Hope Needs Your Help – Fundraising To Prevent Croatian Veteran Suicides

Croatian movie director and producer Jakov Sedlar has for several months now been on the trail of securing funds for the production of feature movie “2761” – a movie about Croatian Homeland War veteran suicides. It’s a tragic story that emerged from 2761 personal stories and the movie aims to influence prevention of suicides especially among those experiencing the personal dilemma whether to commit suicide or not, not to kill themselves. It’s a tragic story not only because of the number of veterans who have committed suicide but also because of 156 veteran wives and 52 children who have also taken their own lives. That is a dreadful story. On reflecting upon the plans for the movie Sedlar said on Croatian TV in March 2017:

I think we have a responsibility towards our country and towards our people to undertake certain things about which we must talk … if we won’t who else will talk about these things.

Jakov Sedlar
Croatian movie director and producer

Valentin Perkovic, a member of the leadership team of “Croatian Diasporan Voice” (Glas hrvatske diaspore), to which I myself proudly belong, has started a “Gofundme” online fundraising campaign with view to raise funds that would make up the shortfall needed to complete the movie project. I look forward to seeing as many as possible people, especially those of Croatian heritage, across the world joining this worthy cause with their donations.

The link to the fundraising page is:

https://www.gofundme.com/jakov-sedlars-2761

That’s the number of Croatian war veterans – branitelji – that have taken their own lives since the Homeland war. This tragedy has come about mainly due to the consequences of PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. A lot of them have felt marginalised in society very similar to the Vietnam War vets of the seventies.

Croatian movie director and producer Jakov Sedlar famous for brilliant films like “Gospa”, “Četverored” and documentaries on people like Croatia’s own football legend Joe Simunic.

We understand that one film cannot stop this completely but even if it stops one person from taking their own life it will be worth all the money and effort. This feature film will be made up of 45 of the best Croatian actors and filming will start in January 2018. The whole project comes at a cost of $900,000 and there is a shortfall of $190,000. The donators’ names will be shown in the credits at the end of the film. Please give what you can as every dollar counts.” Quotes from Gofundme fundraising page.

 

 

Amidst soaring concern about veteran suicide, lack of coordination, rising dissatisfaction and criticism about the inadequate government-backed and government organised supports for veterans suffering PTSD communities of veterans in Croatia and their supporters are self-organising, and Croatian Diasporan Voice as an organisation outside Croatia is a supporter as are numbers of others.

While helping a suicidal person can be a difficult process, remember that the assistance we all provide could save someone’s life. The movie “2761” is one of many ways of helping prevent suicide and this manner of help via donating funds towards the production of the movie is a role many of us can play.

Scientific research looking specifically at combat-related PTSD in Vietnam era Veterans suggests that the most significant predictor of both suicide attempts and preoccupation with suicide are combat-related emotions that creep into the mind and heart. Many Veterans experience highly intrusive thoughts and extreme emotions about acts seen committed during times of war. These thoughts can often overpower the emotional coping capacities of Veterans. The same applies to the veterans of Croatian Homeland War as its course and foundations have often been interpreted, especially by former communists in Croatia who did not want an independent Croatia, in the same ways as those of the Vietnam War; all the more reason for us to stand behind and support with donations the making of “2761” movie. Thank you – all! Ina Vukic

Cruel Irony Afflicts Unveiling Of Monument To Croatian Freedom Fighter

Defending “For Home Ready” greeting
Zagreb, Croatia, 11 November 2017
Photo: Screenshot

It is a cruel insult and cruel irony that on Armistice Day, 11th November, when World War I allies mark with respect and piety those who gave their lives for freedom and their emblems, police authorities in Zagreb, Croatia, go about disrupting remembrance gathering organised for the unveiling of the monument to the legendary Zarko Manjkas – Crvenkapa, who lost his life defending Vukovar and freedom for Croatia in November 1991, and attempt to seize the HOS (Croatian Defence Forces) flag under which Crvenkapa fought and died. The monument itself does not have the HOS emblem under which Crvenkapa lost his life fighting, which is a sad and utterly unjust consequence of current push in Croatia to declare the “Za Dom Spremni” (For Home Ready) illegal. The HOS emblem itself and the flag carrying it are protected under the Croatian law. On it, the salute “Za Dom Spremni” (For Home Ready) is written and the process to render this salute illegal is already in train as the left-leaning lot carrying political and power clout wrongfully place its origins in WWII fight for Croatian independence.

Just imagine a Britain, or any Allied country, today where the salute and greeting “For Home and Country”, or similar WWI or WWII salutes across the Allied world, were threatened with bastardisation and extinction! The protests would be as fierce as defending freedom from aggression were.

It was such an uplifting feeling to watch Croatia’s brave young, many of whom are children or grandchildren of those who gave their lives for Croatia’s independence, fiercely and determinately hold their stead, refusing to budge to the police pressure to remove the HOS with “Za Dom Spremni” salute from sight at the unveiling of monument to Crvenkapa.

The words exchanged between a young lady holding the HOS flag, other young people there, and police as recorded on the video taken in Zagreb on Saturday 11 November at the unveiling of monument to the fallen HOS fighter for freedom are as follows:

Young man: “It’s a mistake for the man who got killed for Croatia as member of HOS … everyone here is bothered by the fact that the monument is missing the HOS emblem, because he died for that, in that unit.”

Young lady holding HOS flag: “Why we are here? To give honour to our killed Crvenkapa, keeping in mind that we are very saddened by the fact that there is no HOS emblem on the monument nor ‘For Home Ready’ sign that he proudly carried and under which insignia he was killed … What impression will the future generations have looking at this monument…that Croats respect their patriots, their defenders who gave their lives for Croatia …for the freedom of Croatia.”

Policeman: “Close the flag … you have breached the law”

Police try to remove legal Croatian army banner
Photo: Screenshot

Young lady holding HOS flag: “We have breached no law, this is a legal Croatian army flag…Manjkas died under this emblem on his cap and you did not put it on the monument … who is bothered by the emblem I don’t know…you cannot move a flag at the opening of a park dedicated to a HOS fighter …”

Jounalist to the young lady holding the HOS flag: “What do you say about being chased out from here?”

Young lady holding HOS flag: “What’s there to say! Do we live in a free a free Croatia, or is this still Yugoslavia? Do Chetniks (Serbs) rule over Croatia or, perhaps, Croats …let’s take authority into our own hands and free ourselves from the pests …” – “No, not a chance, no…this flag is legal Croatian army flag that created our State,” she replies as another policeman’s insistence that she takes the HOS flag down.

Second policeman: “Please, everything is alright, the flag is O.K., move the banner…”

Young lady holding HOS flag: “Why, why should the banner be taken down. We are trying to show a big mistake, a big injustice …”

Second young man: “This is persecution of Croatian defenders … this is not right… my father was in the 204th Vukovar brigade, he fought together with HOS, HOS carried its own insignia ‘Za Dom Spremni’ and HSP (Croatian Party of Rights) was written there …”

Policeman: “Move the banner! …” ( The banner had writing on it: “Who is bothered by the ‘For Home Ready’ greeting on Crvenkapa’s monument?”

Third policeman: “Young lady, let’s have a talk, come with me…come here…” Young lady holding HOS flag: “But why!? … OK…”

Journalist: “Why are you forbidding them…” he asks the policeman

Third policeman: “We are not forbidding anything …” he says as he lead the young lady holding the HOS flag to the side.

Zarko Manjkas Crvenkapa Monument
Zagreb, Croatia
Photo: afp

The police, despite trying very hard, did not manage to intimidate these young people insisting on showing the flag and banner under which members of HOS fought and died for independent Croatia. So proud! Make no mistake here – Croatian authorities and their pervasive communist mindset are attempting to kill the love for independent Croatia that carried its defenders into the bloody battles of Serb aggression during early 1990s. No different to oppression that was in communist Yugoslavia. How else could one interpret the intimidating police surges against the holding up of a legal banner!? Ina Vukic

Setting Right Croatian War Veterans’ Rights

From right: Retired General Zeljko Glasnovic and Retired Colonel Mijo Crnoja In front of veterans' protest tent Zagreb Croatia Photo: hdz.hr

From right: Retired General Zeljko Glasnovic
and Retired Colonel Mijo Crnoja
In front of veterans’ protest tent
Zagreb Croatia
Photo: hdz.hr

If the Croatian Prime Minister designate, Tihomir Oreskovic, accepts the HDZ/Croatian Democratic Union nomination for the new Minister of Veterans Affairs the Croatian war veterans would, after several years of degradation by the leftist political winds finally reap their deserved rewards.

Friday 22 January 2016 is widely touted as the date when the composition of Croatia’s new government will be revealed. Prime Minister designate, Tihomir Oreskovic, has been working closely with the elected conservative HDZ and Most/Bridge coalition parliamentarians since he was appointed the PM designate less than a month ago.
All eyes it seems – in Croatia and abroad – are turned to this as expectations of miracles that will save the country from the economic abyss, a bottomless black hole since foreign debt has reached 90% of GDP – are hot and seething with restless anticipation.

 

Retired Colonel Mijo Crnoja Photo: hdz.hr

Retired Colonel Mijo Crnoja
Photo: hdz.hr

According to Croatia’s news portal Jutarnji List, Retired Colonel Mijo Crnoja has accepted the HDZ nomination for the minister of veterans affairs portfolio. Colonel Crnoja was put forward as candidate for the post by Croatia veterans who say that through Crnoja the dignity of Croatian soldiers/veterans will be restored. Fortunately, there are very few countries in the world that have treated their war veterans as poorly as the Croatian Social Democrat, leftist, Zoran Milanovic’s government and former communist presidents Stjepan Mesic and Ivo Josipovic have. The former Yugoslav communists of Croatia had done everything in their power to degrade, defame and destroy the spirit and might of Croatia’s brave war veterans of 1990’s to whom Croatia owes its freedom to an overwhelming extent. All that may well be behind us with when the new government sets sail forward in a week or so.

Crnoja’s whole life’s and war path have been dedicated to the fight for a just and free Croatia and to the protection of Croatian veterans’ dignity, says HDZ portal.
Reportedly there’s a new program developed, headed by HDZ’s Zeljko Dilber (head of HDZ’s committee for veterans). Reportedly the program includes the compilation of a “register of traitors of national interests” which may well be perceived as a step within a lustration process that would rid Croatian pivotal public service and administration and authorities of those who had worked in high positions within the communist Yugoslavia secret services and allied operations of power.

And what else is in the document called “The work program for the Veterans of the Croatian Homeland War“?

The 29 points within the program also include “prosecution of war criminals from the aggressor army, stronger representation of the Homeland War in the school curricula and textbooks, and the establishment of permanent co-operation and support of veterans’ associations.” The program points also refer to the plan for the “Constitutional law to protect the honour and dignity of the Croatian Homeland War veterans,” and that the “achievements of Croatian soldiers who went into the War will worthily be marked via anniversaries with co-financing of the memorials and to provide support for publishing on topics from the war“.

 

In the chapter titled “Ensuring lasting and full care for Croatian war veterans and their families“, which has eight points, there is the provision that “all the rights of Croatian defenders are to be regulated by one law which will be incorporated into the Constitution.” The program then states that the “veterans of the HVO (Croatian Defense Council) are a part of a single and indivisible Croatian defense corps – Croatian Army, and that their status will permanently be resolved“. The program stipulates that “Croatian war veterans will receive a patriotic or war supplement, and that they will never be brought into the situation of having to fight for their social rights,” and that “ war invalids will have priority in the use of public health services.” Furthermore, the program states that the withdrawn pension rights will be reinstated in accordance with the economic and financial recovery in the country… all that the program will “take care of housing through implementation of favourable measures such as affordable unit purchase price, tenancy protection, rights of first refusal, and subsidised housing.”
With regards to including the Croatian veterans into the sociopolitical and public life the program aims to include the veterans in all the institutions and authorities in the Republic of Croatia (Parliament, Government, ministries, diplomacy, secret services, office of president …); inclusion of veterans in vigorous employment programs and re-training where necessary or desired.

Affordable and subsidised loans to Croatian defenders entrepreneurs and business owners who employ Croatian defenders; Support for projects to businesses that employ Croatian defenders; start-up assistance for entrepreneurs veterans (favorable lease office space, require professional assistance and advice, technical assistance, professional training or retraining and available sources of financing in the years of new business start-up cycles); The use of EU funds – expert working groups (veterans, war veterans’ children), apply to programs for the Croatian defenders.
In reality, this program largely reflects the demands of the veteran protesters that had camped in a tent for more than a year in front of the ministry of veterans affairs.

Retired Colonel Mijo Crnoja (left) Retired General Zeljko Glasnovic (right) speaking in veterans' protest tent Zagreb, Croatia Photo: hdz.hr

Retired Colonel Mijo Crnoja (left)
Retired General Zeljko Glasnovic (right)
speaking in veterans’ protest tent
Zagreb, Croatia
Photo: hdz.hr

In summary, the program that will lift Croatian veterans’ dignity and pin due value to the Croatian Homeland War and independence under the leadership of Mijo Crnoja is as follows:

• Publication of the register the aggressors against Croatia
• Publication of the register of the traitors of national interests Croatia
• Publication of the register of illegally performed privatisations
• Lustration at all levels
• Stronger representation of the Homeland War in the school curricula and textbooks
• Defenders will receive a patriotic or war supplement to their income
• Consistent application of legislation on the benefits of hiring veterans and children of killed, detained or missing in state owned companies
• The inclusion of veterans in all the institutions and authorities in the Republic of Croatia
• Favourable measures/conditions for housing
• Favorable and subsidised loans to veterans entrepreneurs and business owners who hire veterans.

 

There’s a consensus among Croatian veterans and retired war defense force officers, which says: “The economic state our country finds itself in is unacceptable for the participants of the Homeland War. Something has to change strongly and decisively in Croatia.

Yes indeed, yes indeed. Ina Vukic, Prof. (Zgb); B.A., M.A.Ps. (Syd)

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