HIP ASSOCIATION CONDEMNS POLITICISATION OF HAGUE TRIBUNAL

ZAGREB, July 27 (Hina) - A Croatian association for the promotion of Croatian identity and prosperity, HIP, on Friday condemned the "politicisation of the Hague Tribunal" and the public accusation of Croatia for aggression on the so-called Republic of Srpska Krajina, the negative description of the Homeland Defence War, and accusations of former Croatian President Franjo Tudjman for crimes. HIP also accused the Croatian government of avoiding the reaching of a consensus on the matter. Recent indictments against two Croatian generals represent the darkest day in Croatian history, the HIP said in a statement. It adds the indictments brought "the dirty game of some international organisations through the abuse of" the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague to "the final act which aims at equating the Serbian aggressor and the Croatian victim." The statement slams the negative descriptions of the historical role of Croatia's first President, the late Tudjman, "whereby Prime Minister (Ivica) Racan and his government support those who wish to redesign history for us... The incumbent state leaders have become participants and direct culprits in the redesigning of history and the truth about the Homeland War". The HIP urges the government to reach national consensus on the role of Homeland War and request a discussion on the qualifications the Hague prosecutor's office made of the Homeland War before the UN Security Council. If the government does not comply with these requests, it will enter Croatian history as the main culprit that supports lies which should forever nullify the freedom and national pride that was paid with the lives of 20,000 Croatian soldiers, it was said in the statement signed by HIP steering committee deputy chairman Andrija Hebrang. (hina) np ha