Helsinki Committee of Macedonia 

Violence - precedent that cannot be repeated
 

The Helsinki Human Rights Committee has made a public announcement, which says: ...The violence cannot and must not be seen as part of the activities for human rights protection. Accepting the situation of changes done in a violent way has to be seen as a lack of power of those involved to find another way for solving problems, and not as an alternative that can be applied every time there is a dissatisfaction of system's functioning.

In this context, the Helsinki Human Rights Committee of the Republic of Macedonia, has followed the procedure for adopting the Law for changes and supplements of the Law for special rights for security forces and their families with great concern.

Not entering the political games that stand behind certain statements of the Macedonian MPs, we consider that some representatives of the Albanian community have sent a wrong message from speaker's platform and in the process of (non) voting

From the legal aspect, the above-mentioned Law treats only with the rights and benefits of the Ministry of Defense regular forces' representatives (regardless of their ethnic origin). This Law cannot regulate in any respect the financial refund for NLA members and we think that those who identified NLA members with the terms "fighters" and "victims", under the wings of the Ohrid Framework Agreement and the Law for amnesty, have done a terrible mistake. The term amnesty itself, explains that we are talking about people who have committed (serious) crime. At the very moment when these people took weapons in their hands, thus trying to change something in the society - have committed a crime. We cannot ignore the fact that the security forces, especially the Para security forces, have had their "sins", which we stated in several occasions. However, that is not a ground to say that NLA members had not done illegal deeds. On the contrary, with the very act of passing a Law for amnesty, the fact that NLA members have committed serious crimes - even against the lives and integrity of people - was confirmed.

The announcement states that NLA members should be given a chance to re-socialise, and that the real victims should be refunded (regardless of their ethnic origin). However, they say..."we do not agree with the identification of the security forces with criminals, especially not murderers. We do not agree with any message that calls for repeating the precedent, and let all those who are not satisfied with this or that, take weapons in their hands and become heroes. On the contrary, the message should say that: we will not let the precedent repeat all everyone who commits crime will be punished (those in and without uniform).

Due to all this, the Helsinki Committee appeals to the Albanian community MPs and Government representatives to oppose all tendencies for raising the use of force to the level of legitimate means of political fight"

 
M.I.