VZCZCXRO2779
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHIK #0053/01 1911221
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 091221Z JUL 08
FM AMCONSUL THESSALONIKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0353
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS PRIORITY 0261
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHIK/AMCONSUL THESSALONIKI 0394

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THESSALONIKI 000053 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EINV PGOV PHUM PREL SNAR SOCI SMIG CH HK
GR 
SUBJECT: NORTHERN NOTES - JUNE 2008 
 
REF: A. THESSALONIKI 048 
     ¶B. THESSALONIKI 051 
     ¶C. THESSALONIKI 050 
 
THESSALONI 00000053  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Following is a summary of last month's major developments in 
Northern Greece: 
 
 
KIDNAPPED NORTHERN GRRECE INDUSTRIALIST RELEASED AFTER 13 DAYS 
OF CAPTIVITY 
 
¶1.  (SBU) On June 23, the chairman of the Federation of Northern 
Greek Industries and CEO of Alumil S.A. Giorgos Milonas was 
released after being held hostage for 13 days (Reftel A).  The 
industrialist appeared before the national media shortly 
afterward, looking remarkably relaxed, stating that he only 
shared "three or four small things" with the police and would 
not co-operate with them any more.  Post's police sources 
explained his attitude by saying that he is being extra cautious 
after an ordeal that left him feeling vulnerable and exposed. 
Business commentators said that Mr. Milonas resigned from the 
post of President of Federation of Northern Greek Industries for 
the same reason and to lower his profile.  Although the ransom 
that was finally paid to the abductors by the businessman's 
family has not been disclosed, media report that the amount was 
10-12m.  As they continue to search for the culprits, the 
police describe them as a very professional group, and they do 
not rule out collaboration between Greek and foreign (Balkan) 
criminals.  The abduction of Mr. Milonas took place shortly 
before midnight, on Monday, June 09, inside the front yard of 
the victim's house. 
 
PORT PRIVATIZATION CONTINUES DESPITE BIDDING AND LABOR DISPUTES 
 
¶2.  (U) The announcement of the highest bidder for the port of 
Thessaloniki's cargo station is expected around the end of July, 
the Authority's Managing Director Yiannis Tsaras reassured Post 
recently (Reftel B).  However, the three involved companies 
-Hutchison Port Holdings, Cosco and Dubai Port World - have all 
lodged appeals against each other, thus delaying the examination 
of the bids.  There were also media reports that the Port 
Authority's appeals evaluation committee is experiencing 
difficulties in carrying out its responsibilities, thus driving 
the competing companies to the courts and an even lengthier 
process to resolve their disagreements.  With regard to 
continuing workers' mobilizations, a split has developed between 
administrative personnel and dock workers.  The dock workers are 
excluded from being contracted out to the new private management 
and therefore are generally arguing against further job actions. 
 The lengthy unrest has caused losses for the port and local 
businesses.  Local media reported this month that for the first 
half of 2008, there was a 47.27% drop in containers handled 
-from 97,823 in 2007 to 51,579 in 2008- resulting in serious 
dislocations in the local market. 
 
REPRESENTATIVES OF ROMA ASSOCIATIONS ATTACKED IN ALEXANDROUPOLI, 
THRACE 
 
¶3. (SBU) The president of the Association of Rom Women in 
Drosero, Xanthi, Mrs. Sabiha Souleiman and the President of 
Greek Muslim Women in Avantos, Alexandroupoli, Mrs. Ainour 
Haliloglou, told Post that they were physically and verbally 
attacked in Alexandroupoli by Muslim males, who objected to 
their use of the term "Roma" to describe certain members of the 
Muslim minority in Thrace.  The attack took place on the 
occasion of a children's event that was organized jointly by the 
two above organizations.  A group of around 200 Muslim males 
interrupted the proceedings, shouting "Gypsies out" and attacked 
the organizers, injuring them lightly.  Later, they smashed the 
offices of Mrs. Haliloglou's association in the neighborhood of 
Avantos.  The attackers' main grievance was that the victims, by 
promoting the Roma identity in the region, "divide the minority" 
which the attackers say "is only of Turkish origin."  The 
victims told Post that among the instigators of the incident was 
the President of the Association of Greek Muslims, Mr. Mehmetali 
Yousoufoglou.  They also mentioned that as a result of the 
incidents, attendance of children in two of the three 
kindergartens that operate in Avantos has dropped by half, while 
the third kindergarten has closed.  They told Post that they are 
receiving regular threats against their lives but vowed to 
continue their work.  Their houses remain under police 
surveillance. 
 
TWO CASES OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING SOLVED IN NORTHERN GREECE 
 
¶4. (U) Eight Bulgarians were freed when their captor, a tobacco 
producer, was arrested for human trafficking for the purpose of 
labor exploitation.  The Greek suspect and his Bulgarian 
accomplice promised the Bulgarians 50 per day and then forced 
them to work 16 hours per day for 1.60 and at the same time 
demanded 600 of each for their living expenses.  In another 
 
THESSALONI 00000053  002.3 OF 002 
 
 
case, a 22-year old Albanian was arrested for forcing into 
prostitution a 14-year old Albanian girl.  Both cases were 
announced in Katerini, Pieria.  Local press reported this month 
that Northern Greece is the main gateway to Europe for victims 
of trafficking.  The vast majority of them - 90% - originate 
from Eastern Europe, while a recent increase has been observed 
in the number of victims from Nigeria.  These facts were 
confirmed by post's contacts in the NGO sector.  In 
Thessaloniki, media reports that there are around 9,000 victims, 
while police have dealt with 41 cases in 2007, out of a national 
total of 100. 
 
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED - 15 FROM BURMA 
 
¶5.  (U) Post's police contacts have expressed fears about a wave 
of illegal immigrants from Burma that has begun to materialize 
this month in northern Greece.  In one incident, police located 
a truck carrying 45 illegal immigrants, 15 of whom were from 
Burma, 23 from Pakistan and 7 from Iraq.  They were all planning 
to continue on to other European countries. 
 
SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ACCUSES CONSULATE GENERAL OF CONSPIRACY TO 
DESTABILIZE NORTHERN GREECE 
 
¶6. (U) Sensationalist, high-circulation national weekly "To 
Proto Thema" accused the Consulate General and the Consul 
General personally of activities aimed at undermining the 
territorial integrity of Greece, through the encouragement of 
minority activists and supporters.  The articles included 
alleged excerpts of Greek Intelligence Agency (EYP) reports 
alerting the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs about Post's 
initiatives.  The articles included reference to Consul General 
Yee's invitation to Macedonian law enforcement officials to 
attend a Consulate-organized regional conference on trans-border 
cooperation and his request to the Greek delegation that they 
avoid discussing the name issue with Macedonian participants 
during the seminar.  Finally, there was reference to various 
meetings carried out by the Consul General and other staff with 
minority representatives, questioning their purpose and 
concluding that "a Kosovo-like secessionist scheme for Greece" 
is already underway.  Embassy Athens contacted the newspaper, 
denying the allegations.  The paper printed two similar articles 
in successive issues, ignoring the denial. 
 
NUMBER OF DRUG ADDICTS IN THESSALONIKI IS RISING 
 
¶7. (U) Local media reported this month that the inability of the 
government to meet the financial needs of centers for preventing 
and fighting drug addiction is fostering a rise in the numbers 
of confirmed drug addicts.   Of the 21,000 reported addicts in 
Thessaloniki, only 950 can be accommodated in rehabilitation 
programs and there is a waiting list of 1500.  Representatives 
of NGOs that are active in the field have highlighted the issues 
they are facing as a result of inadequate state infrastructure, 
including work overload, limited resources and have described 
the situation as "desperate."  Additionally, in 2007, one ton of 
heroin is estimated by police to have transited through 
Thessaloniki of which only 10% was tracked down and confiscated 
by the police. 
 
VIOLENT STUDENT REACTION TO UNIVERSITY REFORMS 
 
¶8. (U) Aristotle University Rector Anastasios Manthos was 
hospitalized after a confrontation with angry students 
protesting university reforms on May 29 (Reftel C.)  Anarchists 
attacked and seriously injured two university guards the 
following day.  The anarchists stated that they attacked the 
guards in opposition to the presence of security personnel on 
campus, allegedly in violation of the university "asylum" 
policy.  Two days later, at the University of Macedonia, the 
Dean's Council was held hostage by a group of students for eight 
hours.  The students were protesting the University's first-ever 
four-year planning cycle, which they deemed to be the first step 
towards "turning the university into an enterprise."  In a 
similar incident on June 24, 30 professors were held hostages by 
students at Aristotle University for about four hours, in 
response to a law providing for the termination of free 
distribution of textbooks in universities.  Leftist student 
group representatives blamed the media for blowing the incidents 
out of proportion, while academics have condemned the political 
system for failing to actively support public universities and 
help break the current cycle of violence and unrest that 
threatens them. 
YEE