Croatia, OSCE launch refugee return and reintegration campaign

[Ace Rimmer]

CROATIA, OSCE LAUNCH REFUGEE RETURN AND REINTEGRATION CAMPAIGN


ZAGREB, Nov 30 (Hina) - The Croatian government and the OSCE Mission to Croatia launched in Zagreb on Wednesday the second phase of a public campaign on the return and reintegration of all refugees and displaced people under the slogan "Croatia is the home of all its citizens".
The Croatian government, together with the OSCE Mission, in September 2004 launched a campaign to raise public awareness about sustainable return and issues related to refugee return, minority rights and reconciliation, and the creation of a climate encouraging sustainable return, it was said at a news conference.

The news conference was held by Foreign Affairs and European Integration Minister Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic, Tourism, Transport and Development Minister Bozidar Kalmeta, and OSCE Mission Head Jorge Fuentes.

The purpose of the campaign is to provide substantial and factual information to refugees living outside Croatia on the basis of which they will be able to make a sensible decision about return, as well as to contribute to creating an atmosphere facilitating sustainable return by promoting the importance of strengthening tolerance based on European values, Grabar Kitarovic said. She added that the Croatian government "has committed itself and has been consistently implementing the programme of refugee return and completion of the reconstruction process".

She recalled that the Sarajevo Declaration of January 2005, signed by Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro, envisaged settling the issue of refugees and displaced people by the end of 2006.

Croatia will continue, persistently and with full determination, to respect and implement its legal obligations which are aimed at ensuring sustainable return, accelerating reform of the judiciary and leading to the further promotion of human rights, freedom of the media and civil society, Grabar Kitarovic said.

Minister Kalmeta said the state had the task to ensure equal return conditions for all. Around 8,600 housing units will be completed by the end of the year, and another 4,000 will be reconstructed during 2006, Kalmeta said. So far, 137,337 houses and flats, worth some 15 billion kuna, have been reconstructed, Kalmeta said.

As for provision of accommodation to former tenancy rights holders, 4,100 applications have been submitted. Kalmeta said there would be no restitution of tenancy rights and that former tenancy rights holders could ensure housing accommodation by purchasing a flat under conditions offered by a government-subsidised housing construction plan or by renting a flat.

"This year we have started dealing with the first such cases. Forty-four million kuna of budgetary funds have been set aside for that purpose this year and that amount will certainly be spent by the end of the year," the minister said.

The refugee return campaign starts on Thursday and it will last 15 days, said Fuentes. Two video clips and one radio clip have been recorded for the purpose of the campaign, 250 billboards will be set up throughout the country, placards have been made and the web site www.povratak.hr has been designed as part of the campaign, Fuentes said. The campaign will be implemented in Croatia, as well as in some cities in Bosnia-Herezegovina and most likely in Serbia and Montenegro as well.
Hina (http://www.hina.hr/nws-bin/genews.cgi?TOP=hot&NID=ehot/politika/HB309223.4yc)

[Bartholomew Roberts]

So when are all the Croatians returning to all the places in BiH that they were eradicated from? :mad:

[Watzy]

Yet, Milorad Pupovac, Serb delegate in Croatian parliament said: "The public cares more about dogs than about Serbs".

Such whining fits nice along with collecting our money. We have homeless veterans in every city, and yet under the foreign dictate every ex-bandit must have a brand new house built. Croatia is nothing but a colony of Bruxelles and Hague, and every foreign request is presented to the public as some sort of a fetish, like fried chickens shall start to fall from the sky if we fulfill it fast enough.

[Ace Rimmer]

True, the veterans who live in resort bungalows last 12 years in Pula
are latest example of abandoned and desperate people.

[Zrinski]

More than 400 000 Croats were missing from Bosnia in the last census in 2001. Whats worse by CIA estimation in 2005 there is almost additonal 200 000 Croats missing from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Talking about ethnic cleansing.... :rolleyes:

[Banat]

Yet, Milorad Pupovac, Serb delegate in Croatian parliament said: "The public cares more about dogs than about Serbs".

Such whining fits nice along with collecting our money. We have homeless veterans in every city, and yet under the foreign dictate every ex-bandit must have a brand new house built.

Every house "you" burned down should be built again, and all property either returned or recompensated - there is not much philosophy into that. And although I don't particulary care for Croatian homeless veterans, I feel a soldier's sympathy towards them, because the fate of Serbian veterans in Serbia is the same, so I think their issue should rather be brought up in the light of re-building Serbian burnt houses and churches, so that those men could at least get something.

[Watzy]

Every house "you" burned down should be built again, and all property either returned or recompensated - there is not much philosophy into that.

This is preposterous! What gives you the moral right to tell us what should we do in our state?! Those houses were in possession of the collaborators, and they weren't burned down in order to be re-build, especially not by the budget provided by loyal citizens. We should have burned the owners along with their houses and families, like Serbs did in Široka Kula, today we wouldn't be robbed by these beggars and parasites which resent our state but love our money.

[Banat]

This is preposterous! What gives you the moral right to tell us what should we do in our state?! Those houses were in possession of the collaborators, and they weren't burned down in order to be re-build, especially not by the budget provided by loyal citizens. We should have burned the owners along with their houses and families, like Serbs did in Široka Kula, today we wouldn't be robbed by these beggars and parasites which resent our state but love our money.

Perhaps I should rephrase what I meant, for this is not how I wanted it to sound.

It is true, I have no right to tell you what you should do (remember this when it happens that you impose your opinion on what others should do). Even more, I'm not even in the position to tell you to do anything. But I do have the moral right to express and say out loud what would be the right thing to do. Yet, it is very important to understand that I am not imposing anything.

What I meant was that you (and I mean you personally, as well as those that share your ideology, too) cannot be both civilized and non-civilized; you cannot both admit that the houses were burnt on purpose, and even suggest that the people should've been burnt alive as well, and on the same time expect to be a full member of European Union, where different laws are abode. You cannot in public, under real names, invite Serb refugees to come back and promise them every right, and brag with that fact before the International Community, and in the same time secretly, in discrete conversations and under Internet nick-names invite for the continuation of murder.

And what do you think about the possibility that in the same time, and from the same funds, those homeless veterans should be helped? About using this opportunity to lead this buiding course into building new homes as well as the burned ones?

[Watzy]

It is true, I have no right to tell you what you should do (remember this when it happens that you impose your opinion on what others should do).

I know you would like that I shut up about the position of peaceful Croatians in Serb held Banat and Srijem, but that's unlikely to happen as long as we pay for pampering of (still) rebellious Croatia's Serbs.

Even more, I'm not even in the position to tell you to do anything. But I do have the moral right to express and say out loud what would be the right thing to do. Yet, it is very important to understand that I am not imposing anything.

What kind of morality are you talking about? Croatia was the second most prosperous socialist country in the world before the rebellion, and you're saying its MORAL to reward instead to punish those who almost turned it into Rwanda!?!

What I meant was that you (and I mean you personally, as well as those that share your ideology, too) cannot be both civilized and non-civilized; you cannot both admit that the houses were burnt on purpose, and even suggest that the people should've been burnt alive as well, and on the same time expect to be a full member of European Union, where different laws are abode.

Please do not preach about civilization Banat. People of your (Greater Serbian) ideology destroyed entire palaces, while you moan about few burned mud-huts.
Second, I don't wish my country to loose already narrowed independence in return for EU membership. Also I think it is very civilized to stand in opposition to EU standards, because these standards are anti-Christian, barbaric and foreign.

You cannot in public, under real names, invite Serb refugees to come back and promise them every right, and brag with that fact before the International Community, and in the same time secretly, in discrete conversations and under Internet nick-names invite for the continuation of murder.

Now you're speaking like you know me in person. :rolleyes: We are as tricked by our authorities just like the invited Serbs are. Also I dont call for any 'continuation of murder', because there were none to begin with, at least not a systematic murder in Serbian style.

And what do you think about the possibility that in the same time, and from the same funds, those homeless veterans should be helped? About using this opportunity to lead this buiding course into building new homes as well as the burned ones?

Those veterans are a burden to Croatias present policy, so there's no political will to help them. Serb refugees are not, because they represent a ticket to EU, as you mentioned.

[Zrinski]

Every house "you" burned down should be built again, and all property either returned or recompensated - there is not much philosophy into that. And although I don't particulary care for Croatian homeless veterans, I feel a soldier's sympathy towards them, because the fate of Serbian veterans in Serbia is the same, so I think their issue should rather be brought up in the light of re-building Serbian burnt houses and churches, so that those men could at least get something.

Every house we burned down? We are paying for you(Serbia)!!! WTF are you talking about?!?! :mad:

Who will pay or our burnet and torn down churches and houses...who will pay for Vukovar? :rolleyes:
What about 350 000 Croats from Bosnia-Herzeogvina(now entity of RS)?! Where are they in all this? God damn hypocrits...

[Banat]

Every house we burned down? We are paying for you(Serbia)!!! WTF are you talking about?!?! :mad:

Who will pay or our burnet and torn down churches and houses...who will pay for Vukovar? :rolleyes:
What about 350 000 Croats from Bosnia-Herzeogvina(now entity of RS)?! Where are they in all this? God damn hypocrits...

I don't see any hypocrisy at all.

1. You (and I said "you" under quotes, because I'm sure not all Croats were were for that that those buildings should be destroyed, but rather confiscated) are not paying anything to the funds of state Serbia, but simply returning the individuals their property they earned by their work and effort.

2. If Vukovar was under Serbian rule, the same principle should be applied to Croatian destroyed property. But it isn't. And there's a slight difference between a house destroyed during a battle, and a deliberately burned house, previously treated with gasoline. Anyway, if it was JNA that was responsible, there are international laws, international courts - sue Serbian state, so it would be obliged to finance the reconstruction.

3. Considering Bosnia-Herzegovina, if the property is returned to Serbs and Muslims, I don't see any reason why it shouldn't be done to Croats also.

There is no hypocrisy from my side, since I apply that the same rule should be applied to all.

[Banat]

I know you would like that I shut up about the position of peaceful Croatians in Serb held Banat and Srijem, but that's unlikely to happen as long as we pay for pampering of (still) rebellious Croatia's Serbs.

I am absolutely positively sure that those 1,500 Croats in entire Banat, who are BTW either descendants of post WWII colonists, or people who moved here during SFRJ in search for work, have absolutely no reason to complain about their treatment.

They also had no problems whatsoever during the wars in the 1990's, but not because of some international pressure, but because of the common civilized manner of everyone in this region.

If their position was in any way threatened only because of their national affinity, I'd be the first one to condemn it. And I protested to your hypocrisy because you tend to switch your support for individual human and national rights, depending of whether they are Croats or not. Or better: whether they are Serbs or not.

What kind of morality are you talking about? Croatia was the second most prosperous socialist country in the world before the rebellion, and you're saying its MORAL to reward instead to punish those who almost turned it into Rwanda!?!

That Rwanda kind of revenge towards the property of the refugees doesn't fit the issue of morality. Individual property should be respected always.

Please do not preach about civilization Banat. People of your (Greater Serbian) ideology destroyed entire palaces, while you moan about few burned mud-huts.
Second, I don't wish my country to loose already narrowed independence in return for EU membership. Also I think it is very civilized to stand in opposition to EU standards, because these standards are anti-Christian, barbaric and foreign.

I don't preach about civilization, Zvaci. I'm not in position to force anyone to behave civilized, and I do not moan about a few burned mud-huts. And I'll repeat more-less what I said to Zrinski: if Serbia as a state is in any way solely responsible for the destruction of Croatian property, it should finance its re-building.

And if those were just "few burned mud-huts", then why pitying that huge amount of money spent, when it is obvious that "few huts" could be rebuilt out of town funds, with not much money spent at all?

Now you're speaking like you know me in person. :rolleyes: We are as tricked by our authorities just like the invited Serbs are. Also I dont call for any 'continuation of murder', because there were none to begin with, at least not a systematic murder in Serbian style.

I don't know you in person, but I know that you speak of Croatian Serbs as of different race, and advocate their national destruction, and you are neither the first, nor the last one who's been doing the same in past 100 years, that's why I said it. And many of persons who think so, in public advocate and agitate for the return of Serbs, while in the same time are personally against that idea, which isn't right: if they are against the idea, they shouldn't support it at all, and if they are supporting it in public, they shouldn't whine because it is fulfilled.

Those veterans are a burden to Croatias present policy, so there's no political will to help them. Serb refugees are not, because they represent a ticket to EU, as you mentioned.

Such is the sad fate of all veterans - to be a "burden" of their state. And considering that ticked to EU, is it really not possible to use that building trend to help those homeless individuals? Since under these circumstances, most likely nothing would be done for them solely, can't someone just say: "Hey, we are already building houses, why don't we use a bit of the funds to help our lads too?"

[Zrinski]

Hopefully Serbia will be forced to pay reparation... :mad:

[Banat]

...and Montenegro too.