Simply Wonderful!
Croatia, the War, and the Future
Ina Vukic - Croatia: people, politics, history, economy, transitioning from communism to democracy
Welcome to my blog. Here I will bring to you a variety of topics covering the documented truth about that terrible war that Croatia had to endure during the period between 1991 and 1995 and about Croatian political history that shaped a wonderful nation of people.
Croatian people wanted independence for centuries, just as they had it until the twelfth century but fate was not on their side – others wanted their beautiful land. In late 1980′s the will to break free from Yugoslavia which suffocated freedom and self determination through harsh communist party rule finally bore the desired fruit.
In June 1991 Croatia declared its independence; soon after the aggressive war against Croatia broke out. The struggle of the Croatian people for self-determination was a just one. But I fear genuine justice has not been served as there have been, and there still exist, international covert and overt moves to equate victims with aggressors continue in attempts to change history. Truth often becomes obscured and lost and that is why I have chosen to write this blog, to concentrate on actual events and issues about Croatia – wishing it a bright and freedom-loving future.
It certainly was not easy to come out of the war that was fought on two fronts:
1. On the military front the world’s public has seen the indiscriminate bombardment of Croatian cities, towns and villages from land, sea and air; the destruction of civilian targets including homes, schools, hospitals, churches, factories and cultural monuments; the blockading and destruction of roads, bridges and ports; the blockading of power, water, food and medical supplies. What hasn’t been shown on our television sets is the forced clearing and evacuation of towns and villages, followed by looting, torture, rape and murder carried out by the Serbian forces, who were initially backed by the federal Yugoslav army that was largely constituted by Serb nationals; the transportation of multiple hundreds of innocent Croatian civilians from Croatia into concentration camps Serbia (Begejci, Stajicevo, Sremska Mitrovica... from October 1991, and later (1992) transferred into Serb-held camps in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Omarska, Keratern, Manjaca, Trnopolje).
2. The second front was the war of political propaganda centred on: misinformation about the rights of minorities in Croatia; portrayal of the Croatian people as Ustasha or Fascists; the representation of the Croatian defence forces as illegal paramilitary units; the representation of the Croatian and Slovenian republics as unreasonable secessionists who are unwilling to negotiate; a regurgitation of distorted facts about World War II.
Indeed Croatia had an absolute right to defend itself and this is often forgotten if not often denied it.
Ina has been a tireless volunteer on humanitarian aid and fundraising for victims of war in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially war orphans. From1991 to beginning of 1994 she contributed in lobbying for international recognition of Croatian independence and Croatia’s rights in defending its territory and people from military aggression by Serbian forces. For this dedicated voluntary work Ina was awarded two Medals of Honour by the first president of the Republic of Croatia in 1995 (Commemorative Medal of the Homeland War and Order of the Croatian Trefoil).Ina has also written hundreds articles for newspapers in Australia and Croatia on the plight of Croatian people for freedom and self-determination, developing democracy in former communist countries. She holds two graduate and one post-graduate university degrees, specialising in behaviour, clinical and political psychology and management.
Blessed Alojzije (Aloysius) Stepinac Feast Day February 10
“When they take everything from you, you’ll be left with two hands; put them together in prayer and then you’ll be the strongest.” Blessed Aloysius Stepinac (1898 – 1960)
“They could not, nor will they ever be able to kill our passion and our need to live in human dignity, in peace with ourselves and with the free nations of Europe. We have carved out that right at our first democratic elections. For this right and for our sacred land we are even ready to die” – Dr Franjo Tudjman (1922-1999) ( Addressing the Croatian nation at the moment of the start of Serbian aggression against Croatia, 16 October 1991)
That’s beautifully done!
In fact I think the Croatian Tourism Ministry should be paying him for this – best tourism ad for Dubrovnik I’ve seen to date 🙂
…especially since he managed to make the chinese wall, seven deadly sins and chokolino look good 😀
I agree Anna Pazin, would like to drink to that on “Cedevita” 😀
What a beautiful area. Looks like a place I would love to live.
I wish the shots weren’t so quick, though. There’s no time to linger over anything in particular. For instance, I would have loved to see that suspension bridge at the beginning, but there was just a quick side-glance of it.
The video certainly does let one know that the place is a paradise, though. 🙂
😀
Thank yoy for your visit ! 🙂
http://youtu.be/Vu-Q4jWm6P4
Regards,
Aliosa.
😀
Keep up your wonderful work, I have gone back to read certain articles for the second time and I have emailed to my son who is a teacher, great information, history making thoughts. Ann
Thank you so much for that feedback, Ann. Like you, I am a hard worker, passionate in what I do 😀
Keep up the good work, and try to never give up…I have to lift myself up many times but I have to keep writing. Ann
Know the feeling, Ann 😀
What a beautiful place, Ina. It’s looks so unspoilt, too. I would love to go there 🙂
You would enjoy it thoroughly, Amelia! 😀
Thank for all the information on Croatia, the video had refresh my 40 years ago visit. Lovely video. More important your dedication and faith are encouraging not only for Croatian’s people but for all humanity. The corruption, war with all the horror should not exist if peoples walk in the light. My pour father serve in the Italian army in WW 2 mostly in Croatia including Dubrovnik. He end in a Poland camp and survive just. He had a girl friend there that got killed, the sister after after a few years had visit and stay for a few days with our family. I was probably 4 or 5 years old. Still remember the occasion in vague mode. Many Croatian-Italian had fly the communist rule and we had a family stay with us for a vile. My birth village is only circa 130-150 km from the border a short distance many of the area surname are originate from Montenegro- Croatia.My grandmother was a Zago, relative Petrovich sound familiar? My family Rosolin. Ciao or dobra.
Thank you on your comment 7luigiitao. Your family’s destiny and sufferings during WWII are much like those of many who were in camps, who fled communism,,,who survived almost by the goodness of God…our task in this modern era is to pursue justice for all especially in condemnation of those who did the crimes and hot away with it because they were attached to the communist or other political paths and since most are dead by now it is the political regime we must condemn so that the future is warned and the victims respected
This is the wonderful video of Dubrovnik, however, I wish he took few shots outside the old town. Such as Lapad, Gruz, Rijeka Dubrovacka etc
Yes rb Lapa, Gruz, Rijeka Dubrovacka etc do top-up the beauty of Dubrovnik. Cheers