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Stop brutality on the part of the cross-border police
Tirana, 6.10.2003
Some days ago a group of representatives of the publishing
houses in Tirana, with the invitation of the Albanian publishers in Macedonia,
set out to participate in the fifth book fair in Tetovo. They had a quantity of
books with them to be exhibited in this fair. They were equipped with regular
visas. However, the Macedonian Police stopped them only because they had books
in the Albanian language. Under these conditions, the representatives of the
publishing houses, were forced to turn back to the Albanian cross-border point.
The next day, after some interventions, they were allowed to
cross the border and arrived in Tetovo one day later after the opening of the
fair. It is worth mentioning that the Macedonian Police behaved not only
brutally but also offendingly, but they dared write on their passports that the
books were to be returned home.
Albanian Heklsinki Committee strongly condemns this arbitrary,
brutal, insulting and discriminating act versus the Albanian intellectuals and
the progressive culture. It is not the only and single case that the Macedonian
Police has acted this way. The same attitude has been demonstrated versus the
representatives of the Albanian Publishing Houses even in the same previous
fairs arranged in Macedonia.
Albanian Helsinki Committtee considers this not as an accidental
case, but as a many-year lasting practice that has not been condemned and
prevented despite the reactions addressed. AHC avails itself of this opportunity
to recall that some years ago,The Macedonisn Cross-Border Police, banned and
never returned to the leaders of this Committee about 200 volumes in the
Albanian language. They were translations of the international instruments such
as The European Convention of Human Rights, the Universal Declaration of United
Nations, the Convention against Torture, Context-Convention of Copenhagen, etc.
It is inconceivable that such phenomena like the above-mentiones
ones, occur at a time when both nations are aspiring to be integrated into the
Euro-Atlantic structures, when there have been committments to further
strengthen the bilateral relationships. It is to be regretted that such
reiterated cases occur after Ohrid agreement. AHC shares the conviction that the
book fairs (thus the book fair arranged in Tetovo) serve to the acquaintance
with the cultures, as well as to experience exchange.
The book published in the Albanian language has no harmful
effects if it is distributed and read by the citizens of another democratic
country. Instead such initiatives need to be promoted. It is no use setting
barriers, censuring or banning books in the Albanian language. They are neither
drugs nor weapons that poison, kill and destabilize. They are a modest part of
the porgressive Balkan and world culture, and as such, they are entitled to a
free movement as the people are.
Albanian Helsinki Committee suggests to the Albanian Government
and particularly to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, not only to react vis-a vis
such cases, but also to get a guarantee by the respective Macedonian bodies that
these cases will not be reiterated in the future.
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