OSIJEK, April 27 (Hina) - Croatian returnees believe that the Government's bill on changes to the Law on Reconstruction is unacceptable and extremely humiliating, especially for the parents of killed, missing and imprisoned Croatian
soldiers and Homeland War invalids. The consequences of returnees' dissatisfaction could be disastrous, read a statement issued on Thursday by the Association of Returnees of Croatia (ZPH). The bill was today endorsed in the first reading by the House of Representatives. The ZPH statement includes objections to the bill, which have been forwarded also to MPs, Prime Minister Ivica Racan and the Minister of Public Works, Reconstruction and Construction, Radimir Cacic. The Association believes that changes to Article 1 of the Law on Reconstruction "distort historical facts" because they create an impression that "it was the Homeland War which caused damage to and destruction of property i
OSIJEK, April 27 (Hina) - Croatian returnees believe that the
Government's bill on changes to the Law on Reconstruction is
unacceptable and extremely humiliating, especially for the parents
of killed, missing and imprisoned Croatian soldiers and Homeland
War invalids. The consequences of returnees' dissatisfaction could
be disastrous, read a statement issued on Thursday by the
Association of Returnees of Croatia (ZPH).
The bill was today endorsed in the first reading by the House of
Representatives.
The ZPH statement includes objections to the bill, which have been
forwarded also to MPs, Prime Minister Ivica Racan and the Minister
of Public Works, Reconstruction and Construction, Radimir Cacic.
The Association believes that changes to Article 1 of the Law on
Reconstruction "distort historical facts" because they create an
impression that "it was the Homeland War which caused damage to and
destruction of property in the Republic of Croatia and that war
operations lasted until January 15 1998."
The Association believes this is an attempt "to erase the more
recent national history and free the aggressors from at least
public responsibility."
Article 5 of the proposed changes also erases the list of
priorities, which means that the aggressor and the victim have been
equated in their rights, the statement reads.
Article 6 of the changes abolishes the rights of immigrants, mostly
Bosnian Croats from the Bosnian Serb entity of Republika Srpska,
whose return is still impossible and the new law on their rights
still does not exist, the ZPH said.
Croatian returnees believe that Article 4 of the proposed changes
"equates the right to reconstruction to the family of a convicted
war criminal and the family of a Homeland War victim," which "is the
height of inconsistency and humiliation of Homeland War victims."
The changes "have the character of compliance with yet another
promise given to the international community to the detriment of
rights and dignity of one's own nation," the ZPH said.
"If the Government insists on its bill, the ZPH warns the
Government, Sabor and the entire public that reconstruction
according to such a law would cause major tension among displaced
persons, Croatian war victims and the whole Croatian people, which
could have disastrous consequences," read the statement, signed by
ZPH secretary Branko Pek.
(hina) jn rml