ZAGREB, May 14 (Hina) - The Croatian Association of Former Political Prisoners (HDPZ) has requested Croatian Parliament vice-president Zdravko Tomac to receive an HDPZ delegation so that they could express regret over an incident
which happened last Sunday in Bleiburg field in southern Austria when the participants in the 57th commemoration for the victims of the Bleiburg and Way of the Cross tragedies booed off Tomac, not allowing him to deliver a speech he had prepared.
ZAGREB, May 14 (Hina) - The Croatian Association of Former
Political Prisoners (HDPZ) has requested Croatian Parliament vice-
president Zdravko Tomac to receive an HDPZ delegation so that they
could express regret over an incident which happened last Sunday in
Bleiburg field in southern Austria when the participants in the
57th commemoration for the victims of the Bleiburg and Way of the
Cross tragedies booed off Tomac, not allowing him to deliver a
speech he had prepared. #L#
"Although we are the victims of the Communist oppression, we cannot
tolerate resorting to violence to prevent anyone's freedom of
speech, including that of an opponent," reads a letter the HDPZ sent
Tomac.
The association believes that former political prisoners are
treated much worse by the current authorities than they expected
and than they should be treated in a democratic society, but that
they were not among those who booed Tomac off.
The association claims that it has always urged the perpetrators to
apologise, repent and stop naming the victims criminals as well as
to commemorate the suffering of all innocent civilians and
soldiers.
"We are sorry that you were not able to do that humane act on behalf
of the perpetrators as well as for the demonstrated violence," the
letter reads.
(hina) rml