Croatia marks anniversary of Bleiburg tragedy

The 78th anniversary of the Bleiburg tragedy and the Croatian people's Way of the Cross was commemorated at Zagreb's Mirogoj cemetery on Saturday, with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković laying wreaths in honour of the victims.

The delegations accompanying Plenković and Jandroković included Veterans Affairs Minister Tomo Medved and Interior Minister Davor Božinović.

The commemoration was organised by the Honorary Bleiburg Platoon, the Croatian Bishops Conference, and held under the auspices of the Croatian parliament, with the Croatian National Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina as co-sponsor.

Speaking to the press, Jandroković said today was a commemoration for a tragic event in Croatian history, a crime committed in retaliation by the victorious communist forces. The crime, he noted, was kept silent for the duration of the Yugoslav communits regime.

"Those who ordered it and those who executed it kept quiet because they knew the atrocities were contrary to both international law and all conventions. But those who lost their loved ones also kept quiet, those who survived the Way of the Cross, for fear of a new retaliation by the communist system," Jandroković said.

"The Bleiburg tragedy showed the true character of communist Yugoslavia; a totalitarian and undemocratic regime which also had elements of being a criminal state. The Bleiburg tragedy and the Way of the Cross confirms that. We must take an honest look at our history and condemn all totalitarian regimes that existed in this region," said Jandroković.

Future generations must know that freedom, democracy and peace don't come automatically, that there are always those ready to commit crimes, to take away other people's freedom and peace, so it's necessary to strengthen the institutions and, in particular, instill awareness among young people that it is always worth it to fight for freedom and peace, he added.

Plenković underlined the importance of nurturing a culture of remembrance "which will talk respectfully and truthfully about the victims, about the crimes of which, unfortunately, there were many in our history, so that young generations know what happened in the key moments in Croatian history."

"The end of World War Two brought victory over Nazism, freedom and peace to the European continent, but unfortunately the crimes that happened against civilians and defeated soldiers who were slaughtered without trial and dumped in unmarked graves, represent one of the more painful memories, and a major tragedy of the Croatian people in the 20th century," said the prime minister.

That's why this commemoration, and others during the year, particularly those for key moments from the Homeland War, "are extremely important for the cohesion of our people, for a better understanding, for a tolerant society, and for nurturing the culture of remembrance as one of the key European values," he added.

Tens of thousands of Croatian civilians and soldiers of the defeated Independent State of Croatia surrendered to Allied forces at Bleiburg, Austria in May 1945, but were handed over by British troops to Tito-led Yugoslav Partizan forces.