Croatian minority in Serbia warns against politicizing Operation Storm
The Democratic Alliance of Croats in Vojvodina (DSHV) stated, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Operation Storm, that old divisions should not be revived nor new misunderstandings stirred, but rather processes of reconciliation between Croats and Serbs should be encouraged, while reminding that the victims of the 1990s war also included Croats from Vojvodina, CE Report quotes HINA.
“The truth should not be concealed, but in its interpretation, efforts should be made to overcome historical antagonisms and strive to become a space for building shared humanity, affirming dialogue, and practices of mutual understanding among all those whom that early August 1995 moment at the end of the war events ultimately reflected,” DSHV said in a statement.
The Croatian minority party emphasized that among those who lost loved ones and homes were many Croats from Vojvodina, but that this is often overlooked in public.
“Even more unacceptable and disturbing is that in communities with a rich multi-ethnic tradition, people who have politically profited in the past and present from stirring interethnic intolerance, sowing fear, and deepening wounds from the past are invited as main speakers at memorial gatherings,” the statement reads.
In Serbia, the anniversaries of Operation Storm are marked with programs that call the Croatian military operation the Day of Remembrance for the Killed and Displaced, or the Day of the Expulsion of Serbs from Croatia.
The central event this year was held in Sremski Karlovci, attended by the Serbian state leadership and President Aleksandar Vučić, who said on the occasion that “never again will any Operation Storm succeed against anyone.” For several years now, the city government of the multi-ethnic Subotica has also organized a program for the Day of Remembrance.
DSHV added that, aware of their responsibility to the Croatian community in Serbia, they will continue to pay respect to the innocent victims of the 1990s through public commemorative practices.
During the 1990s war, around 40,000 Croats were expelled from Vojvodina, especially from the Srem region; among them, 25 were killed and three are still listed as missing.
