ZAGREB ZAGREB, July 4 (Hina) - The round table "National Minorities in the Republic of Croatia: Theory and Practice" was held in Zagreb on Thursday. Attending the event were representatives of international organisations and
institutions (OSCE and the Council of Europe), non-government organisations, and national minorities.
ZAGREB, July 4 (Hina) - The round table "National Minorities in the
Republic of Croatia: Theory and Practice" was held in Zagreb on
Thursday. Attending the event were representatives of
international organisations and institutions (OSCE and the Council
of Europe), non-government organisations, and national
minorities. #L#
Croatia should adopt a constitutional law on national minorities
and ethnic communities or minorities as soon as possible, not only
to fulfil international obligations but also because the issue of
minorities is a vital issue for every democratic society, said the
president of the Civil Committee for Human Rights (GOLJP), Zoran
Pusic.
Milorad Pupovac (Serb People's Council) considers it undemocratic
that the bill on minority rights is being drafted in secrecy and
without the participation of those who it refers to.
Pupovac believes that Croatia needs to show whether it is an
integrative nation, founded on multi-ethnicity, multi-
culturalism, and multi-confessionalism, or exclusive and
assimilating. National minorities cannot find adequate partners on
the political scene, except for non-government organisations, to
work together on resolving minority issues, Pupovac said.
He described the recent census as a "population write-off",
expressing concern that the Prime Minister's claim on the results
of the census being the consequence of the aggression against
Croatia was not accompanied by different official comments.
Professor Ivan Siber from Zagreb's Faculty of Political Science
said the results of the census showed the number of people who did
not wish to express their belonging to an ethnic community or
minority was growing. He said this represented an attempt to
"escape minority representation" as a result of real and imaginary
pressures. At times of war, national homogenisation occurs,
manifesting itself in diminished tolerance towards minorities, who
are then more susceptible to emigration processes, he said.
Dubravka Miskovic Prodanovic (GOLJP) pointed to the existence of
discriminatory regulations and practice towards members of ethnic
communities or minorities, which she said mostly manifested itself
in problems in obtaining citizenship or the right to pension and
finding employment in the public service, or in the prevention of
refugee returns and property repossession, as well as violations of
other rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
(hina) sp sb