Distributed by CroatianWorld Destruction caused to Croatia and its population by these same ICGBrussels@crisisweb.org Subject ICG Summary on Croatia
Gentlemen:
Reading your Summary and Recommendations regarding Croatia and the return of ethnic Serbs, we find the criticism of Croatia totally misplaced. It is obvious that you are not taking into consideration the enormous destruction caused to Croatia and its population by these same Serbs whose return you now champion.
Take the example of Vukovar, where some 10,000 people have returned, about half Croats and half Serbs. Among the Serbs are persons well-known to the Croatian population there as having committed war crimes as they "ethnically cleansed" the 63% non-Serb population, massacring many and looting their homes. These ethnic Serbs with the help of their paramilitary and the Yugoslav army destroyed in Vukovar 14,000 dwellings out of 15,000 existing ones of which only 3,500 houses and 1500 apartments have been rebuilt so far. Donations from the West were for 1200 dwellings. While - as you recognize in the Summary, Croatia is economically depressed, it is a fact that it is financially not even in the position to help many of its own Croatian refugees, who were the first to suffer ethnic cleansing in their own country already in 1991. For the ICG to urge Croatia to see to the rebuilding of Serb homes or evicting of Croatian refugees from them is a totally unfair requirement at this time. Croatia has received very little help from the West for the rebuilding of destroyed homes, not only in Vukovar but in the entire region of Eastern and Western Slavonia and the so-called Krajina which was occupied by the rebel Serbs, who destroyed there all Croatian homes, churches and cultural sites.
Regarding equality, pressured by the West, Croatia is absurdly going so far as employing some of the former rebels in police departments, while the local Croatian population is horrified, knowing that some of these Serbs committed war crimes against them. At the same time, Croatian policemen are losing their jobs to accommodate the Serbs! We are certain that you realize that the unemployment rate in Croatia hovers at 23%. What country after a very recent violent war would be required to give preference to its former (?) enemy, over its own unemployed population? Such demands are simply unreasonable.
Contrary to your Summary on Bosnia-Herzegovina, the return of refugees is paltry in the so-called Republika Srpska (Bosnian Serb entity, which should never have been established, as it rewarded massive ethnic cleansing and killing). Very few Bosnian Croats have ben allowed to return, and these are constantly harassed. The only larger returns are in areas of the Federation in which the population has remained either a Croatian or Muslim majority. Any other concept is a matter of glossing over the facts by the Office of the High Representative and looking through rosy glasses.
The truth is that Croatia is by far the only state in the region that tries to adhere to the laws regarding the return of refugees but obviously cannot perform wonders. Neither should the international community ask for such. Every nation must have the right to first help its own people, especially since Croats were the first to suffer by the hundreds of thousands during the war, long before Serbs suffered any hardships.
Very truly yours,
Hilda M. Foley National Federation of Croatian Americans 13272 Orange Knoll Santa Ana, CA 92705-2258
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