BLEIBURG, 12 May (Hina) - May 15, the Remembrance Day of Bleiburg victims and victims of the Way of the Cross, was marked today on the Bleiburg field with a solemn ceremony which started with the anthem 'God Save Croatia' and the
laying of wreaths at the monument of Bleiburg victims and victims of the Way of the Cross. The head of the Croatian Catholic mission in Klagenfurt, Father Sebastijan Golenic, conducted a solemn mass dedicated to Bleiburg victims.
BLEIBURG, 12 May (Hina) - May 15, the Remembrance Day of Bleiburg
victims and victims of the Way of the Cross, was marked today on
the Bleiburg field with a solemn ceremony which started with the
anthem 'God Save Croatia' and the laying of wreaths at the monument
of Bleiburg victims and victims of the Way of the Cross. The head
of the Croatian Catholic mission in Klagenfurt, Father Sebastijan
Golenic, conducted a solemn mass dedicated to Bleiburg victims. #L#
The gathering was first addressed by the Croatian Parliament
Chairman and head of the Committee for Marking 15 May as the
Remembrance Day of Bleiburg victims and victims of the Way of the
Cross, Vlatko Pavletic.
Pavletic recalled events which happened between 1 and 15 of
May, 1945, when some 200,000 people entrusted their lives to the
allied forces only to be betrayed later on. First by English
commanders who handed them over to the Yugoslav army, saying that
they were sending them to Italy, and then by partisan officers who
promised they would respect conventions on war prisoners.
'It is true that not many Croats had been killed on this
field, but the massacre started here...a 60-km-long column of war
prisoners started their way from this field. Last killings were
committed in Vrsac (a town on the border between Serbia and
Rumania)'.
'Which nation has a tragedy in its collective memory like this
one which Croats connect with the biblical scene of the Way of the
Cross?'.
'After the Bleiburg tragedy, Croats are not the same as they
used to be before it. It is a tragedy worthy of comparison with
greatest known tragedies in history and in legends'.
'Bleiburg is not only the name of a place, the name of this
field, it is the common symbol of a tragedy of Croats who were
betrayed by those they trusted until the last moment. Bleiburg
stands for all stations on a long, exhaustive Way of the
Cross....Bleiburg stands for Vukovar as well... Bleiburg is a cult
and a legend. Bleiburg is a myth!'.
A lesson Croats learned from the Bleiburg tragedy is never to
allow to be disarmed again and to be politically manipulated, or to
have more confidence in others than in our own selves.
'We have distinguished ourselves as soldiers and now it's time
to prove that we are ready to face a peace-time challenge of
reconstruction of our country and the strengthening of a democratic
state, a state of law. It's time to show that we can develop in
line with traditional and modern European standards and as part of
the Western world'.
The gathered on the Bleiburg field were also addressed by the
president of the Honorary Bleiburg Platoon, Petar Milos, who
thanked the gathered and Parliament Chairman Pavletic. Recalling
the importance of the Bleiburg tragedy, Milos said that the victims
of the Bleiburg tragedy and all those who fell for Croatia would
never be forgotten.
On behalf of the Croatian Parliament and the Committee for
Marking 15 May, a Parliament delegation laid wreaths at the
monument of the victims of the Bleiburg tragedy.
Croatian Ambassador to Austria, Milan Ramljak, laid a wreath
on behalf of the Croatian Embassy in Austria.
At the end of the ceremony, the gathered were addressed by the
Rijeka Imam, Adem effendi Smajic.
(hina) rm jn
121901 MET may 96