LEPOGLAVA CAMP LEPOGLAVA, June 21 (Hina) - The last 13 years have seen attempts to downplay WWII's National Liberation Struggle and anti-fascism, the president of the Alliance of Anti-Fascist Fighters and Anti-Fascists of Croatia,
Ivan Fumic, said on Saturday at the 60th anniversary of the liberation of a former concentration camp at Lepoglava.
LEPOGLAVA, June 21 (Hina) - The last 13 years have seen attempts to
downplay WWII's National Liberation Struggle and anti-fascism, the
president of the Alliance of Anti-Fascist Fighters and Anti-
Fascists of Croatia, Ivan Fumic, said on Saturday at the 60th
anniversary of the liberation of a former concentration camp at
Lepoglava. #L#
Fumic recalled the anti-fascist struggle was the foundation of
Croatia's statehood and gave Croatia legitimacy with regard to
united Europe. In the past 13 years, however, attempts have been
made to downplay the National Liberation Struggle and anti-
fascism, while fighters, Josip Broz Tito, and ZAVNOH (Anti-Fascist
Council of the National Liberation of Croatia) are being insulted,
he said.
Such negative assessments may be heard from "those who served the
occupying forces, so it's normal for them to say... that Tito was
the biggest criminal there was," said Fumic.
He added that to people of such beliefs anti-fascist fighters had
been the enemy, so they were insulted in every possible way.
Anti-fascist fighters were "part of the big anti-fascist front and
secured Croatia's place in Europe way back in 1945, and these are
the tenets of the democratic world," said Fumic. The result of anti-
fascism is the struggle against every form of totalitarianism,
hatred, division, and intolerance, he said.
Lepoglava holds a special place in the anti-fascist struggle
because about 3,000 inmates, mainly Croats, were killed there in
April 1945 by the Ustasha, who were running from the partisan army,
Fumic said. Most Croats from Croatia were killed in Lepoglava and
Jasenovac, another WWII concentration camp, he added.
To mark the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Lepoglava,
surviving inmates, families of those killed, representatives of
political parties and anti-fascist associations laid wreaths at
the memorial cemetery for the former camp's victims. Former inmate
Sime Klaric delivered a speech.
About 400 people were present, including Assistant Justice
Minister Josip Hehet.
(hina) ha sb