The Croatian president does not care about cost when he has an opportunity to make life difficult for Bosniaks. He is prepared to sacrifice both the port and town of Ploce if that can harm Bosnia and Bosniaks. Aren't economic links with a neighboring state, in this case Bosnia, natural and logical? They are, but Croatia is refusing to accept the American proposal for the agreement about utilization of the Port Ploce, because that proposal supposedly endangers its national interests. Thus, a relatively small port and a provincial town built on a rocky ground these days have been promoted into a new bastion of Croatianness.
The Association of Croatian Trade Unions has threatened to block all traffic for the needs of international forces if Bosnia is conceded even "an inch of Croatian sovereignty" in the Port Ploce. This Balkan primitive and politically disgusting threat, obviously ordered by HDZ, speaks precisely about the nature of the present Croatian authorities. We believed that Tudman, his Parliament, government, powerful army and police, were sufficient to take care about Croatian territorial sovereignty, but now we realize that the Association of Croatian Trade Unions is also an important guarantor of Croatian sovereignty.
The port in Ploce was built thanks to financial contribution by the Bosnian economy [in the former Yugoslavia]. While the trains were traveling between Sarajevo and Ploce that town showed signs of activity even in the middle of winter, while today even in the midst of the Summer it has the appearance of a half-deserted place. But, instead of being concerned about bread and jobs, the supporters of HDZ in Ploce, as well as in western Hercegovina, dedicate their energy to the defense of "Croatian purity".
Media under Tudman's control have been trying to spread alarm about the alleged changes of the ethnic composition of population in Ploce. It seems that several hundred workers from Bosnia could endanger several thousand Croats in Ploce. How, one wonders? With knives, sad Bosnian songs or by lightning speed reproduction? All together, it seems that HDZ regime is protecting Ploce with arguments of nationalist madness which isn't showing signs of disappearing from this region. The people has found a new master and submits to it without protest.
But, as there is "logic" in Hamlet's madness, there is sense in the new nationalist madness as well. In practice, Croatia has almost annexed Neum, another town built by Bosnian money. If nothing changes in Ploce, the access to sea, at least the easiest one, will be denied to Bosnia. Isn't that exactly what Zagreb is hoping for?
Translated on 11/5/97