Melbourne, Australia and Toronto, Canada (December 10, 2010) - The Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee (AMHRC) and Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) condemn the Albanian government's continued threats against Macedonians in the Golo Brdo area for conducting Macedonian language classes. Since AMHRC and MHRMI's announcement of funding for the language classes (see www.mhrmi.org/news/2010/february14_e.asp), Albanian government officials, secret service agents, and police have tried to prevent the classes from taking place and have issued death threats against the Macedonian teachers.

"We feel like third class citizens. We feel degraded; how can it be that we live in a country in the 21st century, with a police force that bans the learning of one's mother tongue?”, asked an angry Edmond Osmani, President of the Golo Brdo local committee of the Macedonian Alliance for European Integration - a Macedonian political party working to protect the rights of Macedonians in Albania.

AMHRC, MHRMI and the Macedonian Alliance for European Integration reiterate our demand to the international community to hold Albania accountable for its persecution of its Macedonian minority and force Albania to uphold its obligations regarding minority rights under international human rights law.

AMHRC and MHRMI also affirm that we have expanded our funding of Macedonian language classes throughout Albania, and have opened a new kindergarten in the village of Vrbnik. Anyone interested in making a contribution towards the struggle for the survival of Macedonian culture in Albania or towards the human rights struggle of Macedonians throughout the Balkans, may contact us, per the details below.

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Established in 1984 the Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee (AMHRC) is a non governmental organisation that informs and advocates to governments, international institutions and broader communities about combating discrimination and promoting basic human rights. Our aspiration is to ensure that Macedonian communities and other excluded groups throughout the world are recognised, respected and afforded equitable treatment. For more information please visit www.macedonianhr.org.au, or contact AMHRC at macedonian_rights@hotmail.com or via +61 3 93298960.

Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) has been active on human and national rights issues for Macedonians and other oppressed peoples since 1986. For more information, please visit www.mhrmi.org, or contact MHRMI at 416-850-7125, or info@mhrmi.org.