“White Fields in the Heart of Red Land”

This is a story we had to sit on, believe me when I say that the mere fact I had to wait to write about this caused me to wake up in a cold sweat on numerous occasions and intentionally run red lights (Fancy a red-light bulb trying to tell me what to do) as I travelled to and from home each day.

So, its unlikely beginning stems back some 6 weeks to a factory somewhere in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China run by very progressive capitalist communists who most likely still embrace their Little Red Books of Mao and read from them prolifically each tea break but have no issue regarding the products their screen print machines churn out.

Funny that, an enterprise in a communist regime outcompeting the world in manufacturing producing flags for export to an assumed democracy that can barely rub two shekels together and has dismantled its industry returning to something resembling what China was in the 1950’s.

A cultural revolution Mao would have been so proud of today should he still be alive.

Upon arrival in Croatia, the flags were detained by Customs for a number of days pending inspection, payment of import duties and clearance release, now that’s another point you need to lock away until later.

The flags were then centrally distributed to and through a complex network, however I don’t have any issues advising that one of those groups were our veteran brothers and sisters from “UHBDDR PGZ Grobnik” Nikica and the team there have done a fantastic job spreading the good word and also the flags to numerous other Udruge in the surrounding areas.

One of these is UHBDR Kastav and we acknowledge the equally hard work Marino and his team there have done in supporting the Pothvat Proljece initiative.

Kastav is some 20 kilometres away from Rijeka close to Opatija, a location governed by sitting SDP members who narrowly won the last local elections by only 32 votes according to our sources. The sitting mayor of Kastav, a bright spark by the name of Matej Mostarac (see his photograph in those attached to this editorial) took offense when the team from UHBDR Kastav took to the city’s streets for Croatia’s National day celebrations on June 25th.

Mostarac, being the diligent efficient public servant he is quickly wrote to UHBDR Kastav airing his thoughts and citing a number of legislative laws dating back to the the SFRY (Socialist federal Republic of Yugoslavia) pre 1990 (Remember this point for later) regarding their use of our National Flag, the same one that between the days of the 25th – 30th of June 1990 flew in Zagreb when independence was announced and Franjo Tudman became Croatia’s first elected President. He even appeared under it and wearing it on his sash. Did he realise he and the nation were committing a crime? short wears in white

Additionally, Mostarac, being the Croslavian he is, in use of these archaic laws didn’t even try to change the Legislative fines and their currency nominations in his attack, yet was happy to warn, some may call it threaten or even blackmail the UHBDR Kastav, with retracting the cities financial support of the veteran’s association to the tune of HRK50,000 annually.

Here is another point to remember for later, he signed and sent the letter.

The very first paragraph of the official letter, let alone the remainder is just laughable. The paraphrased translation goes something like this…..

“We noticed that your organisation, and associates, utilised Flags of the REPUBLIC of CROATIA that do not comply with laws governing the Coat of arms Flag and anthem of the Republic of Croatia”

They actually referred to them as Flags of the Republic or Croatia. Remember that, sorry I know, it’s a lot to retain but it will be worth it.
We were advised of this immediately around 1:30am Australian time and worked with the Kastav veterans to examine the laws in question, our thoughts were gladly accepted by them and a letter was written in response, short, sweet and to the point.

Now let’s examine some of the points I asked you all to lock away and deliberate on them.

#1​Flag entry into Croatia: The flags were not smuggled in, they were stopped as any import would be by Customs officials (Read Government Officials) and a hefty import duty was attributed to the consignment after each box was opened and the contents checked for compliance.

How then can these flags be illegal in any shape or form? The Government collected duties for them and authorised their release, as far as Darko and I are concerned we are happy to attend any legal proceedings as the signatories to the consignment as long as Plenkovic attends also to answer for the Government on the same charges.

#2​The letter from Mostarac: Normal protocol for any noncompliance with municipal laws, or contractual breakage of an agreement between the municipality and the recipient of goods, services or financial support from said municipality must be raised with the sitting council members first for official deliberation by the council members.

The point here is that the council did not sit to deliberate, UHBDR Kastav did not utilise any of the annual HRK50,000 toward the procurement of the flags, they were gifts from the Diaspora, and additionally these flags supplemented the current Republic flag as seen in the official mimohod (March) on the day.

He, as mayor, cannot make a decision to fine, withhold, sanction, threaten, or condemn them particularly due to the fact that these were veterans who had gone to the defence of the Country soon after the 25th-30th of June 1991 under the same flag as their first President had been elected under.

#3​The opening paragraph: He states “We noticed that your organisation, and associates, utilised Flags of the REPUBLIC of CROATIA that do not comply with laws governing the Coat of arms Flag and anthem of the Republic of Croatia”

He recognises the flags as the “FLAGS OF THE REPUBLIC” I rest my case as this in itself is self-explanatory.

#4​The stated Laws: These laws date back to a time prior to our declaration of independence and subsequent Sabor ratifying it and electing Tudman as the first President. The question I have is this, why hasn’t the Croatian Judicial System addressed these archaic laws which are still in play and used by Croslavians such as Mostarac? Why do our veterans need to suffer these indignities? And what other legislation and laws exist to this one designed in their retention to stifle democracy and civil rights?

I will let you all ponder on that one, in the meanwhile can someone please spot me $68.45 Australian or find me 5,000 Serbian Dinars in case we need to pay the fine?

Somehow, I think the 32-vote margin Mostarac won by will be eclipsed ten-fold at the next election by a swing against him, we live in hope.

Its hard planting “White Fields in the Heart of Red Land”

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