ROVINJ ROVINJ, Oct 18 (Hina) - A three-day international regional conference on the disappeared entitled "A Step to the Truth" began in Rovinj on Friday under the auspices of Croatian parliamentary president Zlatko Tomcic.
ROVINJ, Oct 18 (Hina) - A three-day international regional
conference on the disappeared entitled "A Step to the Truth" began
in Rovinj on Friday under the auspices of Croatian parliamentary
president Zlatko Tomcic. #L#
The conference is attended by some hundred people, including
representatives of government offices and commissions for
imprisoned and missing persons from Croatia, Bosnia, Argentina and
the Philippines, Homeland War associations from Croatia,
associations from Bosnia, Republika Srpska and Yugoslavia, as well
as international humanitarian organisations.
Presidential vice-president Zdravko Tomac expressed regret that
representatives of the Yugoslav government, that is, its missing
persons' commission, failed to show up at the conference, as had
representatives of Istria County and the town of Rovinj.
"Croatia is shattered by an emotional crisis, because all those who
are prepared to forgive but not forget, because of the war and war
destruction, are faced with attempts aimed at changing the truth
about the Homeland War," Tomac said. He stressed that
reconciliation and coexistence were possible only by facing the
truth.
"At this moment in Croatia we are jointly defending the truth about
the defence war which was imposed on Croatia, defending the
greatness of the Homeland War, and are not refusing to face (our)
part of the guilt, that is, crimes committed by individuals or
groups during the war," Tomac said.
He added that the government and parliament were trying, at any
cost, to solve the issue of missing and imprisoned people, be they
Croats or Serbs, proving that the Croatian people was civilised and
modern.
Stressing the great importance of the international conference on
the disappeared, Croatian Homeland War Veterans' Minister Ivica
Pancic said that despite enormous efforts, Croatia was still
looking for more than 1,300 missing people.
The international conference was organised by the alliance of
families of missing Croatian veterans.
It will end on Sunday with the adoption of conclusions.
(hina) lml sb