GREEK PROBLEMS
Speech by Dr.Thalis Mylonas
Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher, said that social life is a necessity because man is a political being but the peaceful co-existence of all peoples, according to the greatest philosopher Plato, presupposes the implementation of justice, which constitutes the supreme human value, for this reason the ancient Greeks worshiped justice, as the daughter of Heaven and Earth.
Even though justice is extremely difficult to be applied because the different peoples, according to their intellectual, social and economic level, religious, cultural, racial background etc. have their own conception about justice.
“Justice”, said Plato, “had the possibility to prevail only when world leaders were philosophers or when philosophers became leaders”, while the Roman orator Cicero, said that “homo homini lupus”.
In the light of the above, human societies invented the law which constitutes a modus vivendi for the solution of the differences among peoples. Therefore all the countries must respect and apply the law, nationally or internationally, in order to secure the world peace. As a historical example of the respect to the law is Socrates, the greatest ancient philosopher, who sacrificed himself in order to obey the Law, although he was convinced that the law by which he was condemned was unfair.
The tradition of the political philosophy of Greece, as it concerns the application of the rules of law and justice, goes back to 3.500 B.C., and the first international organization was the Delphic Amphictyony, the principles of which, had been based on Morality, Law and Justice. They were principles of virtue and that is why the men of that era believed that this Amphictyony was founded by the God of light, Apollo. The Violation of the Amphictyonic principles, by any state or person , would entail sanctions against them, as provided by the Amphictyonic regulations. The authority and respectability of the Amphictyony were so high that when it was in session all states in war were obliged to stop the hostilities and adopt a truce. The decisions of the Delphic Council (as today the Security Council) had such a high authority that all citizens or states were obliged to abide by them. If, any phenomenon of dissidence would emerge, the decision would be carried out by force and with the assistance of the member states of the Amphictyony. As history tells us, the Delphic Amphictyony had many times declared sacred wars which lasted many years, until its decisions were fulfilled.
The Delphic Amphictyony, thanks to the principles of morality and justice, upon which it stood, achieved great authority and respect and maintained its existence over 1500 years, until Greece fell to the Romans.
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C Y P R U S P R O B L E M
As it is well known the tremendous disasters of the WW.II to mankind ,led the winner powers to created the United Nations Organization ,the Charter which has as its main purposes :
1] to secure the international peace and security.
2] to respect the sovereign equality of the States
3] to respect the territorial integrity of the states
4] to respect the self determination of the peoples
5] to protect and development the human rights
6] to solve their differences among the states, by peaceful means etc.
In order now to fulfil the above purposes , the Charter of the U.N. declared that the war, the violence and the threat among the states, are out of law. Also I would like to point out that during the ceremony of the signing of the Charter of the U.N., the President of the United States Harry Truman addressing to the world declared that.
“The U.N. Charter which we have just signed constitutes a unique creation on which we may rely to build a better world . With this Charter you may attain to the future for a better life with dignity and freedom. If you fail to use the Charter we will be traitors to all those who sacrificed their lives to enable us to meet here today secure and free. If we will claim to use the Charter selfishly ,we will all be equally guilty of this treasure.”
Unfortunately the above heritage of President Harry Truman ,was not applied and was not respected mainly by his compatriots the Americans who must have been the main safe guardians of his heritage. It is very sad that the USA violated and used the U.N. Charter selfishly, in other words they used the Charter selectively and with discrimination, in order to serve their own interests.
Major examples of the violation and the discriminating application of the U.N. Charter are the cases of Kuwait and Cyprus .As all of you know in 1991 Iraq invaded in Kuwait for which the Security Council and the International Community, took action immediately and proceeded to the condemnation of Iraq and by collective application of forced measures under the leadership of U.S.A. obliged Iraqi to withdraw their armed forces and restore the former situation.
On the other hand, in the case of the Turkish invasion in Cyprus ,although the violation of the U.N. Charter was identical ,unfortunately no enforcement measures were taken by the U.N. in spite of its own resolutions of condemnation and even the 2.000 deaths,200.000 people who forcibly removed from their homes ,the gross violation of human rights and finally, the confession of the leader of Turkish Cypriots Raouf Denckdas in a public statement were admitted that 1.490 prisoners and hostages of war were assassinated in cold blood…
For such a case of violation of the Law of humanity, it was expected to set up an Ad Hoc International Court for the judgment of the moral and physical guilty for the crimes, as it happen with Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
On the contrary nothing has been done and the consequences of the invasion and the occupation of Cyprus by the heavy Turkish army was the establishment of an illegal and puppet state in the occupied north territory of Cyprus ,which has been condemned by the Security Council and all the countries all over the world, as nul and void..
In spite of the above violations , the conspiracy against Cyprus continuing and the U.S.A. with England instead of forcing Turkey to withdraw its armed forces from Cyprus and to remedy the thousands of victims and damages, are trying to legalize the invasion and its fait a compli by bringing the Kofi Annan Plan for the solution of the Cyprus problem , but unfortunately for them , this plan was rejected by the plebiscite of the Cypriots
Today thirty five (35) years later and while 38% of Cyprus territory is still occupied by the Turkish military troops, a new round of negotiations between the Greek and the Turkish Cypriots started ,under the auspices of U.N. and the blackmail of U.S.A and England without of any hope, because the leading powers trying to legitimize the invasion and occupation, while the criminals enjoy impunity at the expenses of the international justice.
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THE SCOPIANS [F.Y.R.O.M] PROBLEM
It is worth mentioning, also, another example of impunity of crimes of war, genocide and against humanity, which had been committed by the Yugoslavians , the northern neighbors of Greece, during the communist regime.
As it is well known, during World War II Tito, under the guidance of Stalin, and in accordance with the communist parties of the east bloc and the clear expansionist aims of the Slavs to reach the Mediterranean waters, named the southern part of Yugoslavia “Macedonia”, which until that time was called Vardaska.
This action was condemned by Edward R. Stettinius the Secretary of United States who at that time who, in his memorandum to the U.S. embassies, stated that the State Department noted with particular concern the propaganda and the statements regarding an independent Macedonia coming from Yugoslavia (Tito) which aimed to threaten Greek territories.
The Government of the United States, he stated, regarded the possibility of the creation of a Macedonian nation or country, as unjustified demagoguery as it did not represent, either a national or a political reality, but aimed, only, at reviving aggression against Greece.
Later on, the Communist regime of Yugoslavia and the other Balkan communist states ,invaded in the internal affairs of Greece by supporting the Communist insurgents against the legal Government of the State, with the aim to incorporate to Yugoslavia communist federation state, the territory of the Greek Macedonia. But it failed because of the victory of the Greek army.
After the collapse of the Socialistic Block and the dissolution [1990] of the Yugoslavian Federation, the South region of Yugoslavia (Vardasca) became an independent state, without possessing all the legal presuppositions, which are conditions sine qua non, for the creation of an independent state.
This state was artificial and created from several peoples, 35%Albanians, 15%Slavs, 1O%Bulgarians, 15%Creek, 10%Serbians, and the, balance from Romanians, Turkish, Gypsies etc.
Finally, this new state FYROM, by their self-orientation renamed their state from Vardasca to ‘’Macedonia Democracy’’ and claimed to be recognized as,‘’Macedonian Ethnology’’ with Macedonian language. These actions are illegal nul and void, because in essence they try to extent their country in the Greek Macedonia, as they had tried during the communist regime. but in any case, the above actions and claims of FYROM are illegal and cannot be accepted by the international community, because:
1] Their claims to be recognized as Macedonian ethnology and their language as Macedonian are scientifically wrong and illegal ,because the creation of an ethnology presupposes common characteristics, of its peoples, as for instance ,same cultural, same roots ,history, tradition, language, religion, customs and the feeling that they belong to the same nation.
Unfortunately, the peoples which created this state belong to different ethnologies such as Albanians, Slavs, Bulgarians, Gypsies, Serbians, Torlacs, Turkish, Greeks ,Romanians,etc. Therefor the new state F.Y.R.O.M is not entitled to claim Macedonian ethnology and Macedonian language, because the Macedonians who lived in this area since 1500 years B.C. were Greeks and spoked the Greek language as it is proved by the Aristotle, Democritos, Evripidis and many others who wrote their books in Greek language ,while the Slavs came to this area 1000 years later.
2] Their claim to usurp the Greek name Macedonia contradicts the principles of Equality and Justice, which constitute common Law, [jus cogens]. Comparing the two neighbor countries, Greece has multiple rights over FYROM ,because it uses the name Macedonia 3500 years and possesses, 71% of the historical Macedonian territory, which is inhabited by 2.650.000 Greek Macedonians, although the Slavs possess only the 17% of the historical Macedonian territory and uses this name illegally for about 50years and for internal Affairs, while the majority of its population, of this region, has always been Greek (Hellenes), although they were forced to be dishellenelized by the communist regime. The Bulgarians occupy 11% of the Macedonia territory and the Albanians the 1% of it.
3] Their claim to use the name Macedonia , abuses the legal, cultural and hereditary products of Greece according to the international treaty of UNESCO of 1970, which provide that: history, civilization and the leading personalities of a country, constitute cultural products and national values, protected by the international treaties and the General Rules of Law.
4] Their behavior undermines the International Legality because, by using the Greek name Macedonia attempts to legalize its illegal and criminal actions against Greece, which started in 1944 up to 1949 by Tito and Stalin, who by intervening in the internal affairs of Greece and by offering help, to the so-called “democratic army” of the revolutionary communist party and by capturing 28.000 Greek children and deporting them to countries in the communist block, committed the crime of genocide and the crime against humanity.
5] Their endeavour to legalize the falsification of the Greek history intended to usurp its history, its civilization and the great historical personalities of Greece such as King Philip, Alexander the Great, philosophers Aristotle, Democritos etc. all of whom constitute significant cultural elements of Greece, because the ancient Macedonians, like Thassalians, Athenians, Spartans, Dorians, Ionians, Ahaians, and many others were Creek races and created the Greek Nation
After the above the appeal by FYROM of their name ‘Macedonian Democracy’ as provided in its constitution does not excuse their illegal attitude and has nothing to do with the legality ,because according to the cannon ‘EX TURBI CAUSA NON ORITUR ACTION ‘ and the decision of the international Courts; ''no one state has the right to require justice for its illegal acts or to make use of its constitution in order to sustain its rights in the international level''. This is confirmed in the cases of Alabama claim, the Greco-Bulgarian communities ,the Polis national case etc.
Therefore, the political actions of this new state FYROM and its constitution cannot supersede the international treaties, the international law and the resolutions of the international Courts.
As a conclusion I would like to remind you the American judge Robert Jackson prosecutor in the Nuremberg Criminal Court who declared that.'' All those who act against the international law are great criminals'’
This declaration justifies your important work in fighting impunity and promoting international justice.