WEEK MARKING ISTRIAN CROATS' EXODUS ENDS IN ZAGREB

( Vidi vijest: 5838 ) ZAGREB, Oct 26 (Hina) - A week dedicated to marking the exodus of the Croats from Istria during the Italian rule from 1918 to 1943 ended by the first performance of the "Valigastar" play by Tomislav Milohanovic at the Croatian National Theatre (HNK) in Zagreb on Saturday evening, under the sponsorship of Croatia's President Franjo Tudjman. After the national anthem was struck up, and the gathered observed a minute of silence for the exodus victims and dead Croatian defenders, a Deputy Parliament Speaker and Tudjman's envoy, Vladimir Seks, addressed those present in the theatre. Seks said that much had been done during this week for making the Croatian public sensitive to this issue. He said that participants in a symposium, held as the part of the event, showed the social, political and economic milieu which the Istrian Croats had to leave in the period between two World Wars. Between 53-70 thousand Croats are estimated to have left Istria, and the cities of Rijeka and Zadar during the Italian occupation of the region. About 10 thousand of them moved in Zagreb. Tens of thousands of Croats, gathered in 38 emigrant societies at that time, not only in Croatia, and a great number of achievements of eminent individuals refused, in the best way, a project of the iredentist and Fascist movement aimed at assimilation of the Istrian Croat, Seks said. The repression mounted from the early December 1918 to September 1943, he said describing that period as one of the darkest in history of the Istrian Croats. To remember those times is the matter of the self-respect of the entire Croatian national being, which is particularly necessary for our joining the circle of civilised and developed countries, he added. Seks said that it would be necessary to continue to systematically and thoroughly study and reveal this dark part of Croatian and Istrian history. The head of the organising committee, Ratko Ferencic, thanked President Tudjman for his sponsorship of the final event of the week of marking the exodus of the Istrian Croats, and the Croatian Parliament and the Istrian County Assembly for the sponsorship of the 22-26 October event and the Croatian History Institute for being a co-sponsor. The "Valigastar", a play about the Istrian Croats' exodus, was performed by actors of the Istrian people's theatre. (hina) mš 261219 MET oct 97