SEVERAL NGOS AGAINST RENAMING OF CROATIAN GREAT MEN'S SQUARE

ZAGREB, June 1 (Hina) - A few non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have forwarded an appeal to the commission for naming streets, residential areas and squares in the city of Zagreb, expressing their opposition to the change of the name of the Croatian Great Men's Square ('Trg Hrvatskih Velikana'), said the leader of the Croatian association of political prisoners, Kaja Perekovic, on Thursday. Perekovic told a news conference that they were against the return of its previous name to the square - namely it used to be named the Square of Victims of Fascism ('Trg Zrtava Fasizma') - as the anti- Fascist heritage could not be a part of a totalitarian system such was the Communism which took many victims as well, she explained. "To change the name of the square means to support all the current tendencies towards castigating, in an unrestrained manner, all what was done in the past ten year," read the Appeal of the NGOs. To cite dates and characteristics of only one historical period and one ideological orientation negates the historical continuity of the Croatian people. This also implicitly discredits all other victims both from this century and all previous periods, and belittles their suffering and credits, it added. For several years, on May 9 this square in the Croatian capital has been a venue for rallies of those who are in favour of reinstitution the name - the Square of Victims of Fascism - as well as those who are strongly against this initiative. (hina) mm ms