IT IS TRUE THAT WE ARE SERBIAN STOOGES!
QUISLINGS - THE TRUTH ABOUT OMO "ILINDEN"
(Krassimir Iliev, ex-secretary of OMO "Ilinden", St. Vrach,
1992)
In 1940 the leader of the Norwegian fascists Vidkun
Quisling supported actively the Hitlerite occupation of Norway.
This way the people who collaborate with a national enemy and
betray their country came to be called quislings.
On 10th March 1990 around 4 p.m. I, together
with ten or so other men were drinking in the tavern "Brezata"
in Sandanski. In our tipsy company there was only one Macedonist
- Georgi Buhala. He proposed us to attend a Macedonian
demonstration in Sofia to "deal" with the Shopi
['Shopi' - ethnographic group around Sofia, Samokov, Kjustendil,
etc.]. Without giving too much of a thought, we decided
to take the night train to Sofia. The [bad]
things the Communists did in Pirin Macedonia were known very
well and at that moment, when the first steps were made towards
the elimination of the totalitarian regime, we, not having any
idea about the political aim of that meeting and with a certain
doze of anger, went to "deal" with the Shopi. Travelling in a
drunken state, with no tickets and amidst continuous scandals
with the service personnel of the train, we arrived at the
Central Railway station in Sofia on 11th March 1990.
Half an hour later 25 more people from the valley of Struma
arrived with the first inter-city from Pirin Macedonia.
We reached the meeting place - NDK [NDK
stands for 'National Palace of Culture'], where we were
met by the leader of all Macedonists in Bulgarian, the
self-proclaimed film producer Georgi Solunski, together with a
TV crew for Skopje headed by Dragi Ivanovski and the
correspondent of the Skopje semi-official "Nova Makedonija" in
Sofia - Vladimir Tulevski. We were some 35-40 people in total. I
and my company thought that we have come to a demonstration, but
instead we had to sign a petition that was to be presented to
the Bulgarian Parliament. The procession had to start at 11 a.m.
Around 12 a.m. there appeared members of VMRO-SMD. A member of
my group waved at him to hurry up: "Come on, how long are we
going to wait for you!". Then it was explained to him that they
were not "our" guys, but "vrhovists". A year later the
journalist from the Macedonian TV Vladimir Lape compiled a
special chronological emission of all activities of the
Macedonists. What impressed me there? - The sound of our meeting
on 11th March 1990 was cut off. Why? - Because we
were drunk and swearing profusely.
On 12th March 1990 I was stopped in the square
of the town of Sandanski by the then activist of "Ilinden"
Vihren Zaprev. He asked me: "Do you want to join us?" I asked to
join what. The answer was: "The Independent Macedonian
Organisation "Ilinden" - VMRO /independent/ (NMO "Ilinden" -
VMRO /ind./). When I replied positively, he wrote down my name
in one notebook and thus I became their activist, without seeing
any of their program documents. On 13th March 1990
near the town's swimming pool in Sandanski there was convened
the constituent meeting of the local organisation of NMO "Ilinden"
- VMRO /ind./ 33 people were attending. V. Zaprev was elected as
a leader, Kr. Iliev [the author of this text]
- as a secretary, Ivan Petrov - as a treasurer. There I also got
acquainted with Jordan Kostadinov from KChPMPM (Committee for
Human Rights of the Macedonians in Pirin Macedonia). This was
the beginning of my activity in "Ilinden".
The first bigger event I attended already as a member of "Ilinden"
was the counter-demonstration on 23rd March 1990 in
Petrich against the demonstration of VMRO-SMD. There I got
acquainted with Atanas Kirjakov and Sokrat Markilov. After the
counter-demonstration we moved to the town's park in order to
analyse the situation. There Kirjakov gave me the office address
of Dimche Beljanovski from Radio Skopje.
On 14th (?) March 1990 in Sandanski (in the
flat of V. Zaprev) was organized the constituent meeting of OMO
"Ilinden". It was attended by representatives from NMO "Ilinden"
- VMRO /ind./ and KChPMPM and its agenda was:
1. Getting known with the statute and the platforms of NMO "Ilinden"
and KChPMPM;
2. The adoption of a new name and the formulation of a new
statute and programme;
3. The election of a temporary ruling body until the congress of
the organisation.;
4. The incorporation of new members;
5. The preparation of a meeting-pilgrimage to the grave of Jane
Sandanski in connection with the 75th anniversary of
his death;
The newly elected leadership included: Stojan Georgiev -
president; Jordan Kostadinov - deputy-president; Petur Marchev -
secretary; Kiril Ivanov - treasurer; Atanas Kirjakov - main co-ordinator;
Jordan Berbatov, Teodosij Popov, Georgi Suharev, Dimitur
Karamachev, Krassimir Iliev [the author],
Kostadin Zlatinov, Krasimir Tupareev - members of the
co-ordination committee /co-ordinators/. A control commission
consisting of Ivan Ajurov and Vihren Zaprev was also elected.
The people who would speak at the Jane Sandanski meeting were
also selected. I was among them and I had to read the political
declaration of OMO "Ilinden".
One detail deserves the attention here and it concerns the
preparations for the meeting. I don't know how Mr. Kirjakov
succeeded in convincing the directorate "Cultural recreation and
decoration". But we were [later] notified
by the then head of the Sandanski municipality Mr. Ivan
Manikatov (letter No. 48-00-10 from 18 April 1990) that in
compliance with the Law for the parties, our meeting had been
banned because our organisation had not been registered. With
the help of the directorate "Cultural recreation and decoration"
in the town of Blagoevgrad we were able to construct a platform
on the fields besides the Rozhen monastery. Only the back of the
stage was missing and I and Kirjakov had to steal it from the
store of the "Cultural recreation and decoration" directorate.
The back was put in place late in the evening and we put guards
(they were there for three days).
The long-awaited day of 22nd April 1990
/Sunday/ arrived. The meeting had to start at 10 a.m. People
from Skopje also arrived. There were quite a few people from
Bulgaria because we used a trick - we wrote an additional note
to the placards that the famous folk-singer Vaska Ilieva
(well-known to the people of Pirin Macedonia) would also attend.
Without going into the details of the meeting itself, I
would like to quote several excerpts from the program of the
Macedonists:
"The Nevrokop bishopric must be detached from the
Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
The bishop must be Macedonian.
The young men of Pirin Macedonia must be exempted from military
service.
The Bulgarian occupational troops, which have occupied Pirin
Macedonia since 1912 and have represented a national and
economical burden for the Macedonian nation must be withdrawn.
All Bulgarian political parties and organisation on the
territory of Pirin Macedonia must cease to exist or they must be
renamed 'Macedonian", i.e. they had to accept the Skopjean
thesis and, thus, to oppose the Bulgarian politics of
assimilation.
The regional newspaper "Pirinsko delo", the newspaper "Makedonija"
and all similar media, which falsify the Macedonian history and
culture and incite ethnic conflicts, must be banned.
OMO "Ilinden" calls for a condemnation of the Bulgarian state by
an international court and for reparations to be paid for the
sufferings and pains caused by the actions of Bulgaria."
My next big event was on 4th May 1990 in the "Makedonija"
square of Blagoevgrad before the monument of Goce Delchev. We
were around 15 people and ours was a silent vigil with candles
in hand. Of course, there was also a crew from the Macedonian TV
headed by Branko Radovanovich.
On 6th June 1990 we were around 15 people who
made a hunger strike before the Regional Court in Blagoevgrad in
a sign of protest against the refusal to register our
organisation. On 2nd August 1990 our attempt to
conduct a congress in the village of Oshtava was prevented by
the police.
On 17th September 1990 I arrived in Sofia
[? Must be 'arrived in Skopje']. What
happened during my whole stay in the former Yugoslavia can be
seen from my interview [around one year later]
with the journalist from Blagoevgrad Mr. Strashimir Marchev.
Mr. Krassimir Iliev: Good day in Skopje.
- Good day to the listeners of Radio Blagoevgrad. We haven't
seen, haven't heard of each other since a long time. Tell us how
you got here, what was your fate.
- In the Republic of Macedonia I arrived on 16th
September 1990, more exactly on 15th September I
crossed the border crossing point of Zlatarevo, on the 16th
I was on the border meeting of the Sandanski [RoB]
and Berovo [RoM] municipalities, and on
17th September I was in Skopje.
- I suppose you came with a lot of hope, with a lot of
plans for the future?
- Exactly, absolutely. I was up in the clouds, we were cheated
from all sides: "At any cost you must go and graduate at one of
the faculties in Skopje". This is what I was told by the
cultural attache at the Yugoslavian embassy in Sofia Milica
Knezhevich. She proposed me to come and to see her in Skopje so
that she could tell me things which she didn't dare to tell me
in Sofia. That is why I applied for an international passport
and arrived in Skopje. But there I met something completely
different. They told me that I had to graduate at one of the
faculties and, as the organisation "Ilinden" had no jurist, that
I had to enrol in the Faculty of Law. The admission was easy -
it was in the form of an interview. No exam or even no documents
for finished high-school were necessary. My documents arrived
with the diplomatic mail of the Yugoslav embassy with the help
of Atanas Kirjakov. My documents were from the technical college
in Bobovdol.
- And from there on? How did your study pass? Until now
you have had two semesters?
- My studies, it can be said, were in fact just formal.
Initially I was constantly sought after by the journalists of
the Macedonian Radio and TV - Miroslav Chipovski, Vladimir Lape,
Branko Radovanovich, etc. I was constantly asked questions,
taken interviews: what was the organisation "Ilinden" doing at
the events they [the journalists] didn't
attend? After all this, they collected their fees, they took
their pay, and I was left with the vain hopes. I became sick of
all this - "Se ke se sredi, ne se sekirajte, ke bide se vo red"
("We will sort out everything, do not worry, everything will be
OK"). But nothing came out of it as it was planned. Another
group [from Pirin Macedonia] arrived,
sent to the Skopje's faculties following the recommendations of
"Ilinden". We were nine men and two women in total, studying at
different faculties. We didn't receive any scholarships for five
months. For everything we had to go here and there. I will never
forget Skopje with my bloodshed feet. This can be confirmed by
some of the leadership of "Ilinden", if they have the guts, of
course. More specifically, one of the members of the
co-ordination committee Kostadin Zlatinov told me: "Why are your
feet so bloodshed?" I told him: "Because I have to constantly go
about various institutions and beg before them for social aid,
like a beggar, because there is nothing to eat." We have been
given miserable aid of around 500 dinars. Indeed, at that time
they had greater value, but these 500 dinars were given by the
Centre for Social Protection of handicapped, poor people - this
was the category we were put into.
The first money I received in the Republic of Macedonia
were from one Shiptar, Albanian. We dig a canal for him, I and
two other men who were not students. They wanted to come to work
here, they were from Sandanski [RoB] and
their names were Vesselin Stoimenov and Ilija Trenkov. With the
money we earned we bought shoes for one of them because his
summer shoes had worn out. We were in such a difficult situation
that some of us, particularly Georgi Filipov, and also me and
Cvetan Vardakov, had to resort to stealing cabbage from the
vegetable markets in Skopje. Some days we had just a loaf of
bread and cabbage with salt, and we were looking to earn some
money.
After that there began a big anti-Bulgarian offensive in
which I played the role of a puppet. They received the initial
information from me, it was after that typed on a type-writer
and I had to read it several times, because I couldn't speak the
so called Macedonian language, it was difficult for me.
Especially for the meeting between the leader of VMRO-SMD Mr.
Dimitur Gocev and Dr. Franjo Tudzhman - the President of the
Republic of Croatia, this meeting had to be presented as
anti-Macedonian. First, I put my signature under an open letter
to the President Zhelev and the Prime-Minister Popov
[of Bulgaria], after the first meeting of
the latter with his Greek counterpart Mitsotakis. This letter,
you know its content, was delivered through the TANYUG agency.
Another initiative was the delivering of humanitarian aid to the
hungry people in Pirin Macedonia. I signed this document as well
because I was authorised from "Ilinden". I think all this was
done in order to score political points and to increase the
rating on "Ilinden". I was given the number of 8,760 people who
were living on the starvation line in institutions for old
people and for youngsters in Pirin Macedonia. I don't now how
truthful this estimate was, I just signed such a document and
transmitted it.
- I see, Mr. Iliev, they you feel agitated in the moment.
Still, you are an intelligent person. I will return a little bit
back in time. You mentioned one link which attracts attention -
the embassy of Yugoslavia in Sofia, the Organisation "Ilinden",
the big promises given to all these Bulgarian citizens who go to
study in Skopje, and the propaganda campaign there. What was the
connection between all these details and facts, mentioned by
you?
- I will tell you, even in greater details. Every Tuesday and
Friday either me or Atanas Kirjakov, or sometimes both of us,
visited the Yugoslav legation in Sofia, more exactly the embassy
and the consular section, and took propaganda literature, the
newspaper "Nova Makedonija", various booklets, Macedonian
grammar, Bulgarian-Macedonian dictionary - that kind of things.
We were in contact with the ambassador Milenko Stefanovich, the
head of their legal office Esman Karabegovich, the culture
attache Milica Knezhevich and the consul Mihajlo Dabidich. Even,
it may sound funny, they proposed to me and to Kirjakov, one or
both of us to become grave-attendees!
- How is that - grave-attendees?
- In Sofia, in "Orlandovci" there are six or seven Serbian
graves, of Serbian soldiers. This place was attended by the
legation. It happened so that I wrote an autobiography in order
to receive money this way. The money I had to receive was USD 80
per month. They came directly from the Union of the
[Anti-Fascist] Fighters of the Republic
of Serbia. The whole affair was just a cover up, so that there
could be an explanation for the money we received - "You see,
the men are earning this money with their hands!"
- Another question, Mr. Iliev. The Bulgarian press, the
radio and the TV mentioned some cases of money being given here
in Skopje during the stay of some activists of OMO "Ilinden". Do
you know something about these facts?
- Yes, you are right. Unfortunately I cannot give you copies of
the invoices for the money given to "Ilinden". I cannot say
exactly, but as far as I remember these were big sums. Let's us
start from the oldest one - Sokrat Markilov. At the moment he
has or he must have, I don't know where the money really are,
4,000 DM.
- Were these received in a single transaction?
- It was a single transaction. About Stojan Georgiev - he has
received most of all and I don't know whether he has given the
money to the treasury of the organisation. I have in mind 1,100
Canadian dollars, 3,000 DM, 700 Australian dollars. Besides that
for Stojan Georgiev, who was a representative of "Ilinden" in
Copenhagen, the expenses were from the old cabinet of Gligorie
Gogovski. Another representative of the organisation was the
Yugoslav citizen Georgi Janchev, who is from the village of
Pokrovnik, in the district of Blagoevgrad. It may sound
paradoxical - a Yugoslav citizen to represent the organisation "Ilinden"
which is from the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria. More
money were given to the deputy leader of "Ilinden" Jordan
Kostadinov. His visit to Toronto - the air-flight tickets, a
number of other things. I know that he personally received USD
300. After that there was a conflict between me and the
leadership of "Ilinden". I wrote a letter to Kirjakov, attached
copies of the invoices and through the unlawful wife of Sokrat
Markilov - Velichka Stefanova, I sent it to Bulgaria. But
Kirjakov received just the letter, without the invoices. But
more people also learned that the leader of "Ilinden" had
embellished some funds.
- Do you know, Mr. Iliev, which political figures here, in
the Republic of Macedonia, back the financing of OMO "Ilinden"?
- Yes, I know. And can tell you, I am not afraid of anything,
although it will cause me troubles here, in Skopje. The
political figures are - Branko Crvenkovski, the leader of the
Social-Democratic Union of Macedonia (the former communists).
Also the former leader of the Social-Democratic Party - Slavko
Miloslavlevski. The president of the Union of the
Communists-Movement for Yugoslavia - Dragisha Atanasovski. The
former and current secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Nikola Todorchevski. The secretary of Blazhe Ristovski - Venko
Damjanovski. These are political figures who occupy state
functions.
I will tell you, I gave also the address of the private
firm of Atanas Kirjakov - "Kukush-1913" so that his
newly-registered newspaper "Pirinska kambana" could be assisted
from here with technical equipment - photo-copier, other things.
Then we had a talk with the chairman of the
[Macedonian] Parliament Stojan Andov. Jordan Berbatov and
Georgi Kovachev from OMO "Ilinden" were also there. At that time
VMRO-DPMNE was holding its congress. After their departure
Stojan Andov called me and I gave him the address of Kirjakov
and his firm. He [Kirjakov] should wait
for an answer, for a call from Vienna, from their
[Andov's] firm. The money couldn't be
given directly from here, the Skopjean brewery "Skopska pivara"
had to be an intermediary.
- You were the secretary of OMO "Ilinden" while you were
in Bulgaria, and I suppose you have exact data about the number
of OMO "Ilinden"'s members. Here it is claimed that OMO "Ilinden"
has around 40,000-50,000 members.
- Yes, I can tell you. I was the secretary until 19.10.1991. I
was still here, after the decision of the Supreme Court, then I
was told that I had to resign and become an ordinary member, and
that Berbatov should take my place. I can tell the exact number
of the members, because all protocols passed through my hands.
The same number as that you say is claimed - I have read about
it in the newspaper "Nova Makedonija", written by a colleague of
yours, Miroslav Spirovski is his name.
How many members? The number is not big. There are 12
members in Blagoevgrad, half of them - in the ruling body. In
Sandanski there were initially 33 members, and 27 remained. In
Petrich - 47, in Mikrievo - 23, in Gega - 18, in Simitli there
were 6. Along the river Mesta, when we were there to advertise,
we couldn't form a section in Goce Delchev. Now, I hear, there
was formed one. In Musomishte - 7, or 8, something like that. In
Koprivlen - 4. Actually, around 150-160 members in total. And if
we add the people around Solunski, let them be 200, no more than
that!
- Mr. Iliev, you experiencing a personal drama. I
sympathise with you and not out of curiosity but simply because
the public should know about this, I am asking you to tell about
it [about the personal drama].
- Yes, I will try to tell as much as possible. You know, that in
my youth I was convicted for criminal offences and that I spent
time in the Bulgarian prisons. In every country there is law and
order. Whoever breaks it will have to bear to consequences. The
same with me. I tried to escape by crossing the border, I had a
suspended sentence for a rape, I also had a sentence for
burglary. I am not trying to justify myself - it can happen to
anybody, nobody is immune to it...
- The past is past, we are not so interested in this...
- But the circles here, more exactly the security services - the
UDBA, knew my past in details, they knew who I am, what I am.
They knew about my criminal past and also about my activities in
OMO "Ilinden". Later they were displeased by my activities, I
say later, not in the beginning. Which direction did I take? I
went in the direction of VMRO-DPMNE, the only one which fights
most actively against the Serbian expansionism in Macedonia,
which wants the clear the Serbisms from the language in
Macedonia. Otherwise said, they have dignity and that is why I
gave them my support. While in the whole world, you know, in
Eastern Europe the Communism was defeated, the gentlemen from "Ilinden"
paired with the Macedonian Communism, or more exactly - with the
Serbo-Communist regime in Macedonia. It led to a confrontation
between me and "Ilinden". After that here, in Macedonia, on
17.01.1991 I was framed up in one rape case of one of the girls
from the group from Petrich. At that very time I was in Tetovo,
by a pure chance. Another student invited me at "zhurka". Now I
am subjected to a preliminary investigation. I denied, as much
as I could, while they insisted on their version.
All these activities were known to the UDBA services here.
Many times they postponed the investigation, until we reached
the trial. I was appointed two lawyers and was given a 10 years
sentence and my passport was taken away. After two months of
juridical fights, in September I filled an appeal. The date of
the trial is still not set, but I succeeded in photo-copying the
evidence this girls presented and was a little bit surprised. I
won't read her evidence. I give it to you so you could see for
yourself. She apologises that there was nothing of the kind
[that there was no rape?] even
[if] she had contacts with me, and that
she had given me an aid of 2,000 dinars, which I have never seen
in my life. I will tell you what happened to her, I haven't
spoken to her for three months already. But I understood that it
is 10 days since she has been admitted to the city hospital of
Skopje - she tried to kill herself by taking an enormous
quantity of drugs. Her passport was also taken away. Well, now,
they claim they are a civil and democratic state. Even in my
case if there was a rape - OK, I concealed it, now there will be
a criminal trial against me. Let them judge me according to
their laws. There are reasons why my passport should be taken
away. But why hers? On what basis?
Besides these repressions on part of UDBA, another fellow
citizen of ours, a student at the Economical faculty was pressed
to give blood, as he was cheated that he will be given an
additional session [an additional chance to pass
his exams], so that he could satisfy the conditions for
enrollment for the second year and so that he could keep his
scholarship. The guy gave blood. And this blood was sent to
Serbia, for the war of Sheshel.
- It is very difficult to assimilate all this. You are
apparently deprived of civil rights, you are apparently involved
in a very dirty affair.
- Yes, it is indeed one dirty affair, so that, as far as I can
fell, they expect they will make me do some job for them
[be at their service]. And what kind of
service I still don't know.
- That is, the mechanism is, Mr. Iliev, - loyalty and
payment! That is how it works.
- Yes, that's right. Loyalty and payment! And I can stress on
one thing. The people, who fled from Bulgaria at the time of
Zhivkov and who came here, in Skopje, have already passed though
the hands of UDBA. If they wanted to live in Skopje, they surely
had to become "Yugoslavs". And "Yugoslavs" means - typical
Serbomans. Those, who didn't agree, were forced to go abroad.
- What is your message to those people who have believed
in the propaganda?
- This is exactly what I wanted to say. Macedonia is not that
Promised Land which we dream of and which is advertised by the
Serboman circles in Macedonian. It is not that Macedonia they
want it to be. And let the people not live with the false idea
that here everything is OK. Here the people are more
conservative in their thoughts, in their arguments. It is the
effect of the long Serbian propaganda to point to Bulgaria as
the Enemy No 1! Nobody wants to have a poor relative - let us
say this straight! One is told: "Doshul si tuka na nashi
troshkovi" ("You have come here at our expenses"). And this
argument with which the leaders of "Ilinden" attract children -
"Go to Skopje to study, everything will be provided for you
there", it is false, somebody is speculating and accumulating
political points.
There is one truth I could quote, a folk saying: "Kamukut
tezhi na mjastoto si!" ("The right man in the right place!").
You can feel anybody, even a Martian, this is your right. But
now I will repeat what I said at the beginning of your talk:
DEKA SME SRUBSKI MEKERETA E TOCHNO! ("IT IS TRUE THAT WE ARE
SERBIAN STOOGES!")
What is "Ilinden" and who is it representing? Because "Ilinden"
is the product of the Serbian expansionism, with some of the "Ilinden"
members having troubles/difficulties in the past, and now they
are trying to resurface in the political life in whatever
variety they could. They are deluding themselves. This is what I
want to say. Let the people not be fooled by the promises of "Ilinden".
All this is a LIE!
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