Mate Granic et al. – You Will Not Succeed In Denying The Croatian Diaspora Its Rightful Place In Foundations Of Independent Croatia And Its Diplomatic Missions

15 January 2021 marks the 29^th Anniversary of the International Recognition of Croatia as an independent and sovereign state. Although other countries followed during the ensuing months of 1992 an overwhelming number of countries had announced their recognition of Croatia on 15 January 1992 (Australia on 16 January 1992, United States 7 April 1992…).

A child might use prevarication to avoid telling the whole truth about how the kitchen window got broken. Croatia’s Mate Granic, former communist Yugoslavia operative, former Foreign Minister and Prime Minister of Croatia uses prevarication (on the 29^th anniversary of the international recognition of the Republic of Croatia as an independent and sovereign state) to purposefully avoid the truth and facts about the key elements and players in the creation of the independent state and its diplomatic missions across the world. It is an absolute truth and fact that after the Croatian Independence Referendum (to secede from communist Yugoslavia held on 19 May 1991) between June 1991 and around June 1993 the path was set to establish permanent premises of Croatian Diplomatic Missions throughout the world and in particular there where a relatively large and influential Croatian diaspora lived (E.g., Germany, Australia, Canada, United States, Argentina, Chile etc.).

In those crucial years during which the foundations for the sustainability of an independent Croatia were laid, war of Yugoslav Army and Serb rebels was raging against Croatia, lifeline funds were alarmingly scarce for Croatian independence plights and the Croatian diaspora poured in with enormous financial help through fundraising efforts and lobbying their local politicians and parliamentarians towards recognising Croatia as sovereign state as well as local communities via many peaceful mass protests against the war in Croatia and supplying Western media outlets with factual reports from War zones in efforts to correct the Yugoslav/Serb lies and half-truths TANJUG News Agency was feeding to the world.  

It has been 29 years since then and Croatians witnessing and participating in those events are significantly reduced in number as coming to power of many former communists after Franjo Tudjman’s death in late 1999/2000 also and regretfully  meant that the Croatian Homeland War saw increasing efforts for it to be criminalised with lies and fabrications, a multitude of Homeland War generals were forced into retirement, Croatian Generals sent to the UN International War Crimes Tribunal in the Hague on trumped up politically driven indictments, Homeland War veterans in general degraded and their deserved welfare ignored and their pivotal place in the foundations of Independent Croatia almost obliterated, the recognition of the role of the Croatian diaspora in creating an independent state of Croatia systematically and increasingly ignored and downplayed by those who seized power in Croatia after year 2000.

Sadly, this also means that these same politicians and former Yugoslav communists or their children together with their Serbian counterparts have been during the past two decades “writing” a history of the founding of the independent state of Croatia with lies and prevarications, just as they did about the WWII Independent State of Croatia after the War had ended. And so, those born during and after the 1990’s Croatian Homeland War are fed more and more lies and half-truths and are in danger of not knowing the most relevant truths about how and why the independent Croatia came to be. How and why their independent state was created.

The Croatian television Studio 4 program televised for the occasion of the 29^th Anniversary of international recognition of Croatia’s independence featured none other than Mate Granic and his appearance there demonstrates so clearly how lies and prevarication regarding the establishment of the Croatian diplomatic missions throughout the world, the international recognition of Croatia, create a false picture and false record. Granic purposefully omitted to talk truthfully about the period June 1991 and June 1992 that was critical for the international recognition of Croatia and for the preparations for the establishment of permanent Croatian Diplomatic Missions throughout the world (up to June 1993) – he blatantly ignored the fact that Dr Zvonimir Separovic was then a very Croatia-minded Foreign Minister. Whether this omission on Granic’s part was related to the fact that Dr Zvonimir Separovic was one of the leading Croatian public figures to pursue truth about Communist crimes and mass graves of their victims had anything to do with Granic’s disregard is a question I believe many Croats will know how to answer or contemplate upon. In the same television program by plucking out individual cases of diaspora contribution to the establishment of Croatian Diplomatic Missions Granic completely omitted to talk and recognise fully the crucial roles Croatian diaspora played in the processes of international recognition of Croatia and the establishing permanent Croatian Diplomatic Missions throughout the world.

Generally, let me present here some absolute facts Mate Granic (and those in power in Croatia or around them who are, shamelessly “carrying the can” for communist Yugoslavia) is avoiding talking about or recognise:

• Not only did at that time Serbs with the help of the Yugoslav Peoples’ Army occupy and ethnically cleansed of Croats one third of Croatia but also Yugoslav (Serb) diplomatic missions across the world were occupied by Serbian diplomacy under the thieving claim that Serbia (with Montenegro, called then and until 2003, FRY – Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) was the heir to communist Yugoslavia and, therefore, rightful owner and occupant of the diplomatic missions’ premises throughout the world kept operating (without Croatia) in premises acquired with a great deal of Croatian funds that were syphoned off from Croatia during the decades when Croatia was part of communist Yugoslavia federation;
• Coming out of a totalitarian communist regime Croatia needed and relied upon its democratically-minded and experienced diaspora to step in and help drive the establishment of its Diplomatic and Consular Missions including securing new premises for which Croatia had no funds at the time (Australia serves as a bight example where the Croatian communities raised significant funds to purchase premises and equip them for future diplomatic-consular permanent mission);
• Croatia needed and relied upon the democratic systems knowhow, connectedness and influence of its diaspora to establish diplomatic core ties and good will on the ground for diplomatic networking – and the Croatian diaspora delivered gladly and professionally “big time”;  
• Coming out of the totalitarian regime of communist Yugoslavia Croatia needed and relied upon its diaspora to drive and establish operational framework of its diplomatic missions on the ground of most foreign countries and individual Croatians did just that, without remuneration but with a huge love for democracy and freedom from communist mindset.  
• Documentary, verified and verifiable evidence still exists in the Croatian Diaspora regarding the Croatian Diaspora input and role in the establishment of Diplomatic/Consular Missions of Croatia on the ground in various countries. When Mate Granic became the Foreign Minister of Croatia in May 1993 there were attempts by his diplomats to get hold of all the documentary evidence pertaining to diaspora role in setting up the Missions – they were not afforded that privilege – it was justifiably feared they would destroy the evidence.

29 years after, it is evident that the Croatian Diaspora has been placed on the same trajectory of disrespect and disregard as the Homeland War veterans when it comes to upholding the very foundations of independence! Croatian communist mindset still littering the corridors of power, hand in hand with Serbian aggressor operatives and clan – continue with their degradation of values the Croatian people had set for themselves when they overwhelmingly decided to secede from Yugoslav communist regime. Mate Granic and all of the communist Yugoslavia apparatchiks and apologists – you will not succeed in denying and downplaying the Croatian Diaspora and its rightful place in the foundations of the Independent Croatia and its Diplomatic Missions across the world. Ina Vukic