The General Presidency of OMONOIA urgently met to analyze the consequences of the recent fires in the south, concluding that the flames, for mysterious reasons (or according to them, intentional), have surgically selected precisely the areas with a majority of the Greek Ethnic Minority.
According to the statement, the fires were "not at all random" and hit not only olive groves, vineyards and houses, but also churches and monasteries - a list of damage that sounds like a manual of selective destruction.
The document contains harsh criticism of the state's "indifference and inefficiency", while demanding immediate compensation, assistance for farmers and livestock keepers, and urgent reforestation.
The conclusion? The flames may be a natural element, but according to OMONOIA, they have had a very precise ethnic orientation this summer.
Full reaction:
Under the chairmanship of the Chairman of the Organization and a deep sense of responsibility towards the situation created by the prolonged continuation of massive fires in the areas of Saranda - Delvina, the General Presidency of the Organization met in an emergency meeting.
In a first assessment of the tragic consequences caused by fires in almost all communities with a historical dimension, especially the psychological impact that the situation creates, being a period when a large number of residents return to their ancestral homes, sharing the general perception in the community that the fires are not at all accidental and were mostly deliberately provoked, the General Presidency expresses its protest for the negligence and indifference of state authorities and the inefficiency in preventing and subsequently dealing with them.
Any justifications and comparisons with other situations at other times or in other countries cannot cover the real facts about which there was extensive and detailed discussion.
The consequences of this year's fire season are perhaps the most tragic since they included the inhabited areas themselves, causing damage to family homes but also Orthodox churches such as in Lefterohor, Lekël, Senica, etc. In addition, old and new olive groves, vineyards, livestock farms, etc. were destroyed, the financial and economic damage of which is particularly high. In particular, we focus on the consequences and impact that this causes in the removal of additional new families from the areas since undertaking the effort again requires funds on the one hand and will on the other.
We extend our congratulations on the occasion to the socially sensitive participation of all residents who were able - especially the young people who happened to be in our homes - in the effort to cope with the fires and save their property but also their places of worship: monasteries, churches and chapels.
Expressing indignation and anger at the abandonment of residents and communities to the mercy of fate by state authorities, avoiding a fatalistic treatment of the situation, the General Presidency of BDMEG OMONOIA requests and will strive so that local municipal services immediately register and economically assess the damages left behind by the flames of the fire. There should be immediate reflection on their compensation since most of it is dedicated to state negligence. Regarding the agricultural sector, we insistently request priority and unconditional support for farmers and livestock farmers whose economies were destroyed. We also request attention and funding for reforestation procedures, but also for preventive measures to avoid equally aggravating phenomena that will result from seasonal precipitation in the damaged mountainous areas.
In order to prevent the same situation from recurring every year, a fundamental review of the mentality, structuring and strengthening of the technical infrastructure is required, as well as a significant increase in personnel in the fire services and in dealing with emergency situations.
Not as words of comfort and greetings, but in awareness of our historical course and the remarkable love for our homeland that distinguishes us, in response to the intended objective under the consideration that the fires were deliberately and intentionally provoked, we call for the conscious and persistent participation of each of us in order to transform the situation into a chance for responsible political activism in the effort for the uninterrupted continuation of the presence of the autochthonous Greek communities in our historical and ancestral lands.
