By Ferdinand Dervish
The decision of the Political Bureau: “The Chams should be forcibly sent to Greece, to fight against the Monarcho-fascists”!
Memorie.al / In 1944, arriving in Albania by the thousands, the Chams would not find a hospitality, as they could have wished among brothers of the same blood. The communist state of Enver Hoxha, it turns out and is proved, did not understand the new created reality and did not take seriously the significance of the migration from Greece of about 20-25 thousand people, at the point of crisis. Especially from the political point of view, migration is not conceived, being treated only as a great financial, housing and food inconvenience.
As a result, thousands of Cham refugees were settled in some hastily built camps and, at best, put their heads in military tents of American and British aid, which began to pay for their food and other needs.
According to some American reports, at this time drawn up by the head of the mission in Albania, Jakobs, a good part of them slept outside, while another part, in tents.
In order to ease the burden of the Albanian government a little, but also to anticipate an eventual commitment of Enver Hoxha, to expel the Greek minority from Albania for balance, the Americans were forced to bring aid, outside of the quota for Albania, in the amount of about 1.5 million dollars.
A useless measure, since Enver Hoxha is proven to have reconciled very quickly with the fact of the massacre and displacement of the Cham population by the Greeks. Furthermore, the lack of interest is even more documented. The leader of the Albanian communists is proven to have raised his voice for the relocation of the Chams himself on two occasions:
In 1945, when he called the members of foreign military missions to a meeting in order to ask them for help, and a year later, in 1946, this time at the Paris Peace Conference, where he used the issue politically .
That Enver Hoxha had no clear political concept on the issue, this is proven by the attempt to use the Cham refugees as cannon fodder in the area of the Civil War that broke out in Greece.
Having information about the destruction of the Greek communist guerilla formations, in front of the united force of the Greek Government, with the British and the Americans, who helped them with sophisticated military means, Enver Hoxha almost signed an unforgivable blunder.
The proof is found in the minutes of a shameful meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Albanian Communist Party, dated March 25, 1949, where it was decided that Cham men who could bear arms should be taken by force and sent across the border, to fight alongside the Greek communist guerrillas.
In that meeting, the Bureau member, Liri Belishova, complains and declares that; only 30 Chams have agreed to go to war and that the members of the Communist Party of Albania have taken this issue without enthusiasm.
While Mehmet Shehu, tries to give life to a solution according to his style. He proposes that the Chams be taken by force and sent to Greece, to fight alongside the communist guerillas.
Here is a part of his speech: “We have to do this without being dictated by anyone, in one night, otherwise they will run away from us. Now, let’s not use force with them, because they are foreign citizens. Now let’s tell the Party committees of the districts, to leave this issue in silence and in one night, we will drill them at the border”.
Fortunately, history has not documented the realization of such a crime. It seems that the Soviets, to whom the Albanians decided to ask for a consultancy, did not approve.
Minutes of the meeting of the Political Bureau of the ALP, March 25, 1949
LIRI BELISHOVA: Based on the decision of the Political Bureau, some Cham comrades were sent down to recruit Cham refugee elements for the Greek Democratic Army.
At the Party meeting, this was said, while the others were not spoken to, but the party members de-conspired and the people found out, that’s why so far only 30 people have asked to go and the party members have accepted this matter without enthusiasm.
The members of the Party did not receive him well and the reaction worked for him, he prepared the ground for himself. Greek refugees were taken in 2-3 cases and by force to go there.
In general, the Chams do not want to come to Greece. The slogan is that we don’t trust the Greeks, we want to stay in Albania, or let us go to Turkey, and we don’t want Chameria. We have to see what measures we have to take. Here we have to make a decision for the party members, who have shown these tendencies that it is a difficult situation.
There are some proposals from the Cham comrades, to make a forced mobilization and to take some measures against the reactionary elements. They also say that a meeting should be held with the members of the party who are Chams, where a delegate from the Central Committee will also participate, but I do not agree that our party should interfere with this work.
BEDRI SPAHIU: We have worked for them to have the right to mobilize here, they are Greek citizens. In Greece, they need soldiers, if it was possible to go with agitation, it would be better, but in this way, and the Chams will not come to Greece. Even from the international side, there is nothing, except that our hand is not visible, but it is done at night. We can ask the Soviets about that.
MEHMET SHEHU: Petrit Shahini from Elbasan says that in the case of the Cham mobilization, the reactionary elements have started to speak badly about the Greek Communist Party, etc. If we leave the Chams like this, the party is discredited by these reactionaries.
In this case, we find out that we do not have control over the Cham mass. To be used like this, people sent to them by our party, is a sign of protest, against our government.
Here it is understood how far our party is from these measures. It is important to deal with these enemies of reaction. (All the other members agree on this proposal of Comrade Mehmet), then let’s see who are those party members who have treated our envoys like this.
These should be expelled from the party and sent to the camp. (Other friends also agree with this proposal). For the other elements, if they are taken by force, hard work from an international point of view, that is the only risk, yes, otherwise, we do it overnight.
We have to do this without anyone dictating it overnight, otherwise they will run away. Now let’s not use force with them, because they are foreign citizens. Now let’s tell the party committees of the districts to leave this matter in silence and in one night, I will break the border.
TUK JAKOVA: In this case, let’s see who the mean people are. To these, the monarcho-fascists have done a thousand indignities and we do not want them to fight for their country.
MEHMET SHEHU: We tell you, don’t leave them in a ward.
TUK JAKOVA: We have no way to send those comrades, let them return and take the measures that Mehmeti said.
MEHMET SHEHU: Let’s put it to you and the Soviets from an international point of view. For their families, we have given them land and let them work.
HYSNI KAPO: These actions that Mehmeti said be done.
BEQIR BALLUKU: They should be arrested and sent to work in Lozhan, which is a very suitable place. /Memorie.al
