SKABRNJA SKABRNJA, Nov 18 (Hina) - A monument erected at the site of a mass grave in which the Serb occupying forces buried 27 Croatian soldiers and civilians killed on November 18, 1991, was unveiled on Thursday in Skabrnja, a
village near the southern Croatian town of Zadar. The monument was unveiled by the president of the Zadar County Association of Civilian Victims of the Homeland War, Ante Matesic, and the president of the county Association of the Parents of Killed Soldiers, Frane Franic. The gathered at the ceremony were addressed by the Croatian President's envoy, Lieutenant General Ante Gotovina, Parliament President's envoy, MP Drago Krpina, Vice-Premier Ljerka Mintas-Hodak, and the Skabrnja municipal head, Mladen Skara. Retired Zadar Archbishop Marijan Oblak held a memorial service for Skabrnja victims. Another monument was unveiled at a local cemetery, in memory of 80 Skabrnja Homeland War victims. O
SKABRNJA, Nov 18 (Hina) - A monument erected at the site of a mass
grave in which the Serb occupying forces buried 27 Croatian
soldiers and civilians killed on November 18, 1991, was unveiled on
Thursday in Skabrnja, a village near the southern Croatian town of
Zadar.
The monument was unveiled by the president of the Zadar County
Association of Civilian Victims of the Homeland War, Ante Matesic,
and the president of the county Association of the Parents of Killed
Soldiers, Frane Franic.
The gathered at the ceremony were addressed by the Croatian
President's envoy, Lieutenant General Ante Gotovina, Parliament
President's envoy, MP Drago Krpina, Vice-Premier Ljerka Mintas-
Hodak, and the Skabrnja municipal head, Mladen Skara.
Retired Zadar Archbishop Marijan Oblak held a memorial service for
Skabrnja victims.
Another monument was unveiled at a local cemetery, in memory of 80
Skabrnja Homeland War victims.
On November 18, 1991, a much better armed, superior Yugoslav army,
backed by Chetnik volunteers, launched an attack on Skabrnja,
municipal head Skara recalled. On the first day of aggression, the
enemy killed 38 civilians. Those were tragic events for Skabrnja,
but the village was not killed, as the enemy thought, but is living
again thanks to reconstruction, return, and the strength of the
Croatian state, Skara said.
Vice-Premier Mintas-Hodak reminded that there are 125 mass graves
in Croatia. Skabrnja is the 11th municipality in which monuments
were unveiled in memory of Homeland War victims.
"The whole homeland is marked with black marble monuments, which
bear witness as to the unprecedented suffering of the Croat people.
The monument in Skabrnja does not remind only of the difficult days
but also of the determination to persevere in defending the
homeland. Skabrnja is a symbol and a warning. Let Skabrnja victims
be a permanent warning to all those wishing to jeopardise us, but
also to all of us that we need to be united", Mintas Hodak said.
Lieutenant General Gotovina said the Skabrnja mass grave contained
the bodies of innocent victims of a criminal policy, which failed
because of its inhumanity.
Speaking about the condition of Croatian President Franjo Tudjman,
Gotovina said that all well-intentioned people wished for his
recovery and for him to continue leading the country with the same
faith and determination as he did in 1991.
Elections are at hand but personal interests must not be put above
the interests of the Croatian people. Citizens should vote for
modest, honest and firm people and such people, Gotovina said,
"were formed in the Homeland War and they have proved themselves in
the most difficult times". We have established our state and
everything else will be much easier, Gotovina said, adding the
Croatian army was determined to protect the state before and after
the elections.
(hina) rml