ZAGREB MARKS BLEIBURG VICTIMS MEMORIAL DAY

ZAGREB, May 15 (Hina) - A Croatian parliamentary delegation headed by president Zlatko Tomcic on Monday laid a wreath at Zagreb's Mirogoj cemetery in memory of the World War Two victims of Bleiburg and Way of the Cross. A wreath on behalf of the President of the Republic was laid by the head of his military cabinet, Major General Jozo Milicevic. "Bleiburg is one of the biggest wounds of the Croatian people, and regardless of current political beliefs, we are obligated to respect Bleiburg's victims and the victims of the Way of the Cross," Parliament president Tomcic said. "Only by remembering those victims can we create a political climate in which peace and harmony will rule among Croats, and which will enable us to achieve national and state prosperity," he pointed out. The parliamentary delegation also comprised vice president Zdravko Tomac and MP Vlatko Pavletic. The "Hrvatski Domobran" society, which includes WW2 Croatia's home guardsmen, today organised by the monument to Bleiburg's victims at Mirogoj a commemoration for the victims - members of Independent State of Croatia (NDH, 1941-1945) military units and Croatian civilians killed by the partisan army in mass executions in May 1945. According to "Hrvatski Domobran" president Vladimir Sklopan, the Bleiburg tragedy was the biggest suffering the Croatian people had experienced since settling in this region. "The horror of the tragedy is that killed were civilians and soldiers who had laid down arms, and whose only fault was that they had fought for a Croatian state and did not want Bolshevism." Addresses were also made by the presidents of the Croatian Pure Party of Rights and the Croatian Political Prisoners' Society, Ivan Gabelica and Kaja Perekovic respectively. Wreaths were also laid by delegations of numerous World War Two- and Homeland War-related associations. (hina) ha jn