VZCZCXRO7673
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHTI #0806 3151548
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 101548Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7577
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS TIRANA 000806 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL GR AL
SUBJECT: GOA: WE UNDERSTAND THE CHAMS' COMPLAINTS, BUT. . . 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE TREAT ACCORDINGLY 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: The Chams, ethnic Albanians expelled from Greece 
after World War II, are preparing to file a legal case in an 
undecided venue seeking Greek citizenship and/or compensation from 
the Greek government for the mistreatment they received during their 
forced expulsion. Little has been done for the Cham cause since a 
1994 resolution by the Albanian Parliament recognizing their plight, 
and it seems the GOA does not want to antagonize Greece and risk its 
relationship by emphasizing the issue. The prospect of a legal case 
could bring more attention to the Chams, but it is unclear which 
court would have jurisdiction on this issue and what, if any, 
concrete effect a case could have for the Chams.  End summary. 
 
History of the Chams 
-------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) The Chams are ethnic-Albanians who lived in northwestern 
Greece.  Near the end of WW II, between 20,000 and 40,000 Chams were 
expelled from Greece as "fascist collaborators" and resettled in 
Albania.  They were initially treated well in Albania, and many 
tried to join the Communist system in order to advance, but the 
Communist government eventually turned against them and executed 
several leading members.  As a result of this and other mistreatment 
by the Communist regime, the Chams have maintained a cautious 
attitude towards the government of Albania. Most of the Cham 
community today is in the center-right coalition (pro-government) 
and recent estimates number the Cham population in Albania to be 
around 400,000. 
 
Decades-long Battle for Restitution. . . 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) The Chams have fought long for restitution. On October 28, 
Tahir Muhedini, a Cham leader and President of the Party for Justice 
and Integration, told Poloff that the Chams, with the cooperation of 
some unnamed high-level GOA officials, have compiled a case 
outlining the maltreatment and "genocide" that the Greek government 
committed against them.  Muhedini is now determining where to file 
the case, and mentioned the ICC as a possibility. 
 
. . . with Only Token Support from GOA 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Muhedini said none of the problems facing the Cham 
community have been solved, and none can be without the help of the 
GOA.  However, according to Muhedini, the GOA has done little to 
help the Chams' cause other than to pass an official resolution in 
1994 recognizing the Chams' plight.  GOA officials across the board 
have told Muhedini that he is correct in his characterization of the 
Chams' mistreatment by the Greeks, but they also say that the GOA 
does not want to antagonize Greece.  According to Muhedini, the 
Greeks have declared this a non-issue, saying there is no such thing 
as a Cham. 
 
¶5. (SBU) In an attempt to draw more attention to their cause, Chams 
and their descendants in Albania have occasionally organized 
protests to demand Greek citizenship and/or compensation for the 
loss of their property.  In 2005, for example, Greek President 
Karolos Papoulias cut short a visit to Albania and cancelled a 
meeting with his Albanian counterpart, citing security concerns from 
Cham protests, provoking a stern reaction from the GOA and media 
outlets which said the protests posed no security risks. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) While the Chams' plight is unfortunate, it seems that the 
GOA is more concerned with its bilateral relationship with Greece 
than the Chams' claims.  Greece is Albania's second-largest trading 
partner, and with up to one million Albanians working in Greece, the 
GOA appears unwilling to damage its relationship with the Greeks by 
pursuing the Cham issue.  However, the fact that the Chams are 
preparing to file a legal case against the Greek government could 
draw attention to their cause - and take the initiative out of the 
hands of the GOA - although it remains to be seen which court would 
have jurisdiction on this issue and what impact a case would have. 
 
WITHERS