ZAGREB, Feb 2 (Hina) - The search for detained and missing persons is the most important humanitarian problem of the Croatian state, said Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic at Tuesday's session of the Croatian Parliament's House of
Counties. Granic addressed the upper house at the end of a discussion on the report on the work of the Croatian Commission for the Detained and Missing Persons. The members of the House of Counties unanimously supported the report. During the debate, all deputies, regardless of their party lines, also backed the work of the Commission and people who are trying to establish the fate of detainees and missing persons. The upper house endorsed proposals of the Committee for Homeland War Veterans. The Committee stressed that procedures of exhumation and identification were protracted and they should be accelerated. More efforts should be taken to establish
ZAGREB, Feb 2 (Hina) - The search for detained and missing persons
is the most important humanitarian problem of the Croatian state,
said Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic at Tuesday's session of
the Croatian Parliament's House of Counties.
Granic addressed the upper house at the end of a discussion on the
report on the work of the Croatian Commission for the Detained and
Missing Persons.
The members of the House of Counties unanimously supported the
report.
During the debate, all deputies, regardless of their party lines,
also backed the work of the Commission and people who are trying to
establish the fate of detainees and missing persons.
The upper house endorsed proposals of the Committee for Homeland
War Veterans.
The Committee stressed that procedures of exhumation and
identification were protracted and they should be accelerated.
More efforts should be taken to establish the fate of those who are
believed to be still detained.
The problem of the detained and missing persons should be
emphasised at all talks and contacts with the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia (FRY),said Ivan Ninic of the Social Democratic Party
(DSP), who asked the Croatian diplomats to raise this question at
talk s with Yugoslav representatives.
Miroslav Rozic of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) said the
attitude towards the issue of the genocide of Croats should be
lifted at a higher level. Therefore he proposed the establishment
of some kind of the Croatian Memorial Centre which may gather data
and lists of all victims.
Zarko Katic of the Croatian Social and Liberal Party (HSLS),
considered the principle "all for all" as controversial as Croatia
exchanged arrested war criminals for its defenders.
Granic replied that those who had committed war crimes were
excluded from the release on the principle "all for all".
Upper house members accentuated the international community's
insensitiveness toward Croatia's suffering.
It is strange to put both aggressor and victim on the equal footing,
and it is a blow to the rights and humanness, said Vladimir Katic of
the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ).
The Upper House suggested that this report should be forwarded to
the Hague-based International War Crimes Tribunal.
The Minister of the Croatian Homeland War Veterans, Juraj Njavro,
announced the acceleration in the procedures for identification of
remains of victims.
(hina) jn ms