[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 29 (Tuesday, March 17, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E399-E400]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    MEMBERS CRITICIZE CROATIAN GOVERNMENT IN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 17, 1998

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform my colleagues of a 
letter to President Clinton expressing the deep concern of members 
about the Croatian government's authoritarian and non-democratic 
actions. Because the United States is sending financial aid to Croatia 
we must monitor the situation. I am inserting a copy of this letter 
along with a translation of a related March 13, 1998 Voice of America 
boardcast.

                                 Congress of the United States

                                              Washington, DC 20515
     Hon. William Jefferson Clinton,
     President of the United States,
     The White House, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. President: We are writing to express our deep 
     concern regarding the Croatian government's continued pattern 
     of intolerance toward the basic freedoms of political 
     expression, a free press, and civil liberties. While we 
     expected that the transition

[[Page E400]]

     from a former communist republic to a democracy would not 
     happen overnight, it has been seven years since Croatia 
     declared itself an independent democratic nation, and little 
     progress has been made in implementing democratic reforms. 
     This was recently reaffirmed by the State Department's 
     Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1997. In its 
     report, the State Department makes the finding that in 
     Croatia ``the continuing concentration of power within the 
     one-party central government, makes Croatia's nominally 
     democratic system in reality authoritarian.''
       Most print and broadcast media continue to be owned by the 
     Croatian government resulting in considerable restriction on 
     freedom of the press. Journalists who criticize the 
     government face harassment and even prosecution. the 
     Association of Electronic Media Journalists was established 
     in October 1997, and issued a manifesto (``Forum 21'') with 
     21 points calling for professional and open electronic media. 
     The State Department found ``13 of members who worked for 
     state radio and television, came under immediate pressure and 
     threats from the HDZ [President Tudjman's party] and the 
     state-run media to curtail these outside activities.'' The 
     State Department further reported ``The Government maintained 
     an unofficial campaign of harassment of the independent media 
     throughout the year.''
       In August 1997, the Croatian government brought charges 
     against two prominent human rights activists, Ivan Cicak, 
     long-time President of the Croatian Helsinki Committee, and 
     politician Dobroslav Paraga, President of the Croatian Party 
     of Rights 1861. The government alleged that both men had 
     violated the Criminal Code by disseminating false information 
     with the intent of causing political instability in the 
     country. According to the State Department Report, ``. . . 
     the same and similar statements had been made by these 
     individuals--with no ensuing public disorder--several years 
     previously and that similar sentiments were expressed by 
     others.'' The charges were brought against these men within 
     days of their meeting with the investigators from The Hague 
     War Crimes Tribunal in which they turned over documentation 
     involving allegations against several high government 
     officials.
       In addition, the Organization for Security and Cooperation 
     in Europe (OSCE) found the presidential election in June of 
     1997 to be ``fundamentally flawed'' and came to a similar 
     conclusion with regards to the parliamentary and local 
     elections in April 1997. The President's ruling party was 
     given an overwhelming advantage in coverage by the state-
     owned electronic media throughout the election year. 
     Furthermore, there is a disturbing trend over the past few 
     years by the Croatian government to use administrative courts 
     to replace heads of democratically elected parties. The 
     method is simple, the party is registered as being headed by 
     someone who is favored by the ruling party.
       The judicial system continues to be heavily influenced by 
     the Croatian Administration. In 1997, the Chief Justice of 
     the Supreme Court, Krunislaw Olujic, was dismissed. Three 
     members of the State Judiciary Council were witnesses against 
     him while at the same time they also decided his fate. The 
     OSCE reported that Olujic's dismissal ``put in question the 
     separation of powers provided for by the Constitution.''
       Mr. President, we believe it is well past the time for 
     Croatia to hold fair and free elections based on election 
     laws which do not favor the ruling party over the opposition. 
     The government should return democratically elected leaders 
     of Parliamentary parties who were removed by administrative 
     measures. There must be multi-party control of the election 
     process. An independent media must be allowed to report 
     without fear of reprisal, and the judiciary must be 
     independent from any political influence. We therefore urge 
     you to increase the pressure on the Croatian government to 
     come in line with internationally recognized democratic 
     principles through all means at your disposal, including the 
     disbursement of U.S. assistance.
           Sincerely,
         Tom Lantos, Tom Campbell, Tony P. Hall, John Edward 
           Porter, Martin Frost, Henry J. Hyde, Benjamin A. 
           Gilman, Luise V. Gutierrez, William O. Lipinski, 
           Edolphus Towns, Jesse L. Jackson Jr., Joel Hefley.
                                                                    ____



  Voice of America--American Congressmen Request of President Clinton 
 That He Increase the Pressure on the Republic of Croatia To Become a 
                           Democratic Country

                            (By Bojan Klima)

       A group of very influential American Congressmen recently 
     sent a letter to President Bill Clinton and submitted a 
     resolution to the U.S. Congress. The lawmakers wanted to 
     increase the pressure on the Croatian government to come in 
     line with fundamental democratic principles. The Congressmen 
     urged the American President that he use all means at his 
     disposal, including disbursement of U.S. assistance. Among 
     the many distinguished cosponsors and signatures are 
     influential Benjamin Gilman, Chairman of the International 
     Relations Committee, Congressman Tom Lantos, a member of this 
     Committee, and Congressman Henry Hyde. What is the reason for 
     this contact with President Clinton?


           Intolerance toward fundamental political freedoms

       The lawmakers expressed deep concern regarding the Croatian 
     government's continued pattern of intolerance toward the 
     basic freedoms of political expression. In these documents 
     the Congressmen spoke of freedom of expression, freedom of 
     media and several violations against civil rights of 
     individuals. For example, they wrote that the government has 
     control of most of the electronic and print media. 
     Journalists who criticize the government face harassment and 
     even persecution. One example, the American State Department 
     found thirteen journalist, who worked for State radio and 
     television and who are members of Forum 21, received pressure 
     and threats because they are members of this independent 
     group.


 Media is under the control of the government; cases Cicak, Paraga and 
                                 Olujic

       In the letter to the President the U.S. Congressmen quoted 
     two cases, Ivan Cicak and Dobroslav Paraga, who were charged 
     in August for violating the Criminal Code by disseminating 
     false information with the intention of causing political 
     instability in the country. The Congressmen wrote in the 
     letter to President Clinton that charges were brought against 
     these men within days of their meeting with investigators 
     from the Hague War Crimes Tribunal to whom they had turned 
     over documentation involving allegations against several high 
     government officials. U.S. lawmakers quoted some other 
     examples of the non-democratic nature of the political system 
     in the Republic of Croatia. Media presentation of the 
     electorial campaign during the last presidential election was 
     so non-objective that the Organization for Security and 
     Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) proclaimed the election 
     ``unfair.'' Furthermore, there is a disturbing trend by the 
     Croatian government to use administrative courts to replace 
     heads of democratically-elected parties. Instead of the 
     democratically-elected heads, the party is registered as 
     being headed by someone who is favored by the ruling party. 
     And the judicial system continues to be heavily influenced by 
     the ruling party. The U.S. Congressmen cited the dismissal of 
     Krunislav Olujic, the President of the Supreme Court of 
     Croatia and referred to the report of OSCE that Olujic's 
     dismissal put in question the separation of powers provided 
     for the Constitution.


 Seven years since independence, the Republic of Croatia has made very 
              little progress toward developing democracy

       The American Congressmen wrote the American President that 
     while they had not expected that democracy would happen 
     overnight in a former communist republic, they found it 
     regrettable the Republic of Croatia has made very little 
     progress toward democracy development in the last seven 
     years. They urged President Clinton to increase pressure on 
     the Croatian government to carry out several demands: first, 
     that Croatia should hold fair and free elections based on 
     election laws which do not favor the ruling party over the 
     opposition; second, the government must return 
     democratically-elected leaders of Parliamentary parties who 
     were removed by administrative measures; third, their must be 
     multi-party control of the election process; and fourth that 
     journalists and judges must be allowed to function without 
     fear of reprisal or political repression. Finally, these very 
     influential American Congressmen requested of President 
     Clinton that he increase the pressure on the Croatian 
     government to come in line with internationally-recognized 
     democratic principles. The Congressmen requested that 
     President Clinton use all means at his disposal, including 
     U.S. economic assistance.

     

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