TFF
Adviser Biljana Vankovska
on the Situation in Macedonia
By Biljana
Vankovska., TFF adviser
Interview with Dr. Biljana Vankovska from the
University of Skopje for the Belgrade newspapers
"POLITIKA"
Q: In spite of the condemnations that come from
the international community and especially NATO, the
Albanian terrorists have not ceased armed attacks in
southern Serbia and northern Macedonia. The whole region
is heavily destabilised. According to your opinion are we
facing one more war in the Balkans or we can expect
elimination of the tensions?
A: First of all, something like "international
community" does not exist. It is euphemism and the real
question is who has legitimacy to represent the states
and nations in the world. The role of this so-called
international community in regard to the current crisis
in the Balkans is just declaratory and symbolic. It is
quite absurd that UN Security Council who once authorised
the unique mission of UNPREDEP in Macedonia (i.e.
deployed its forces BEFORE the outbreak of any violence),
now when that violence is reality &endash; has nothing to
say but looks towards Brussels and waits for a decision
to come from there. Your observation that we are coping
with a regional problem here is very accurate, and I do
think that both governments (of FR Yugoslavia and
Macedonia) should undertake a joint action before the
international forums and ask for coordinated measures.
During the 1999 NATO intervention in Yugoslavia I was
repeatedly speaking that Macedonia had become one of
NATO's 'collateral damages'. I was also warning that soon
one could expect spilling over effect in Macedonia (known
as an 'oasis of peace'). Certainly, the international
community is 'surprised' (once again!) with the
developments. Macedonia has always had its internal
conflict structure and potential, so it was enough
something bad to happen and to take a role of a catalyst
(in negative sense of the word) of the conflict cycle. I
wish I could believe that the situation would be
stabilised soon, especially having in mind the newly
signed cease-fire agreement in southern Serbia. However,
I am not so sure about the developments in Macedonia. The
basic preconditions for peaceful solution are wisdom,
knowledge and courage to abstinence violent responses.
Unfortunately, at the time being I am simply not able to
identify internal actors who would be willing and able to
promote the culture of non-violence. The tensions are
growing with incredible speed, and any reluctance to
undertake resolute actions just worsens the
situation.
Q: Are Macedonian security forces capable to
control the conflict points in a long run, or even the
predominantly Albanian-populated areas?
A: The crucial security problem is not the
border one, in spite of the whole seriousness of the
situation (i.e. swift spreading of the clashes from one
village into several others, killed people, etc.). The
problem is not of a military nature and cannot be
perceived through the prism of human and technical
capabilities of the Macedonian security forces. The
prolonged crisis on the border has had a strong echo in
society, which is splitting from inside and becomes
paranoiac in terms of the distrust between the ethnic
groups, the loud cries for discrimination, state terror,
more rights for Albanian minority etc. Counter-reaction
on the Macedonian side is as expected: there are lot of
talks about 'granted enormous rights', that there must
not be any other steps on expense of the Macedonians,
that Macedonians have no other state in reserve etc. In
media there is a lot of hate speech, and people are more
concerned not about the things that are said bit about
the things that are not said explicitly. The state
apparatus can keep certain control over the situation for
some time, but under such conditions there cannot be any
talk about human rights, democracy, and peace. I would
not like Macedonia to pay such a high price for its
existence.
Q: What is really going on within the Albanian
ethnic community in Macedonia right now? Some are engaged
in military resistance, others stage peace marches, while
the rest calls for federalisation of Macedonia...
A: It is very true that something is going on
within the Albanian community. Therefore the leader of
the Albanian party (DPA) that is a partner in the
governing coalition, Mr. Arabian Hxaferi has evaluated
this current problem as internal problem of the
Albanians, which should be resolved among them alone.
There is a lot of rivalry, both in political and
para-military terms, and what makes things very dramatic
is that each faction blames the others for copying its
own political agenda, which has been promoted since long
ago. That agenda includes, certainly, more collective
rights for Albanians, change of the constitution and
federalisation of the state, bi-lingual official
communication etc.). Unfortunately, none of the political
parties claims to be a citizen-based party, because it is
probably seen as a political suicide. DPA, the member of
the governing coalition, is in an enviable situation
between a hammer and an anvil: on one hand, it faces open
accusations by the armed rebels that they have not
achieved anything in terms of declared Albanian cause
(the story that reminds a bit on the rise of Kosovo UCK
and Ibrahim Rugova), while on the other side with similar
accusations stand their political opposition and the
Albanian part of 'civil society'. Because of its weird
position DPA staged a peace march with dubious motto "For
peace and justice". In other words, it was balancing
between promoting peaceful solutions for the problems and
keeping the integrity of the Macedonian state (which
behaviour the international community expects from them),
and from the other hand &endash; it was flirting with the
demands for 'justice' (which implied that there were
injustices against Albanians in Macedonia). The most
absurd aspect of the current situation in misuse of the
concepts of human rights, justice and democracy as a mask
behind which there are down-to-earth interests and
agendas.
Q: It seems that Macedonia is rapidly
transforming from 'oasis of peace' into a 'powder keg'.
How do you see the future of the Macedonian state?
A: The 'oasis of peace' has always been more a
metaphor than reality, which brought good image to
Macedonian state in the international community
especially during the period of struggle for
international recognition. On the other hand, it is also
true that for ten years there has been a process of
building of multiethnic society, a slow but persistent
one. Regardless the fact that the achievements were maybe
modest, they deserved whole praise because of the
opposite developments in the other parts of the former
Yugoslavia. In my view, Macedonia is losing its
'virginity' and is again transforming into a powder keg
(i.e. re-gains its old historical attribute). However,
today this powder keg is not related to the rivalry of
the neighbouring Balkan states over the Macedonian
population and territory. The danger of implosion of
Macedonian society is far bigger. The Macedonian state
can have future only under peaceful framework. Therefore
the crucial question is whether the society has enough
internal strength to resolve problems by peaceful means.
Certainly, this approach calls for prevention of the
negative external influences. It means that the violence
should be stopped where it has its origins (i.e. in
Kosovo), but also to stop wrong moves of the so-called
international community.
Q: You have joined critics against the biased
reporting by some international media about the currents
in Macedonia? Also you are well known as a consistent
criticiser of the role of the international community in
the Balkan conflicts. According to your opinion, what
should be the appropriate contribution from the side of
the international community in regard to the handling the
situation and what should they do in long run. And what
should we from the region do all together?
A: I would not pose the question about long
term steps because the situation is more than urgent.
Unfortunately the measure of time differs a lot in the
Balkans. It is something that the so-called international
community never understood. On the other hand, I would
not rely too much on the solutions imposed from outside.
I may sound too cynical but what we have seen so far in
this region has been a classical example of conflict
mismanagement and there was no single success story. That
success story should have been Macedonia but there is
nothing left from that image now. The international
forces in Kosovo has become hostages and they are mostly
afraid of their former 'protégés' that they
are not able to control. It is well known how sensitive
is the American public when it comes to coffins. Having
in mind the electoral promises of the President Bush,
then it becomes clear how absurd is the position of the
American troops in Kosovo. It is very indicative that the
newly promoted UCK commanders in Macedonia (could be seen
on CNN, BBC reports) have sent a clear message to the
American people not to be afraid for their soldiers and
that their struggle is only directed towards the
Macedonian state. As long any of the conflict parties
perceives the external forces, as allies (or enemies)
peace cannot get a chance.
©
TFF & the author 2001
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