Third Commemoration Takes Place at Jasenovac

After a commemoration organized by the Jewish Communities last week [April 15, 2016] and the official state commemoration on Friday [April 22], the third commemoration takes place at Jasenovac camp.

As many as two thousand people came to the commemoration for the victims of the Ustasha camp at Jasenovac which was organized by the Union of Anti-Fascist Fighters, together with the Anti-Fascist League of Croatia, the Serbian National Council, the Association of Roma in Croatia Kali Sara, the Council of Roma of Zagreb and civil society organizations. Among them were former President Stjepan Mesić and SDP leadership led by party president Zoran Milanović, reports tportal.hr on April 24, 2016.

The commemoration began with the gathering of participants at the Memorial Museum of Jasenovac and continued with a walk to the "Stone Flower" monument.

Former President Mesić gave a speech and said that they had gathered at Jasenovac to pay tribute and honour the victims. "We must not forget! And we are talking here, because silence at Jasenovac today would not mean just that we are avoiding the condemnation of the crimes committed here. It would also be a suicide for a democratic and antifascism based Croatian state. And therefore we are here once again to tell the truth to all those who are bombarding us with lies about the Pavelić state", said Mesić.

He added that the fact that this year there were two separate commemorations, in addition to the official state commemoration, was a consequence of politics, just as Jasenovac itself was a reflection, expression and instrument of politics.

"Today, there is a policy of concealment, denial, or at least relativization of these crimes. But, if someone talks like an Ustasha, if someone represents and promotes ideas that the Ustasha promoted, if someone emphasizes their signs and symbols, if someone sings their songs, then he or she is an Ustasha", said Mesić.

The official state commemoration with Prime Minister Tihomir Orešković, Parliament Speaker Željko Reiner and Branko Lustig, envoy of the President, was held on Friday, while the commemoration organized by the Coordination of Jewish Communities in Croatia was held on 15 April.

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