ZAGREB, Oct 11 (Hina) - The House of Representatives on Wednesday discussed a Report on the Operation of the Government's Commission for Imprisoned and Missing Croatian Soldiers and Civilians Between October 15 1999 and August 30
2000. It was emphasised that the commission's activities should be accelerated and that funds for further exhumations and identifications and the appropriate marking of 125 mass grave sites in Croatia should be secured. All parliamentary benches agreed with a proposal by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) that discovering the truth about the fate of missing and imprisoned soldiers and civilians must be a precondition for any talks on the normalisation of relations with Yugoslavia. The debate about the report was observed by representatives of associations gathering the families of missing and imprisoned soldiers and civilians. The Commission is still searching
ZAGREB, Oct 11 (Hina) - The House of Representatives on Wednesday
discussed a Report on the Operation of the Government's Commission
for Imprisoned and Missing Croatian Soldiers and Civilians Between
October 15 1999 and August 30 2000. It was emphasised that the
commission's activities should be accelerated and that funds for
further exhumations and identifications and the appropriate
marking of 125 mass grave sites in Croatia should be secured.
All parliamentary benches agreed with a proposal by the Croatian
Democratic Union (HDZ) that discovering the truth about the fate of
missing and imprisoned soldiers and civilians must be a
precondition for any talks on the normalisation of relations with
Yugoslavia.
The debate about the report was observed by representatives of
associations gathering the families of missing and imprisoned
soldiers and civilians. The Commission is still searching for 1,588
persons.
In his closing statement, the Commission's head, Ivan Grujic, said
the solution of this problem was the most painful humanitarian
issue, which was directly connected to the refugee return and
coexistence as well as reconstruction.
"There can be no return to a house where the remains or a mass grave
have been discovered," Grujic said.
Cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for former
Yugoslavia (ICTY) has resulted in the Commission's obtaining
information from the tribunal on mass graves in the areas of Erdut
and Borovo Selo, whereas crimes committed at Ovcara (near Vukovar)
and Skabrnja (near Zadar) are covered by part of indictments issued
by the tribunal.
The latest changes in Yugoslavia have put an end to a period of
darkness, Petar Turcinovic of the Istrian Democratic Assembly
(IDS) said, adding that morality did not end with the elections and
that neighbouring Yugoslavia should demonstrate this also by
changing its policy toward the issue of missing and imprisoned
persons.
Vesna Skare Ozbolt of the Democratic Party (DC) warned about the
unwillingness of the local Serb population to cooperate in
discovering the sites where crimes had been committed during the
occupation of Croatia.
Vlado Jukic of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) requested
increasing the number of phones on which Serb returnees could
anonymously give information on the fate of the missing.
The perpetrators of those crimes must answer, said Marijan Marsic
of the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS). Snjezana Biga-Friganovic of
the Social Democratic Party (SDP) welcomed the proposal by the
International Committee of the Red Cross that the problem of
missing and imprisoned persons be included in the Stability Pact
for South-East Europe.
Zelimir Janjic of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS)
commended the Commission for its perseverance and professional
work while Zlatko Kramaric of the Liberal Party (LS) believes one
must not stop searching until the truth about the fate of the last
missing person is discovered.
A three-member parliamentary commission will draw up conclusions,
which, along with the report, the Sabor will vote about this
afternoon.
(hina) jn rml