SUBOTICA, April 23 (Hina) - A state of emergency, introduced in Serbia upon Premier Zoran Djindjic's assassination on 12 March and lifted yesterday, did not in any way pose a threat to the rights and freedoms of ethnic Croats in the
country, representatives of the Croatian minority in Vojvodina said on Wednesday.
SUBOTICA, April 23 (Hina) - A state of emergency, introduced in
Serbia upon Premier Zoran Djindjic's assassination on 12 March and
lifted yesterday, did not in any way pose a threat to the rights and
freedoms of ethnic Croats in the country, representatives of the
Croatian minority in Vojvodina said on Wednesday. #L#
The chairman of the Croatian ethnic council's executive committee,
Lazo Vojnic Hajduk, said imposing of a state of emergency was
necessary so that the incumbent government in Serbia could take
steps which would direct the country towards Europe.
"Some political organisations, however, politicised the situation
and tried to take advantages from the situation in various ways. As
a result, platitudes appeared about the endangered human and
minority rights and freedoms," Vojnic Hajduk said.
He explained that measures taken as part of the state of emergency
did not disturb the activities of the Croatian community in Serbia,
and political rallies, cultural events and religious services had
been organised all the time with no restrictions. In addition, the
media informing in the Croatian language were not thwarted in any
way, he added.
During the state of emergency in the last six weeks, the Croatian
ethnic council held its second meeting in the northern town of
Subotica, at which it set up most of its working bodies.
(hina) ms sb