PM Plenkovic: It is our lasting duty to develop a tolerant, democratic society with full respect for human rights

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said after a commemoration for the victims of the World War II Jasenovac concentration camp on Sunday that he regretted that there was not only one commemoration because the victims deserved it.

"I feel sorry. The fact that there will be three commemorations, with all due respect to the one held yesterday and the one to be held tomorrow, means that we all have to make effort so that in the future we could have joint commemorations because the victims of the crimes committed here deserve it," Plenkovic said when asked by reporters if he regretted that this year again there was no joint commemoration.

Plenkovic said that it was a lasting task of the government to develop a tolerant and democratic society and condemn all undemocratic regimes.

"I came here today on behalf of the government, together with my colleagues... so that we could once again pay tribute to the victims of this concentration camp and condemn crimes committed by the Ustasha regime, not just here but at other places of suffering, and to reiterate once again that it is a wish of modern, democratic Croatia that crimes like this never happen again anywhere in the world," said Plenkovic.

"It is our lasting duty to develop a tolerant, democratic society with full respect for human rights, to start discussing these difficult topics from Croatia's history in an atmosphere of tolerance and to come to terms with the past and consequences of undemocratic regimes," Plenkovic said, adding that this was the reason why the government had set up a council for dealing with the past which he expected to put forward recommendations and guidelines for reconciliation.

Commenting on a reporter's remark that the government was being criticised for downplaying the Ustasha ideology, Plenkovic said that it was not.

"This government has inherited those problems, it has inherited divisions in society and it is my and my government's duty to deal with outstanding issues and prevent divisions in the future in a way that has not been attempted until now," he said.

He called on all wishing to contribute to the work of the government council to do so, expressing confidence that the council would give recommendations that in the future would prevent situations like the current one, with three separate commemorations for the Jasenovac victims.

Asked what would happen with the memorial plaque for Croatian volunteer fighters that contains the Ustasha salute "For the homeland ready" and that was put up in Jasenovac last November, Plenkovic said that the coat-of-arms of the association that had put up the plaque had been legalised and allowed many years ago.

"It was approved by governments of different political orientations. That is why I want the council to help regulate such insignia more precisely," he said.

"That salute is not among the salutes used by the Croatian Army and Croatian Homeland War defenders," Plenkovic said when asked if tribute to Croatian soldiers could be paid without using the Ustasha salute.

Text: Hina

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