President Milanović Plants a Tree of Peace in the Park of Peace at the Roma Memorial Centre in Uštica

President of the Republic Zoran Milanović visited the Roma Memorial Centre in Uštica on Tuesday. On that occasion, he planted a Tree of Peace in the Centre’s complex where the creation of the future Park of Peace had begun. The President of the Republic visited the Roma Memorial Centre at the invitation of the Croatian Romani Union “Kali Sara” and Member of the Croatian Parliament Veljko Kajtazi.

Croatian Romani Union has initiated the creation of the Park of Peace with the intention to create a permanent monument to the common aspiration for peace and mutual respect of all citizens of Croatia by ​​planting trees as symbols of growth and life in opposition to destruction and oblivion, it was stated at the meeting between President Milanović and the representatives of the Croatian Romani Union and Roma Memorial Centre. By inviting the President of the Republic to personally plant a tree, the Croatian Romani Union wishes to symbolically highlight the partnership and cooperation of the Roma community with the representatives of Croatian state institutions.

The Roma Memorial Centre Uštica was built to permanently commemorate the greatest crime against the Roma people that occurred during World War II. The Centre is located in the immediate vicinity of the Roma cemetery in Uštica near Jasenovac, where at least 17,000 Roma were deported, and then tortured and killed during World War II. So far, 21 mass graves with the bodies of murdered Roma, including numerous women and children, have been found in the village of Uštica.

President Milanović lit a candle and laid a wreath in front of the Wall of Pain at the Roma Memorial Cemetery in memory of all Roma victims during World War II.

Accompanying the Member of the Croatian Parliament Veljko Kajtazi at the meeting with President Milanović were Suzana Krčmar, President of the Croatian Romani Union “Kali Sara,” Alen Tahiri, Director of the Office of Human Rights and Rights of National Minorities, and Danijel Velić, Head of the Roma Memorial Centre Uštica. President Milanović was accompanied by Melita Mulić, Adviser of the President of the Republic for Human Rights and Civil Society.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Marko Beljan