[I "balisti" - dal nome del movimento "Balli Kombetaer" - sono una
formazione nazionalista pan-albanese che fu collaborazionista dei
nazifascisti alla fine della II Guerra Mondiale. Stanno ritornando di
moda...]

http://www.realitymacedonia.org.mk/web/news_page.asp?nid=2889


Reactions to Panel Discussion in Gostivar: Historians From Albania
Revive the Balists


“The movement of balists* is Albanian chauvinistic organization
pledging for ‘Great Albania’ and reaffirming the lunatic idea as the
appeal to unite Albanian-inhabited territories,” says writer Jovan
Pavlovski reacting to the Panel Discussion in Gostivar held December 13
and 14 [2003]. Historians - guests from Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia
participated to the Panel.

“Since the independence of this country, balists have been reaffirmed
over and over again, and nobody stops them [Albanians] from doing that.
The proof of vampirizing of balists' movement is making of the monument
of Xhemo Hasa in Simnica – the village in Gostivar area. Hasa is the
epitome of balistic crimes upon Macedonians during the Second World
War,” says Pavlovski.

The academician Blazhe Ristovski says that such activities don’t tend
towards peaceful future of the country. The history should be
researched all the way down from the past, adhering to realistic
approach, says Ristovski.

Second World War Veterans were dumbfounded that such Panel could even
be permitted. The Fight for People’s Liberation [NOB] was not only a
fight against fascist occupation but against domestic traitors as well,
and balists were precisely that, say former fighters.

“One of their many crimes is the massacre of 40 Macedonians in the
village of Klenovec. They slaughtered Albanians as well,” says Milosh
Popovski, the secretary of the Board of Veterans of Macedonia. (M.J.)


[* According to the book Balistichki pokret (= Balist movement) by
M.A. Pavle Deletovic Ivanov, balists were members of Albanian fascist
movement who continuously cooperated with Italian fascists and German
Nazis. During the period of Ottoman rule they [Albanian nationalists]
took Turkish side, while in the period of the First World War they
fought side by side with Austro-Hungary.]