CHAPTER SEVEN - DOCUMENTS

CHAPTER SEVEN - DOCUMENTS

INTERIM DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT OF GREECE -MEMORANDUM

In May 1948 the Royal Greek government in Athens sent a petition to the United Nations General Assembly alleging “kidnapping” of Greek children.

In order to refute these allegations coming from the Royal Greek government in Athens, in May 1948 the Interim Democratic Government of Greece sent a memorandum to the United Nations. The Memorandum was signed by General Markos Vafiadis. At the same time Vafiadis submitted copies of this memorandum to the major powers and other governments in the world. On May 26, 1948 the Interim Democratic Government of Greece radio program “Free Greece” made mention of the Memorandum and, among other things, announced the following:

“The Athenian rulers, who themselves have committed so many crimes of which the world is aware, are lately insisting in covering up their ugly deeds with a systematic campaign of lies and slander. To this end, the Athens government has mobilized all types of agents and, often on their instructions, is seeking to turn the United Nations into an offensive weapon for its imperialistic policies. They want the United Nations to spread their lies and slander. Therefore it is our duty to debunk these slanders, which lately have become a regular topic in the Monarcho-Fascist propaganda. This is a program to protect the children…

The Athenian rulers have taken advantage of the situation and are abusing it to slander us. Archbishop Damaskinos, in a telegram he sent us, has alleged that the Interim Democratic Government of Greece is kidnapping children, allegedly intending to turn them into enemies of Greece. We would like to remind you that during Hitler’s occupation of Greece, Archbishop Damaskinos advised the ministers to take the Nazi oath and later, in December 1944, he approved of the terror the Athens government was perpetrating

against its own people. He has also participated in anti-Greek incidents in Greece.

The aim of the Greek Monarcho-Fascists was and remains the same; the extinction of all those who want freedom and independence. But this is not all about extermination of only those who took part in the liberation struggle; this applies to all citizens who don’t support and assist the Monarcho-Fascists.

There are over 50,000 people in Greece today who are in prison in the Greek concentration camps. To date 7,000 people have been executed in Greece. We need to mention that the majority of these Greeks are killed simply because they have not renounced the struggle and because they took part in the resistance movement against the Nazis. The majority of these people, whose cases are heard in the military courts, are accused of fighting in the ranks of ELAS. This is the only evidence brought against them by which the courts find them guilty.

Around 7,000 people, men, women and children, were driven out of their homes and herded into the cities where hunger, disease and the cold have literally destroyed them. The unarmed civilian population in free Greece has been systematically attacked, causing numerous casualties primarily in women and children. The blockades enacted in the liberated areas, implemented by Athenian politicians, are there to prevent food from reaching the free zones which have always been supplied by the cities.

Facing this situation, mothers in the liberated areas could not calmly stand to watch their children die of hunger or live in constant danger of being struck by bombs. And so these Greek mothers urged our government to help move their children to neighbouring countries in order to escape these dangers. We contacted many charities abroad and they in turn responded. And we joyfully established that the charities of the democratic women have accepted our request to protect and care for these innocent victims of the inhumane Athens government.

And so, on the initiative of their parents, 10,000 Greek children were transferred outside of the Greek border. Realizing that its plan

to eradicate the population in the liberated areas had failed, the self-proclaimed Athens government launched a campaign of lies and slander, claiming that we allegedly kidnapped children and this began by us removing these children from the areas adjacent to the liberated areas, where in fact it was their gendarmes and soldiers who took children from the arms of their mothers without consent and delivered them to the cities where they were put to work as servants in the homes of wealthy families.

The Interim Democratic Government of Greece made sure no child was sent abroad without consent and with the persistent desire of its parents. It was the Monarcho-Fascists who took the children hostage in the cities despite disapproval from the parents. On the issue of being a crime to ‘take children’? That crime does exist but one needs to look in the Monarcho-Fascist camp to find it.

The Interim Democratic Government of Greece, being faithful to the ideals of democracy and peace, will protect all Greek people, including the children, from today’s terror perpetrated by the Monarcho-Fascist regime in occupied Greece. On behalf of the Greek people the Interim Democratic Government of Greece wishes to express its gratitude to all the Greek people who have helped it in the past and will help it over the period until it establishes national independence and freedom in Greece.” (Radio “Free Greece” May 26, 1948)