“On 2nd May 1991 in Borovo Selo Serbian terrorists slyly and cruelly from ambush committed a massacre and war crime against wounded and captured members of the Special Police Forces of the Republic of Croatia”
At the beginning of May 1991 Serb rebel terrorists from Borovo Selo (Vukovar area) tortured and wounded and placed in captivity two Croatian policemen. The Croatian government quickly sent a convoy of special police whose task was to rescue the two policemen and restore order.
Serbs ambushed the convoy as it entered the village, killing 12 policemen and wounding 21. When the Croatian police retreated, Serb rebels mutilated the dead bodies of Croatian policemen with axes and knives.
Ambulance vehicles from Vukovar hospital arrived soon to the horrible scene. But some Ambulance vehicles had Serbian crews who on arrival started throwing hand grenades on wounded Croatian policemen.
The road to a terrible war was opened – the rebel Serbs, soon joined by the Serbian-led Yugoslav People’s Army, were never going to accept Croatia’s secession from communist Yugoslavia and Croatia’s independence.
Borovo Selo massacres had shown to what heinous ways the Serb rebels were prepared to go in achieving their goal.
On 2nd May 2012 a dignified procession through Borovo Selo carrying the new memorial plaque for the monument to the massacred Croatian policemen marked the 21st anniversary of the massacre. Silence, the stone plaque and photographs of the massacred policemen marked the event, stirring profound emotions of sadness and pain.
Croatian news portal Vecernji List reports that in his speech at the commemoration Stevo Culej, deputy commander of the Association of special police whose brother was killed on that day in 1991, rebuked the Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic and President Ivo Josipovic for not being present at the commemoration.
The surviving members of the special police force have placed the plaque of truth at the foot of the existing monument to the 12 massacred policemen.
The stone plaque on truth has the following inscription:
“On 2nd May 1991 in Borovo Selo Serbian terrorists slyly and cruelly from ambush committed a massacre and war crime against wounded and captured members of the Special Police Forces of the Republic of Croatia”
“This crime was committed by residents of Borovo Selo, and not by some being from Outer Space. I remind, only one person has been convicted for this crime so far, and he only got 3,5 years of prison. Nevertheless, their sacrifice has not been in vein because every one of their lives had saved tens of thousands of other lives, as people had realised what will happen to them if they don’t undertake anything”, Culej accentuated, calling upon Ranko Ostojic, minister of internal affairs, to continue with the investigations started by his predecessor Tomislav Karamarko, Tomislav Karamarko is a leading candidate in the current election campaigns for President of Croatian Democratic Union.
The Borovo Selo massacre of 2 May 1991 was one of the first “military” engagements that led to the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia. The massacre set the stage for the subsequent outbreak of the wars in former Yugoslavia (particularly Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina). Majority of Croatia’s Serb minority was opposed to Croatian independence; opposed to democracy and freedom.
The 12 Croatian policemen massacred in Borovo Selo in 1991 lost their lives for democracy and freedom. One would think that these Croatian first victims of Serb brutality in Croatia’s path to freedom and democracy deserved the presence of the Prime Minister and the President at the 21st anniversary commemoration. But neither Zoran Milanovic nor Ivo Josipovic found time to attend. Perhaps they were tired from dishing out bean soup to 1st May Labour Day revelers in parks of Zagreb the day before. 1st of May was a big public holiday in communist Yugoslavia. It’s still a public holiday in Croatia but not as celebrated with red scarves around the neck and Partisan hats on the head as before. Perhaps Milanovic and Josipovic want to bring back the former Yugoslav ways and that’s why they didn’t attend the commemoration in Borovo Selo? In any case their absences from Borovo Selo as well as from the 17th anniversary of Operation Flash that liberated Western Slavonia from Serb occupation certainly raises a great deal of questions as to their motives and loyalties. Ina Vukic, Prof. (Zgb); B.A., M.A.Ps. (Syd)
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The truth must be known.On the trail of truth is also the Croatian Memorial Documentation Center
About Center:
The Croatian Memorial-Documentation Center has been founded by the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The Center is a public scientific institution and a specialized archive and it is of great interest to the Republic of Croatia.
Activities:
The Center collects, arranges and protects all documentation and all data from and related to the Homeland War.
The Center collects and arranges records and archives originated from and related to the Homeland War.
The Center analyses and appraises, professionally and scientifically, data, documentation and archives related to the Homeland War.
The Center publishes books and other works based on its activities.
Here is a link to TV show in which discussion of the topic:
Great, thank you
I am not sure how much the world understands the tragedy that unfolded in vukovar. I was so saddened when I visited last year because you can still see some places that are still war torn. The death that occurred there and the torture of our people by the Serbs should never be forgotten. I am not sure if my comments are correct but I believe that most of the devastation as far as life and torture of Croats happened in the Slavonia region more so then else where. I know Dubrovnic and coastal areas had its share but our Goverment rebuilt the tourist areas quickly. I only wish they would spend more money to help those in other regions rebuild their lives just as quickly since these areas are more poorer areas where people need work and a better life.I am still adamant that Croatia regains all of its land and not just what we currently have. All of our people regardless if they were police military or civilians are heroes and deserve the respect of our government including our president.
Agree, much more needs to be done to revive Vukovar and other places of devastation. It’s an absolute disgrace the way current heads of state are conducting themselves when it comes to commemorating the most important “landmarks” of Croatia’s path to independence and I’m sure their absences inspire bitterness and anger no one except Serbs wants. Shame on the Prime Minister and the President.
Imported from Facebook: I would encourage everyone to read and subscribe to this blog. Show the author that CNA and everywhere else for that matter appreciate the effort. It will be worth your effort because you will also learn a lot about Croatian issues, past, present and future. It will arm you with facts and figures that will help you reply to ever-prevalent anti-Croatian sentiment that certain groups have, at great effort, been working hard on. The blog is in English, and articles are archived so that many interesting topics can be found in one place.
I feel a little uneasy about the sentiment here in Croatia following the absence of Milanovic and Josipovic at the ceremony, that it is better that they didn’t show up because they didn’t belong there anyways. I think I would disagree with that, because it is not the individuals in those positions that are important, it is their office within their institution that gives the entire event the legitimacy that it deserves. This, along with the withdrawal from participation in Bleiburg definitely shows that we desperately need a government that is going to look after the interests of ALL Croatians. The present one is not only incapable of getting the country out of the present financial crisis, but is also guilty of disrespecting the very institutions where they hold office by refusing to acknowledge the sacrifices and efforts of the people who gave Croatia its freedom and independence.
True, it’s the positions they occupy that carry with them responsibilities and they should be carried out. Taxpayers, i.e. the nation pays their wages and people have elected them into office to represent national interests and carry on with traditions that mark the history of freedom and democracy in Croatia. Sadly, it seems Croatian heads of government and state have a long way to go in realising that the person is not important but the position they hold.
I agree Brankec! We need a Croatia First Policy and always First. If politicians are not smart enough to understand this then they need to be removed from office as quickly as possible. I can see our failure happening by following the same path as the EU rather then doing what is right for Croatia.
http://dnevnik.hr/vijesti/crna-kronika/oskvrnut-spomenik-redarstvenicima-u-borovu-sprejem-na-cirilici-ispisali-srbija.html
http://dnevnik.hr/vijesti/hrvatska/necuveno-unisten-spomenik-hrvatskim-braniteljima-u-borovu-selu.html