ZAGREB’S MISSING PERSONS-RELATED DEMANDS TO BELGRADE - SHAMEFUL AND UNACCEPTABLE

BELGRADE, OCTOBER 27 /SRNA/ – Miodrag Linta, Chair of the Association of Serbs from the Region, has described the demands made by Croatian officials to Serbia regarding the resolution of missing persons cases, the opening of security archives, the prosecution of war crimes and acceptance of responsibility for the war in the former Yugoslavia as shameful and unacceptable.

He stressed that Serbia should be the one demanding that Croatia finally resolve the issue of missing persons, most of whom are Serbs, open archives containing information about the killing of Serb civilians and prisoners of war, and prosecute those responsible for mass crimes against Serbs.

Linta pointed out that Croatia should also confront its responsibility for the events of the war in the former Yugoslavia, but that Zagreb persistently refuses to disclose the ethnic background of missing persons listed by the Croatian Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs.

"Of the 1,725 missing persons, more than 1,000 are of Serb ethnic background. In addition, Croatia is blocking the exhumation of the remains of 200 Serbs buried at more than 30 known burial sites, as well as their identification," Linta stated.

Croatia, as he says, is also refusing to open security archives containing important information about the killing of Serb civilians and prisoners of war during the conflict in a number of Croatian cities and in the Krajina region, announced the Association of Serbs from the Region.

He assessed that opening the archives and providing access to documentation were crucial to establishing the truth and prosecuting those responsible for crimes committed.

"Croatia has shown no willingness to confront its dark past and acknowledge that the main culprit for the war was Franjo Tuđman’s pro-Ustasha regime, which committed aggression against Yugoslavia with the aim of creating an ethnically pure Croatian state with no Serbs, or as few Serbs as possible," Linta said.

He stressed that Serbia must therefore insist on the truth about the suffering of Serbs, the location of missing persons, the opening of archives and the punishment of those responsible for war crimes.

"The Serb victims issue must not be pushed aside, nor must it depend on Zagreb’s political interests," Linta stated.

Following the change of government in Belgrade, Croatian politicians said they expected the archives to be opened, the fate of the 1,725 missing persons to be resolved, and a new chapter to begin in relations between the two countries.