Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 17, 1997, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg fast july f criminals thrive memorial fades tries to Bury fascist past a by Tracy Wilkinson to dumans government has been accused of encouraging cyclical violence Croatia the Stone Monument to the victims of one of the second world wars Early Slaughters committed by fascists stands in vandalized its Central pillar has been someone has carefully Chis Elled away the plaques bearing victims weeds carpet the isolated in the Forest behind the Down a Steep sits another part of the in equal it is a Black pit tunnelled into the where the bodies of hundreds of jews and serbs were dumped in 1941 by croatian the rulers of Croatia Naai puppet fifty years these same Hills around the insular town of Gospic were used to dispose of Niobe this time the serbs and croatian 1 dissidents that a new generation of croatian nationalists worked to such gruesome recycling of history might end except that it now appears that some of the same officials in charge of local government Dur ing the 1991 killings were restored to Power in elections three months they also Are probably part of the gang that destroyed the Monument to jewish and serbian the persistent presence of people who could qualify As War criminals contaminates most Sci that emerged from the former yugoslav fed in human rights activists say the government of pres ident Franjo Tudja Man until recently the regions closest ally encourages impunity and cyclical violence by distorting the past and glorifying a nation Alist history while overlooking the murderous As it attempts to build an ethnically pure the government has failed to purge criminals from its and in fact rewards these people Poi son the atmosphere for if we want a better future for this we have to get rid of these kinds of peo said Lyo a history professor at Zagreb University and an opposition Goldsteins interest is As much personal As his s his Grandfather was among the jews slain outside Gospic in 1941 and dumped into the known As in the Hills about 15 West of was death Camp among 26 concentration Camps created by Croatia pro nazi second world War about jews and serbs Are believed to have been rounded up by Stashe transported in rail cars to the Gospic forced to walk through Fields and then knifed to death All during a three month period in the bodies were thrown into the at the Bette known Jasenovic death Camp in Nort Central More than As Well As gypsies and were killed during the second world Jasento vac has been the Centre of International focus but Jado no languishes thousands of monuments honouring both parti Defeated the and the victims of fascism have been destroyed All Over the country in a wave of fervent inspired by Tudja that equates anti fascists with serbs and other enemies of the croatian father Tadjman has fuelled such attitudes by Prais ing the stashes stated goal of even if the regime was he of cer Tain one of the most notorious men who Rose to Power in the Gospic area in 1991 was Tihomir a Leader of Gospich crisis formed amid the ser croat War that raged at the Gospic was a frontline a last defence against yugoslav backed serbian militia fighting against croatian always a Iso lated Gospic and its Lika Valley surround Ings were under in october 13 croats were in Swift Between 120 and 200 including judges and other were rounded up Ana according to human rights researcher the bodies were concealed in the same Hills that 50 years earlier had become the mass Graves for other serbian and jewish associates of Oreskovic emerged in recent weeks to describe in croatian newspapers the slayings and general reign of terror that swept through Gospic in officials and military Ponce conspired to draw up lists of serbs who were taken according to these no tried to Stop the Milan one of res movies former told the croatian weekly focal it was easy to control frightened people so egregious were the abuses that the croatian Central government took the unusual step of arresting a Reskovic in december but he was quickly feebly what he has been up to in recent years is in a Jcj elections in Reskovic appeared or the ruling coalitions list of candidates Ana was voted in As mayor of a town about to Obj Pio Steffl is that this Story will never said Ivan 6ieafc Bead of the croatian Helsinki committee a human serbs lash out at West Bosnia Herze Govina with foreign ers moving against War crimes bosnian serbs have lashed out with whatever at one Soldier was stabbed from behind with a Siek be and a grenade exploded near the House of a in the third such blast this the stabbing occurred less than a week after nato troops made their first raid to seize serb War crimes it was the first assault to wound or tar get a member of the Natoley peace Force since last weeks raid on War crimes Sti Stets in Northern the tougher Western approach has stirred serb particularly with bombs have destroyed vehicles and damaged buildings housing International leaflets have threatened americans and u of Cade explodes Early a hand grenade exploded near the House of a in employee in the third blast this week targeting International Pew details were released of the attack on the Soldier at a lonely outpost in serb Western officials and local serbs said the attacker May have been nothing More than a foiled soldiers said they Felt comfortable with by feel More secure Here than at said staff Mark of because Here 1 have sol Diers who Are ready to help at any others said they thought Bosnia chaotic which claimed one soldiers life this was More of a danger than politically motivated Vio there Are no evident increases in the attack highlighted just How isolated some of the peacekeeping troops Are and How they Are potential targets for angry the who was not was part of a Liaison team Between the peace Force and serb officials in 55 Kilometres Northeast of Sara the team is based in a local serbs said they thought the attack occurred around 3 when the Soldier went out to Check on a army spokesmen in Tula said he was stabbed from behind with a and received treat ment for a five to eighteen Dimetre shoulder wound before being the attacker Hong Kong suspends labour Laws associated press Hong Kong Hong Kongs appointed legislature suspended pro Union Laws passed by its elected but labour activists vowed yesterday to keep struggling for collective bargaining the move was the latest in a series of actions that have pitted the provisional legislature against Prode Moc racy forces since it took office july when Hong Kong returned to chinese including Legal experts and political said there was no precedent for suspending if you want to repeal a certain then Call a Spade a Spade and repeal said Andrew an Independent who was president of the former legislature and is a member of the provisional the provisional legislature voted 38 9 yesterday to suspend four Laws passed in june by the last legislature elected under British the Laws gave workers the right to collective made it harder for employers to discriminate against Union lifted a ban on unions spending Money in political campaigns and expanded the scope of the Territo Rys Bill of business groups said the Laws would raise labour costs and discourage for eign we want to hear from m press or your Carrier if mall your comments to Winnipeg free press promotions 1355 Mountain my r2x 3b6 or fax us at 6977465 ;