NEW BOOK ON BLEIBURG TRAGEDY PUBLISHED

ZAGREB, May 7 (Hina) - A book entitled "Cuvari Bleiburske Uspomene" ("The Keepers of the Bleiburg Memory" in an unofficial translation), by authors Josip Jurcevic, Bruno Esih and Bozo Vukusic, will be presented on Saturday, 10 May, in Bleiburg ahead of the anniversary of the 1945 tragedy of Croatian soldiers and civilians in this Austrian town. The book was published by the Club of Croatian returnees from the Diaspora. #L# The book is a first-hand testimony of those who survived the tragedy in Bleiburg in mid-May 1945, during the last days of the Second World War, when members of armed forces of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) headed towards the Austrian border after they were ordered to withdraw and surrender to the armies of Western countries. A great number of civilians were withdrawing with the NDH troops trying to avoid torture and violence from the then Yugoslav communist army, academician Dubravko Jelcic wrote in the foreword to this book. The soldiers and civilians were stopped at Bleiburg and turned over to the Yugoslav forces. Most of them were killed. The book also speaks about members of the Honorary Bleiburg Platoon and about activities of agents of the then Yugoslav secret services -- UDBA and KOS -- against those who survived the Bleiburg tragedy. The book quotes documents found in the UDBA archives about the assassinations, persecution and torture of members of the Honorary Bleiburg Platoon. Consulting editor Zdravko Dizdar said the authors of this work had enriched the book with new scientific results and with many pieces of information and facts about the 1945 Bleiburg tragedy which had not been known to the wider public. (hina) ms