ZAGREB, May 10 (Hina) - Early next week, Prime Minister Ivica Racan will visit Bleiburg as the first Croatian prime minister to do so, government sources said on Friday.
ZAGREB, May 10 (Hina) - Early next week, Prime Minister Ivica Racan
will visit Bleiburg as the first Croatian prime minister to do so,
government sources said on Friday. #L#
Racan is the first prime minister in independent Croatia to visit
Bleiburg, the symbol of the suffering of thousands of Croatian
soldiers of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) and civilians
who in 1945, following the victory of anti-fascist partisan
soldiers, withdrew to the Austrian town hoping to find refuge if
they surrendered to the Allied Forces.
However, they were returned to Croatia and sent on what is called
the 'Way of the Cross' - through Slovenia, Croatia and a large part
of the then joint Yugoslav state. Thousands of soldiers and
civilians were killed or went missing on the 'Way of the Cross'.
Some of them were buried at the Maribor cemetery of Dobrova which
Racan is also to visit.
The Prime Minister will lay a wreath at a monument erected in
Bleiburg in honour of the victims.
For several years now Croats have been marking May 15 as the day of
remembrance of the Bleiburg victims and victims of the 'Way of the
Cross'.
This year too, on May 12, Croatian delegations and citizens will pay
tribute to the victims in the Bleiburg field.
(hina) sp sb