His speech was accompanied by tumultuous applause from the forty thousand present. Then when, through the loudspeakers, they announced that the gathering would be addressed by the President of OMO “Ilinden”, Stoian Georgiev, thousands of our supporters and admirers welcomed me with applause. I spoke briefly but with intonation. What I said was recorded on tape exactly as I said it, but my speech was interrupted several times by applause. When I was finished, the entire crowd chanted “Ma-ke-do-ni-a! Ma-ke-do-ni-a!!!!” In the evening we left for Skopje. We stopped on the way so that I could call my wife and invited her to join me in Skopje. Three days

later she arrived but did not stay for long. I remained in the Republic of Macedonia until July 10 after which I left for Copenhagen. I was invited to go to Copenhagen to join the all-Macedonian delegation there and, as a representative of OMO “Ilinden” from Pirin Macedonia, participate in the CSCE Conference on the Human Dimension. Before I left for Copenhagen I went to Belgrade to get a visa, but without success. The Danish Embassy refused to give it to me and advised that I go to Sofia and apply there. If they wouldn’t give me a visa in Belgrade I was sure that they wouldn’t give me one in Sofia, it wasn’t in Bulgaria’s interest. So I took my chances and boarded the plane in Belgrade without a visa. After flying for two and a half hours over a sea of clouds, we finally began to descend over Denmark, whose territory was marked by a network of water canals. We were happy to have landed at the airport in Copenhagen. The airport had a modern customs building, the type I had never seen before. It was clean and beautiful! I don’t believe we have anything like it in the Balkans! Everyone from our delegation went through customs without any difficulty except for me. They held me back because I did not have a visa. But thanks to Georgi Savov, the man who had come to get us from the airport, he was able to convince the Danish authorities to allow me entry. After forty minutes of explaining and pleading they finally stamped the visa on my passport and I was in and able to attend the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, held in the “White Centre” in Copenhagen. The first day our delegation was led by Giorgi Dimitrovski from Skopje. The second day we were joined by two very intelligent Macedonian gentlemen from Australia, Michael Radin and Chris Popov. These gentlemen, along with the couple Mary and Traian Dimitriou from Canada, were the soul of our all-Macedonian delegation. They diplomatically led the talks with the different representatives from about 25 non-governmental delegations from the various European countries. In the spotlight, naturally because the human rights struggle is waged in Greece and Bulgaria, were Risto Sideropoulos from Solun and myself. Risto was President of the Human Rights Movement of the Macedonians in the Aegean part of Macedonia. Risto spoke in Greek while Traian Dimitriou translated for him in English. I spoke Bulgarian and Chris Popov translated for me in English. I led my own dialog in French with the French delegation. In the middle of the talks we had to switch tactics. In the beginning representatives of the other delegations asked us questions and we

answered them. All the diplomats got to know who we were, where we came from, what we wanted etc. And we knew nothing about them. We didn’t even know if they knew that Macedonians existed and that a Macedonian nation existed. This made me want to ask questions like if they knew anything about us Macedonians before we came to the CSCE Forum in Copenhagen. So my first question was directed to the English delegation: I said: “Do any of you gentlemen know that Macedonian people exist today in the Balkans, in Bulgaria and in Greece and do you know what is happening with them?” One of the English diplomats smiled and answered the question quite seriously: “Of course we know! We know very well that Macedonians live in Bulgaria and Greece and what has been happening to these people!” Risto Sideropoulos had already explained how the Greeks treated the Macedonians in Greece, those living in Aegean Macedonia. I had explained about the hundreds, maybe the thousands of Macedonians sent to prison camps and prisons in “socialist” Bulgaria just because they felt like Macedonians and wanted to enjoy their national and human rights taken away from them in 1948. I then posed the following question to the U.S. representatives: “If the Bulgarian government continues to act against the Macedonian people in the same way as it has up to now, will the Americans do something?” Here is what one of them said: “Please, take my card. If any of you are arrested for asking for your rights, call this number 202-225-1901, it belongs to the White House. We will not allow, even for an hour, anyone to lie in prison as a political prisoner.” We, from the all-Macedonian delegation, thanked Mr. Orest S. Doichak for his kind words and for pledging hope that democracy would continue to flow into the Balkans, and that the prospect for resolving the Macedonian question would not be far. At that point one of the U.S. representatives had a question for us. He asked: “How do you see the Macedonian question being solved?” “Europe and the Balkans without borders where the Macedonian people will be the unifying link between all Balkan peoples. There is no doubt that Macedonia is the key to Balkan unity. We must fight for the spiritual unification of all the Macedonian people from all three parts of Macedonia. We must also be recognized as Macedonians and our national and human rights respected as we respect the rights of other nations and minorities,” was our reply. Almost all of our conversations with the other delegations were led by our Macedonian delegates from Canada and Australia. I best remember a conversation I had with the Bulgarian delegation headed by Georgi Dimitrov. I had a few questions I wanted them to answer.

I said: “Comrades, please answer the following questions for me; 1. Is there a Macedonian nation living in Bulgaria or not? 2. What kind of people live is the Socialist Republic of Macedonia -Bulgarian or Macedonian? 3. Will OMO “Ilinden” be registered as a legal organization or not? 4. If OMO “Ilinden” is not registered what will happen to its members?” I was given the following answers: “To your first question, we urge every person to alone determine if they are Bulgarian or Macedonian in accordance with their own conscience.” To that answer I replied: “Bravo!” This complies with the human rights documents that Bulgaria has signed. “To the question regarding the Macedonian nation, we say that we support the March 6, 1990 Declaration of the National Assembly of the People's Republic of Bulgaria which states that there exists no Macedonian nation and no Macedonian people.” “To the question regarding the kind of people that live in SR Macedonia, from everything we have said so far we would say Bulgarians!” “We can’t tell you anything about OMO “Ilinden” and its status!” I thanked the Bulgarian delegates for their answers and said: “Now I will give you my answer the same questions: 1. A Macedonian nation does exist. Macedonian people do live in the three parts of Macedonia, even though some people don’t like to admit it. The Macedonian nation is recognized by all the countries in the world except for Bulgaria and Greece. 2. The Bulgarian mass media has repeatedly said that if a census is carried out in the Socialist Republic of Macedonia under the protection of the United Nations, 90% of the population will declare itself Bulgarian. I say that that is a big lie which the Bulgarians want us, the Macedonians living in Pirin Macedonia, to believe. Before I came to Copenhagen, I visited SR Macedonia and wherever I went I asked people: ‘Brothers, what are you? Bulgarians, Serbians, Greeks, or something else?’ and all the answers I got were the same: ‘We are Macedonians and nothing else!’ People there found it odd that I would even ask such questions! 3. You have stated many times that the Macedonians from Pirin and Vardar Macedonia are Bulgarians but why have you been silent about the supposed “Bulgarians” in Aegean Macedonia? Is this compensation for the Greeks who maintain that a Macedonian nation does not exist? So to placate the Greeks you removed the label “Bulgarians” from the people who live in that part of Macedonia! Right?

4. Since you insist on saying that no Macedonian nation and no Macedonian people exist, then ask these people sitting across from you what they are. Ask the all-Macedonian delegation members who flew thousands of miles to come here from Australia, America and Canada and those from the European countries. Ask them if they are Bulgarians or Macedonians? Here they are, sitting in front of you - go ahead, ask them!” I concluded. Nobody said a word. Only Gotse Davidov, the engineer representing the Macedonians from Czechoslovakia said: “What in God’s name do these Bulgarians want from us…?” This is how our conversation with the Bulgarian delegation ended. On Friday, July 15 a press conference was held in the halls of the White Centre, during which our all-Macedonian delegation met with reporters. Naturally the press conference was also attended by members of the Bulgarian and Greek delegation. I spoke to reporters first and told them about our situation as Macedonians in Bulgaria. My speech was interrupted by a professor from the Bulgarian delegation who said: “Mr. Georgiev, why didn’t you come to us to the Human Rights Committee in Sofia and tell us your problems before coming here to this great forum? There, I believe we could have answered your Macedonian question.” I said to the professor: “With all due respect Professor, did you just fall from Mars? Why do you talk like that? Do you know how many people were sent to the prison camps because they simply felt Macedonian? I am one of those people, if you care to know, I am one of them! I was in prison twice, four years each time!” I got a bit excited as I spoke in a bitter tone. Deep in my heart I felt embittered from the difficult days that I had spent in that country and by the betrayal of people like this man who tried to make light of my difficult situation. After my little outburst not a word was heard from the Bulgarian delegation. When Risto Sideropoulos from Solun spoke to the press about the difficulties of the Macedonian people in Greece, he too was interrupted by Samaris, a Greek Professor who said: “Listen to him ladies and gentlemen, he speaks perfect Greek. He is lying to you, he is not Macedonian, he is Greek!” After someone translated for Risto in Greek what the Professor had said in English, Risto replied to him in poor Macedonian. Risto said: “How can I speak Macedonian dear Professor when in my entire life I have been learning to speak Greek? My mother and father spoke a bit of Macedonian, but they were prohibited from speaking it to me. We are prohibited from learning Macedonian. Macedonian was not taught in school and it was prohibited from being

spoken in public and in private. So how was I supposed to learn Macedonian my dear Professor?” The Greek professor, like the Bulgarian professor had no words with which to respond. When Risto was finished talking I spoke and said: “Ladies and gentlemen, do you see the tragedy of the wretched Macedonian people in the Balkans? Risto comes from a Macedonian family from Aegean Macedonia now in Greece and cannot speak his native Macedonian language. Not because he doesn’t want to but because he is denied that opportunity by the Greek state. I come from a Macedonian family from Pirin Macedonia in Bulgaria and I too cannot speak the Macedonian language, not because I don’t want to but because I am denied that opportunity by the Bulgarian state. Risto and I are brothers, we are one people; we are Macedonians! Risto and thousands like him who live in Greece want to learn Macedonian but are not allowed to, by the Greek state. I too and thousands of others like me who live in Bulgaria want to learn Macedonian but we too are not allowed by the Bulgarian state! What a wretched and torn apart people we Macedonians are! We are one and the same people, but in Bulgaria they say we are Bulgarians, in Greece they say we are Greeks and in Serbia they say we are Serbians! Perhaps civilized Europe can help these Balkan countries become a bit more civilized? Europe needs to know that if the Macedonian Question is not solved there will never be peace in the Balkans and Macedonia will forever remain the arena for bloody dramas and a bone of contention. All Balkan powers should realize that their way to Europe passes through Macedonia!” After I was done talking there was an outburst of applause from the audience at the press conference. The Greek CSCE officials embarrassed themselves in front of the entire world when one of them attempted, several times, to secretly remove documents submitted by our delegation. Unfortunately for him and for Greece he was caught and reprimanded by the CSCE President. The story about this was printed in three different Danish newspapers. When I returned from Copenhagen I found out that Georgi Margaritov, President of the Bulgarian vrhovist Cultural and Educational Society “Todor Aleksandrov”, from my own town Petrich, on May 25th, 1990 had written a letter to the CSCE President in Copenhagen to inform him that I was mentally ill, that I was a self-appointed president, etc. I personally had the opportunity to read a copy of that letter, which I then filed in the archives of our Organization. Stoian Boiadzhiev, a representative of the puppet organization the “Union of Macedonian Cultural and Educational Societies” in Sofia, wrote an article published in the “Diagol”, a Sofia based newspaper. In

the article he said: “Before leaving for Copenhagen, Stoian Georgiev spent a week in Skopje being “educated”. He then traveled to Denmark with a Yugoslav visa. There, Mr. Georgiev could not answer any of the questions asked. The only thing he revealed was that he had been sent to jail twice, each time serving a four year sentence regarding the Macedonian question. But we have reliable information that proves that Georgiev was sent to prison for criminal activities. Soon we will be receiving documents from the Blagoevgrad Court which will prove to the entire world that Georgiev is a criminal.” Soon after the article was published I wrote a rebuttal to Boiadzhiev’s article and sent it to the same newspaper but unfortunately it was not published. I gather because it was not in Mr. Boiadziev’s or in Bulgaria’s interest to publish it! In my letter I wrote that a person should, above all, have a conscience and some morals not to write such nonsense and not to embarrass himself in public. If I was in Mr. Boiadzhiev’s place, after writing such a letter full of lies and hurtful things, I would have hidden in a deep hole underground where no one could find me! How could I possibly write something I had not seen, not even in a dream, about a person?! I was in Copenhagen from the 10th to the 17th of June 1990; if Mr. Boiadzhiev was truly there he was probably there after I left Copenhagen for Bulgaria. We did not meet, we did not see each other, nor did we speak on the telephone. I think this incident deserves a bit more attention. Incidents such as this are indicative of the state of affairs in Bulgaria. They demonstrate the extent the Bulgarian government will go to discredit the Macedonian cause and to prove that the leadership of OMO “Ilinden” is without morals and that we, the Macedonian people, are nothing more than criminals! Over one hundred articles have been published in Bulgarian newspapers attacking our Organization. To this day not one of our rebuttals has been published. One time we were invited to meet with President Zheliu Zhelev, the current President of Bulgaria. When we arrived he was not there! The five of us, all members of the OMO “Ilinden” Coordinating Council, were received by Georgi Avramov, Zheliu Zhelev’s Secretary. He promised me that he would submit my article entitled “The clouds are growing thick over Pirin” for publishing in the opposition newspaper “Democracy”. That too never happened. My article was never published, neither were the many letters that we sent to the National Assembly of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria. Following is the article that was never published:

“The clouds are growing thick over Pirin