Recent reports provide information on at least three ethnic Macedonian political organizations in Bulgaria: the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Union of Macedonian Societies (VMRO-SMD), the VMRO-Democratic Party of Macedonia National Unity (DPMNE) and the Ilinden United Macedonian Organization (Ilinden-OMO) (Kontinent 22 Apr. 1994; BBC Summary 27 Apr. 1994; Reporter 25 Mar. 1994).

A number of reports indicate that as of late April 1994, Ilinden-OMO had not been officially registered and was therefore considered by the authorities to be an illegal organization (BBC Summary 27 Apr. 1994; Chasa 24 Mar. 1994; BBC Summary 23 Mar. 1994).

On 23 April 1994 police prevented Ilinden-OMO from holding a rally in Blagoevgrad to commemorate the 79th anniversary of the death of Yane Sandanski because it was "against the law and anti-Bulgarian in orientation" (BBC Summary 27 Apr. 1994).

On 18 June 1993, a member of the group reportedly "fired shots" at a member of the National Democratic Party. A charge of attempted murder was subsequently dropped but he remained in detention at the end of the year on relatively minor charges (BBC Summary 1 July 1993; Country Reports 1993 1994, 820). One report describes this situation as "uncommon" (ibid.).

With respect to the situation of ethnic Macedonians in Bulgaria, they are not recognized as an ethnic minority and therefore were not specifically enumerated during the December 1992 census (Country Reports 1993 1994, 822; Human Rights Watch Dec. 1993, 208). In March 1994 a Yugoslav news agency reported that the national flag of Macedonia had been "illegally hoisted throughout Pirin Macedonia [southwestern Macedonia]," citing the town of Kolarovo specifically (BBC Summary 23 Mar. 1994).

For additional information on the issues discussed above, please refer to the attachments and to Country Reports 1993 and Human Rights Watch World Report 1994, both available in your Regional Documentation Centre.

This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

BBC Summary of World Broadcasts. 27 April 1994. "Police Ban Gathering of Illegal Macedonian Organization." (NEXIS)

. 23 March 1994. "Macedonian Flags Reportedly Hoisted Throughout Pirin Region." (NEXIS)

. 1 July 1993. "Ilinden Leader Detained After 'Terrorist' Shooting." (NEXIS)

Chasa [Sofia, in Bulgarian]. 24 March 1994. "Macedonian Nationalist Activity Analyzed." (FBIS-EEU-94-060 29 Mar. 1994, p. 7)

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1993. 1994. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.

Human Rights Watch. December 1993. Human Rights Watch World Report 1994. New York: Human Rights Watch.

Kontinent [Sofia, in Bulgarian]. 22 April 1994. "Former VMRO Leader Views FYROM Question." (FBIS-EEU-94-083 29 Apr. 1994, pp. 4-6)

Reporter [Sofia, in Bulgarian]. 25 March 1994. "VMRO-SMD Official on FYROM Issues." (FBIS-EEU-94-063 1 Apr. 1994, pp. 4-5)

Attachments

BBC Summary of World Broadcasts. 27 April 1994. "Police Ban Gathering of Illegal Macedonian Organization." (NEXIS)

. 23 March 1994. "Macedonian Flags Reportedly Hoisted Throughout Pirin Region." (NEXIS)

. 30 September 1993. "Newspapers Warn of Ethnic Tensions in South." (NEXIS)

. 17 August 1993. "Ilinden Organization Not a Problem, Bulgarian Foreign Ministry Official Says." (NEXIS)

. 1 July 1993. "Ilinden Leader Detained After 'Terrorist' Shooting." (NEXIS)

. 29 April 1993. "Bulgaria Protests at Macedonian Statement After Talks on Yane Sandanski Events." (NEXIS)

Chasa [Sofia, in Bulgarian]. 24 March 1994. "Macedonian Nationalist Activity Analyzed." (FBIS-EEU-94-060 29 Mar. 1994, p. 7)

Kontinent [Sofia, in Bulgarian]. 22 April 1994. "Former VMRO Leader Views FYROM Question." (FBIS-EEU-94-083 29 Apr. 1994, pp. 4-6)

. 10 March 1994. "Commentator on Ilinden Leader's News Conference." (FBIS-EEU-94-053 18 Mar. 1994, p. 4)

. 10 March 1994. "Ethnic Macedonian on Government 'Apartheid'." (FBIS-EEU-94-050 15 Mar. 1994, pp. 3-4)

MILS-NEWS [Skopje, in English]. 11 March 1994. "Bulgarian Party's Calls for Autonomy Noted." (FBIS-EEU-94-051 16 Mar. 1994, p. 39)

Reporter [Sofia, in Bulgarian]. 25 March 1994. "VMRO-SMD Official on FYROM Issues." (FBIS-EEU-94-063 1 Apr. 1994, pp. 4-5)

Trud [Sofia, in Bulgarian]. 25 April 1994. "VMRO-SMD Official Examines Views on FYROM." (FBIS-EEU-94-083 29 Apr. 1994, pp. 6-7)

. 16 March 1994. "Ilinden OMO Leader Details Macedonian Claims." (FBIS-EEU-94-056 23 Mar. 1994, pp. 3-4)