President Milanović in Karlovac: If You Are Guilty, You Get a Punishment, but the State Cannot Fine those who Answered for their Sins
In Karlovac the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović attended the presentation of a monograph of the Special police units “GROM“ (Thunder) of the Karlovac Police Department in the 1991-1995 Homeland War.
After the presentation of the monograph of the Special police units “GROM“ by the authors Jakša Raguž and Darjan Godić, research associates of the Croatian Institute of History, President Milanović stated that this is not a struggle for the truth but an exposition on the truth. “Nobody should be ashamed of the truth, nobody should be offended, but the truth can hurt. Our truth does not hurt, it is good, difficult, bloody, recent, and the Thunders’ contribution to this struggle for Croatia is tremendous”, the President noted.
He said that Croatia was defended in the Homeland War in Vukovar and in Dalmatia, and Zagreb was defended in Karlovac and in Sisak. “The war is terrible and bloody, especially when you enter it without organization, when you form an army from the police and when you have to fight against an enemy that is more powerful, better armed and has a better vantage point. Mistakes happen and breaches of the law of war. We are a legal state and under the circumstances we acted properly. A punishment is prescribed for a crime, but there is a difference between a punishment and abuse, mistreatment”, President Milanović added.
“I have spoken with Minister Medved, and asked his advice on whether to say this or not, because I do not want to make matters harder for him, since he gives as much as he can, but he cannot do everything”, the President went on, and wondered whether it is normal for a state that punishes – has to punish those who committed war crimes – like comprehensive car insurance, and fine these people with amounts up to several million kunas twenty-five years after the war.
“I am aware that what I am saying will not please everybody, therefore I will be very clear and repeat it so that they do not take me at my word. This is a situation requiring coordination, high-level political action and a clear conscience: if you are guilty, you are punished, but a punishment has its limit and as I said, it cannot turn into abuse. What should people who already answered for their sins do, rob a bank? This issue cannot be resolved by one minister alone, this issue cannot be resolved by the state attorney because they would have to break the law. Hence, this can be resolved with care, sympathy, intelligence by the representative body and the Croatian Government. If they want to, and I am sure that they do. We must not allow ourselves to act like the last suckers. Mistakes and crimes happen. We had this epic and catastrophe with The Hague tribunal, which for the most part had a happy end for us, but we paid a high price and were taught a tough lesson”, President Milanović stated.
He compared this to America. When American soldiers do excesses, they are tried by American military courts. “Are their grandchildren then forced to sell their orchards and farmland? No! Therefore, they have a certain degree of security that when they do excesses, the state is behind them, punish them justly if necessary, but will not abuse them”, the President said.
“There are many cases such as this, justice has been rendered, Croatia did not run away from this, you do not go to war like you go to a driving school. It is not an ordinary civil contract, it is an alliance and a cup of faith and confidence in which someone risks their life, in which someone can endanger someone else’s life, the life of an enemy, and when that happens justice is necessary. Here there is no justice, this is used up”, President Milanović stated, and once again underlined that Deputy Prime Minister Medved is doing everything he can. “But the law limits him in this matter. It is known who amends the laws and how. We are a state of the rule of law, we are a member of the European Union, a federation of western states that was defended in history in this exact area while it still did not exist, and was defended. We are here, we are fighting for our pride, not too ardently, but rationally, aware that we had this experience, you first of all, an experience which no modern European nation had. We did not ask for it, but we have it now, it is behind us, we have this experience and the strength”, the President of the Republic concluded his address.
Also speaking at the presentation of the monograph of the Special police units “GROM“ (Thunder) in addition to President Milanović were the President of the Association of the Special police units “GROM“ (Thunder) Josip Slačanin, the Director of the Croatian Institute of History Gordan Ravančić, the Mayor of the City of Karlovac Damir Mandić, the Deputy County Prefect of Karlovac County Željka Hajsan Dolinar, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Croatian Defenders and envoy of the Prime Minister Tomo Medved, and the Member of the Croatian Parliament and envoy of the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament Ante Deur.
On the eve of the presentation of the monograph, the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović, in the company of the author Karlo Subašić, viewed the exhibition “Hrvatske ratne oznake” (Croatian War Insignia) set up in the Zorin dom theatre.
Alongside President Milanović was the Special Adviser to the President of the Republic for Homeland War Veterans Marijan Mareković.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Ana Marija Katić