VZCZCXRO9193
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHIK #0026/01 0911533
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 311533Z MAR 08
FM AMCONSUL THESSALONIKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0326
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS PRIORITY 0232
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHIK/AMCONSUL THESSALONIKI 0360

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THESSALONIKI 000026 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM SMIG ECON MK GR
SUBJECT: NORTHERN NOTES - MARCH 2008 
 
REF: A. THESSALONIKI 19 
 
     ¶B. THESSALONIKI 24 
     ¶C. THESSALONIKI 22 
 
THESSALONI 00000026  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Following is a summary of recent political and economic 
developments in northern Greece: 
 
PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATIONS ON MACEDONIA NAME ISSUE 
 
¶1.  At the beginning of the month, a poll published in the 
Sunday edition of local Makedonia, suggested that 92.7% of 
Thessaloniki residents would support the use of a veto by the 
Greek government vis-`-vis the Republic of Macedonia's accession 
to the EU and NATO, in the absence of a mutually accepted 
solution to the name issue.  On March 05, two rallies were 
organized in Thessaloniki on the issue.  One was led by academic 
Costas Zouraris, politician Stelios Papathemelis, and 
Metropolitan of Thessaloniki Anthimos, and the other by the 
far-right LAOS party (Ref A.)  Both rallies were peaceful and 
modestly attended (about 6,000 people attended each.)  Speakers 
criticized the government and called for a firmer stance in name 
negotiations.    Greek Independence Day (March 25) celebrations 
included nationalistic appeals on the name issue, including 
speeches and a parade at the border (with Republic of Macedonia) 
village of Evzoni (Ref B.)  About 40 students from two 
Thessaloniki elementary schools were transported to the border 
to march in the parade there and parading soldiers shouted 
defiant slogans regarding the name issue. The event was attended 
by around 100 people. 
 
NUMBERS OF TIP ARRESTS, IDENTIFIED TRAFFICKING VICTIMS DECLINE 
IN 2007 
 
¶2.  Local media reported that according to Hellenic Police data, 
four trafficking victims were identified and 26 traffickers 
arrested in Thessaloniki in 2007, compared to seven victims and 
66 traffickers in 2006.  The local Stability Pact office 
confirmed the figures with regard to the victims.  In a 
high-profile trafficking case, a former mayor of the town of 
Sapes (Rodopi, Thrace) was sentenced to two years in prison for 
bribery and breach of duty.  Along with several others, he was 
found guilty for his role in the issuing of 173 fraudulent 
documents, some of which facilitated the stay in the country of 
female prostitutes (Ref C.)  In a nationwide survey conducted by 
Amnesty International, 62% of Greeks held the victims of 
trafficking partly responsible for their predicament, as they 
"use fake documents," often "work as prostitutes" and "do not 
co-operate with the police for the arrest of their traffickers." 
 
 
ANTI-NATO, ANTI-U.S. PROTESTS OUTSIDE THE U.S. CONSULATE GENERAL 
 
¶3.  In mid-March, a demonstration organized by PAME (labor union 
affiliated with the Communist Party of Greece) to protest the 
pension fund reform bill, stopped in front of the U.S. Consulate 
General in Thessaloniki.   Around 10,000 demonstrators shouted 
anti-American slogans and then dispersed peacefully.  On March 
24 another demonstration, this time marking the 9th anniversary 
of the NATO bombings in former Yugoslavia, was organized outside 
the Consulate.  About 200 participants shouted anti-American 
slogans and then left without incident.  Earlier in the day, a 
photo exhibition of the bombings was held on the sidewalk 
outside the Consulate and flyers asking for the "withdrawal of 
occupation armies from the region" were distributed. 
 
COUPLE ARRESTED IN THESSALONIKI FOR CD AND DVD PIRACY 
 
¶4.  Local media reported this month that a couple was arrested 
in west Thessaloniki for CD and DVD piracy.  The man was copying 
the discs at home and his wife was selling them through her 
store.  A total of 1,056 DVDs, 3,783 CDs, 1,979 PC games, 651 
Play Station disks and 2,044 pirated covers were found in their 
possession and confiscated.  Industry sources confirmed to post 
the accuracy of the report. 
 
HUGE LOSSES FOR BUSINESSES DUE TO WORK SLOWDOWN AT THE PORT OF 
THESSALONIKI; PRIVATISATION BILL IS RATIFIED BY PARLIAMENT 
 
¶5.  On March 12, Parliament passed a bill authorizing private 
long-term leasing of the Thessaloniki (and Piraeus) Cargo 
Station.  Only New Democracy representatives in Parliament voted 
in favor, while the parties of the opposition spoke of a 
"scandalous give-away of national assets."  According to 
Thessaloniki's prefect, a crippling work slowdown by port 
workers protesting the privatization of the port's cargo 
handling operation caused losses of about 1.2 million euros in 
January for the port.  The slowdown also forced exporters to use 
neighboring countries' ports, in order to deliver their products 
in time.  Despite assurances from the Port Authority that every 
effort is being made to keep it operating, 226 Northern Greek 
businesses sent a protest letter warning of a lawsuit to the 
Thessaloniki Port Authority, accusing it of not acting 
effectively and thus creating huge financial losses.  The 
 
THESSALONI 00000026  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
bidding process for the Thessaloniki Cargo Station was extended 
to May 15. 
 
 
STRIKES IN PROTEST OF PENSION REFORM LEAVE GARBAGE IN STREETS 
AND CREATE POWER BLACKOUTS 
 
¶6.  The Mayor of Thessaloniki V. Papageorgopoulos caused a stir 
during a session of the Municipal Council, when he described 
local strikes as "politically motivated." Thessaloniki, along 
with most of Greece, has been badly affected by recent strikes 
in both the public and private sectors, in reaction to the 
introduction of a bill for the reform of pension funds.  Rolling 
power black outs and piles of garbage on the streets have been 
the resultant problems attracting the most attention, in a 
situation that is likely to repeat itself in the future. 
 
 
ECHR RULES AGAINST GREECE'S RESTRICTION ON TURKISH NAME 
 
¶7.  The European Court of Human Rights unanimously upheld on 
March 27 that Greece had violated Article 11 (freedom of 
assembly and association) of the European Convention of Human 
Rights, by refusing to grant legal status to two Muslim minority 
associations in Thrace whose names include the word "Turkish". 
Since 1984, Greek courts have refused to register the "Turkish 
Association of Xanthi" and the "Cultural Association of Turkish 
Women of the Region of Rodopi", on the grounds that the Treaty 
of Lausanne recognized only a Muslim -as opposed to Turkish- 
minority in the region.  The Greek Court of Appeal of Komotini 
claimed thus -in two separately tried cases-, that the titles of 
the associations ran counter to public policy.  Members of the 
associations brought the case to the European Court in 2005. 
The Court awarded the "Turkish Association of Xanthi" 
compensation of 8,000, as there was also acknowledgement of 
violation of Article 6, par.1 (right to a fair hearing within a 
reasonable time).   The Greek government has three months to 
appeal the Court's decision. 
YEE