[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 40 (Friday, March 3, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E511-E512]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                         THE OSCE AND MACEDONIA

                                 ______


                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 3, 1995
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, last week the states belonging 
to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe--the OSCE--
adopted a statement in Vienna regarding the escalation of ethnic 
tensions in Macedonia and the events that are causing this escalation. 
Some members of the ethnic Albania community of that country have 
sought to open their own Albanian-language university, and the 
resulting confrontation with the authorities became violent on February 
17, leading to the death of one Albanian and the injury of dozens of 
individuals, including several police officers. Of course, there are 
now mutual recriminations regarding how the violence started.
  As Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, I want to note and lead my 
support to the path outlined in the OSCE statement, which calls on all 
parties to exercise restraint, to strengthen the dialogue and to 
maintain an open-minded attitude in order to overcome the problems 
between them. It also indicates the willingness of the OSCE High 
Commissioner for National Minorities and the OSCE Monitoring Mission in 
Macedonia to contribute as they can to the alleviation of tensions.
  I support this, because the differences which exist in Macedonia 
today can, in fact, be worked out peacefully. To allow the tensions to 
worsen unnecessarily not only would be destabilizing to Macedonia, but 
potentially to an entire Balkan region where there is already too much 
tension and violence.
  In regard to the effort to establish a university in the city of 
Tetovo, provisions of the OSCE--and specifically the Copenhagen 
document of 1990--state that national minorities do have the right to 
establish and maintain their own educational and cultural institutions, 
as well as unimpeded contacts among themselves and with citizens of 
other states with common ethnic origin. The Macedonian Government is 
not obliged to fund, accredit or even recognize this university, but to 
consider the institution illegal--and to physically destroy last 
December the building in which it was originally opened--violates the 
spirit, if not the letter, of these provisions.
  Mr. Speaker, if some segments of the Albanian community in Macedonia 
genuinely have as their objective a solid educational institution for 
the benefit of the people of their community, they should make sure 
that education is not used instead to provoke tension or incite 
violence. While there are ample grounds for criticism of the Macedonian 
Government, as I have just expressed, there is also reason to believe 
that minority-related issues, including education, can be 
satisfactorily addressed in a far less confrontational manner.
  I would urge all sides to address education and other minority-
related questions through dialogue, and the authorities to move more 
quickly on needed educational reforms. In the meantime, those ethnic 
Albanian leaders arrested for incitement during the February 17th 
incident are entitled to the protection of their rights, and any 
judicial proceedings should ensure due process in their regard.
  [[Page E512]] Mr. Speaker, I would hope that assurances of full 
protection for human rights could be made and timely reforms could be 
forthcoming. While I recognize that Macedonia is not a member of the 
OSCE, Macedonia is not excused from complying with international human 
rights standards.


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