COMMEMORATION IN TRIBUTE TO BLEIBURG VICTIMS ENDS

BLEIBURG, May 11 (Hina) - A commemorative service held in tribute to Croatian Armed Forces members and civilians killed in Austria's Bleiburg field in May 1945 ended by celebrating Holy Mass and laying wreaths at the foot of a monument at the Bleiburg filed on Sunday. #L# Bishop Zelimir Puljic, who celebrated Holy Mass, demanded that scientists investigate into the number of victims of this tragedy and that Croatian people be reconciled among themselves "because this is the only way to progress towards eternal peace and happiness". Addressing the present, parliament vice president Ivica Kostovic said that "over 200,000 people suffered in the lines of the Way of the Cross, while more than tens of thousands of soldiers who according to international regulations had already surrendered, ended up in mass graves. "We are hurt by the fact that those responsible for those crimes have not yet apologised and expressed remorse," Kostovic said. "The Croatian people today have the same rights as other peoples, and the country will advocate that Croatian victims have the same rights as victims from other countries," Kostovic said. On behalf of the Bleiburg Honorary Platoon, Antun Suic reminded of the sufferings in the lines of death. He said that the past must not be forgotten so that it was not repeated. On behalf of the Islamic community in Croatia, Efendi Hasanovic said that Catholics and Muslim lived in understanding for centuries and that the Bleiburg victims and victims of the Way of the Cross showed that this understanding was true fraternity. He prayed for the salvation of the souls of the Bleiburg victims. The present were also addressed by Bosnian MP Vinko Zoric. Present at the commemoration and Mass were Croatia's senior officials and many pilgrims from various parts of Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina and abroad. After the service, wreaths were laid by Ivica Kostovic on behalf of parliament and vice premier Ante Simonic on behalf of the government. Wreaths were laid by representatives of numerous associations from Croatia, Bosnia and abroad. The Bleiburg tragedy occurred in May 1945 during the last days of the Second World War. Many soldiers of the Ustasha forces and Domobrani and many civilians began withdrawing from Croatia towards the Austrian border in early May in order to surrender to the forces of Western countries. On their march via Celje, Slovenj Gradec and Dravograd (Slovenia), near the Austrian town of Bleiburg, they were stopped by the British troops, and then they were surrounded by the Partisans who gave an alleged deadline for the surrender and later opened fire at participants in the march. According to figures released in the 2000 issue of the Croatian encyclopaedia published by the Miroslav Krleza institute, some 95,000 Croatian soldiers, without civilians, surrendered near Bleiburg. A part of captured prisoners were killed near the Slovenian towns of Dravograd and Maribor and other villages. The encyclopaedia does not give prices data, adding that there are different estimates of the number of victims. Most of those who survived the Bleiburg massacre, were led to other death marches know also as the ways of the cross. Some of those who survived were taken to camps run by the Partisan forces. (hina) it