Antiglobalists demand Greece let in Kosovo Roma refugees at Macedonian border Text of report by Macedonian A1 TV on 20 June

Antiglobalists demand Greece let in Kosovo Roma refugees at Macedonian border
Text of report by Macedonian A1 TV on 20 June

Announcer: This afternoon, some 1,500 antiglobalists arrived at the Medzitlija border crossing on the Macedonian-Greek border from Thessaloniki, where they are protesting during the EU summit, but were prevented by Greek special police units from reaching the Roma that are on Macedonian territory. The antiglobalists want the European Union to allow the Roma to enter Greek territory. Pece Stefanovski reports from the Medzjitlija border crossing:

Reporter: A little after noon, some 300 antiglobalists arrived from Thessaloniki to protest in favour of the Kosovo Roma, but Greek special border untis prevented their further movement.

According to latest eyewitness reports, the presence of over 30 buses and five times as many protesters was registered after 1600 1400 gmt .

The refugees' coordinating body held a meeting today with UNMIK UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo and UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees representatives from Kosovo. The meeting was aimed at finding an appropriate solution, because the threat of a humanitarian disaster is enormous. However, the refugees are refusing to be dislocated.

The prospect of their accommodation at a so-called transit centre in Kumanovo in the Zeleznicka Stanica Railway locality, that is, in the Jugturist service station, was discussed in Medzitlija today.

This is a business deal concocted by this company's manager, who, according to anonymous sources from within the company, had made the accommodation arrangements with the UNHCR for 8,000 euros per month. This is a village without dogs, the Kosovo Roma said today. Passage omitted

Goran Momirovski, UNHCR spokesman for Macedonia: Media reports that some kind of camp is being set up in Kumanovo are not true. In fact, it is a transition centre that would possibly be used if all Roma were to decide to return to Skopje to accept our benefits sentence as heard . We are talking about a transit centre through which, in the course of two to three days at most, all Roma from Medzitlija would pass, only to be accommodated again in Skopje or elsewhere.

Unidentified reporter: There are reports that they were supposed to be accommodated in Kumanovo on account of the Thessaloniki summit.

Momirovski: According to my information, none of our partners have requested the refugees' transfer. They are still there. Of course, we neither want to nor can transfer the refugees by force. That is not our intention. After all, these people have been through a lot in the past few years and, in a way, we must have understanding for their agony. We are trying to resolve this problem in a humane way, the way that those people deserve.

SOURCE: A1 TV, Skopje, in Macedonian 1615 gmt 20 Jun 03