What is the point of Croatian diplomatic missions in Australia?

Asking this question in such a negative tone already indicates that there is something not quite right about how Croatian diplomatic missions are functioning in Australia with respect to the community which they serve.
The Croatian community has had its fair share of bad General Consuls and Ambassadors, some even embroiled in thieving furniture from official offices, documents…
The point of Croatian diplomatic missions in Australia is to provide a port of call to expatriates wanting to get their domovnica (citizenship), visas (not anymore) and to sort out other problems in Croatia with family, land ownership disputes and so forth.

The first Croatian embassy in Australia was opened in 1977 by politically active Croats with the aim of raising awareness of the Croatian people’s plight in Yugoslavia. It was open for 22 months, a full 663 days. The Croatian flag was raised at 34 Canberra Avenue every day. Marijo Dešpoja, father of former Democrat Natasha Stott-Dešpoja was its first Ambassador.
Soon after its opening, the Australian laws were changed after Yugoslavia pressured Australia into closing the Embassy. Even though it did indeed end up being closed, the Embassy had achieved its primary goal in raising awareness amongst the wider community.
After the democratic changes in Croatia, the Croatian community in Australia was activated and bonded together through a common aim. Protecting our new found freedom through fighting a War of Independence from Yugoslavia. Massive amounts of money, goods and supplies were sent to Zagreb – a collective effort of the Croatian communities in Australia. Wherever the Croatian diaspora resided, be that in Phoenix, Arizona or Buenos Aires in Argentina, the pattern was the same. People banded together with a unified goal. A free Croatia.
All of their energy and will power went into this noble idea, some even travelled to Croatia to actively participate politically or militarily.
During this war effort, money was also set aside for a new Croatian embassy in Canberra and Consulates in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. The Croatian community in Australia is probably the only ethnic group in Australia to donate diplomatic property, including the residencies that go with the official buildings, to their homeland in their host country.
The community lived and breathed a common goal, nothing was too hard, demonstrations could be arranged at the drop of a hat with high attendances. People were in touch with each other because the Croatian cause demanded them to be.
Croatia of course sent its diplomatic representatives to reside in these new residencies and consular buildings. People began to get citizenship, reclaim repossessed land from them in Croatia as well as gaining holiday visas. These diplomatic missions were essential due to the high volume of interest in official matters of state such as these.
Then came second phase of development. Apathy set in. People began to see that there was not a full revolution in Croatia in terms of corruption, socialist mentality and communist sympathising. Most believed that once Croatia was independent people would happily walk the streets and national euphoria in building a new state on true ideals and values would be the way forward.
Unfortunately while the Croats were in trenches fighting a war which secured the very independence so many craved, the ex-UDBA agents, secret police, spies and other shady characters began networking in with the elite of the country so that they would be able to steer it in the direction that they wanted once the main man standing in their way wasn’t there anymore. Franjo Tuđman died just before Christmas in 1999.
Things took a turn for the worst.
Stipe Mesić, the last president of Yugoslavia, together with Ivica Račan, another ex-communist, were voted into power as President and Prime Minister of Croatia as members of the SDP (Social Democratic Party).
The media together with its new president began a campaign against all things Croatian. First the Homeland war was proclaimed as a crime. Croatian generals that fought in the war to secure the president his chair – were sent to the Hague to be tried on war crimes.
After Tuđman died, the pride in ones nation was considered barbaric, nationalism relegated to the lower echelon of public thinking through either state controlled or foreign controlled media.
The traditional Croatian national flag together with its shield were considered fascist and frowned upon. Marko Perković Thompson, a war veteran and popular singer renowned for his unashamed pro-Croatia stance was branded a fascist.

How does this relate to Croatian diplomatic missions in Australia?

The Croatian Consulate Generals and Ambassador
are chosen and appointed by the Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia. First and foremost their job was to be the diplomatic representatives of Croatia in their cities while the Ambassador represents Croatia to Australia. If their role was limited to this, there would be no problem.
As Croatians living so far away from Croatia, as a community we have an inextricable link to anything Croatian, especially officially like a Consulate-General or Embassy due to not having one for so long and fighting so hard to achieve it.
This led to the development of the Consular-Generals and Ambassadors wielding much more influence than they were ever supposed to. The Croatian community in Australia has always been pro-Croatian independence and against any sort of Yugoslavia or association with any other nation.
It is this fundamental value that ties together all Croatian clubs, sporting or social, together.

The pictures
Nobody likes when someone from the outside meddles in your private life. The same goes for the Croatian community as a whole. There is an abundance of sporting clubs, social halls and organisations fulfilling various needs all over Australia.
All of these organisations considered it an honour to have an official from the Croatian government (Consular General or Ambassador) present at their club for important events.
When a diplomatic representative of Croatia is invited to these places – he or she checks one thing first. Do they have a photo of Ante Pavelić in the club? What a ridiculous question, but true nonetheless. These diplomats have been instructed by Zagreb, or by the president himself to cause disharmony over a simple portrait on a wall. The Croatian community has said more than once, that Dr. Ante Pavelić was the man that delivered Croatian independence after 839 years and thus is a great of the nation having been one of the only people to revolt against the first Yugoslavia and go into exile plotting revolution after the murder of Dr. Stjepan Radić in 1928.
When Croats arrived in Australia after World War II, the Independent State of Croatia, together with Dr. Ante Pavelić were the freshest symbols of Croatian statehood – they therefore adorned the walls of Croatian clubs across the country. Similarly, when new Croatian migrants came to Croatia after the homeland war, there was a push to have Dr. Franjo Tuđman framed beside him as an important person in the history of the Croatian people.
All of the pictures and symbols within Croatian clubs today, across the country are the culmination of a specific sub-culture of Croatian nationalism in Australia which has existed long before we ever had a Consulate-General or Ambassador.
Croats in Australia fought Yugoslavia before people in Croatia could dream of doing so because of the space buffer between the two. This offered a safe haven, giving people more freedom of speech and less intimidation from pro-Yugoslav oriented individuals, spies and agent provocateurs.
Many Croatian diplomats have shown their dismay at this line of thinking.
It is the way that it is.
Croats in general are very steadfast in their views and generally don’t enjoy being picked on for these views – a trait most certainly gained from centuries of oppression.
It is understandable as well, since Croatian law views the period of World War II history as fascist and a black mark on the Croatian name – due to the fact that the ruling elite has been pressured to declare it so, or even worse believe it through their communist indoctrination.
This conundrum does indeed put the Croatian diplomats in Australia in a difficult position. Do they toe the party line and cause disharmony in the communities they are meant to be serving? Or do they go right against the grain and welcome and accept the communities as they are at the risk of losing their position?
In reality, the Croatian community must realise that these very diplomats are not immune to criticism. There is no need at all to walk on egg shells around them.
They have been sent here to serve a purpose and naturally will form friendships and connections that will tie them to the community they serve – which is all positive.
The negative in all of this is the community’s inability to criticise the aforementioned diplomats and their missions without being branded backward or worse. For example, Croatian diplomatic missions hold Christmas parties every year in each city. They ask Croatian businessmen, clubs and organisations to donate the drinks and food required to stage such an event. Which is fine, if it were a two way street.
The Croatian schools in Australia, one of the most vital tools in keeping our identity alive, are nearly shown the door in their request for second hand textbooks from Croatia! Not brand new, but second hand, used, worn text books.
The Croatian government sets aside 270 million Kuna each year for the Diaspora. Other than the Croatian Studies Foundation based in Macquarie University in Sydney, which is partly subsidised by the Croatian ministry of Education, nearly none of this huge capital ever enters the Croatian community in Australia. It’s not like Croatians in Australian haven’t contributed to the development of Croatia, economically or otherwise.
It’s a one way street and the Croatian community in Australia is being taken for a ride.
The Croatian community is very clear on things they are unhappy about in Croatia; the former Croatian president’s refusal to go to Bleiburg, his constant harping on of the Jasenovac tragedy, willing to give up Croatian land to our neighbours and the list goes on.
We are all up in arms when an elected official of the Republic of Croatia makes a comment that is contrary to the values of the Republic of Croatia but can’t distinguish the difference when Consular staff, Ambassadors and other diplomats of Croatia do the same.
Until the Croatian community and Croatian diplomatic missions can find a common ground in their existence there will continue to be an underlying friction and misunderstanding.
This needs to happen. The Republic of Croatia must accept that Croats in Australia do not share an identical view on Croatian history, nor are they ashamed of it. We have had freedom of thought since we arrived in Australia thus developing our own view of Croatian history which may not be to the liking of ruling powers.
The Croatian Sabor (parliament) even discussed the issue of Pavelić’s portrait adorning Croatian clubs in Australia. Is this the most important issue to the Republic of Croatia?
Some of these clubs were formed in the 1950’s, and if their members decide that Pavelić should adorn their clubrooms, the Croatian government must accept that otherwise they shall face a backlash and people will view the Republic of Croatia as Yugoslavia verson 3. The sad thing is some already do.
The Croatian government as the Republic’s lawmakers need to accept that we have views that might not be popular, but they are ours and we will not give them up. Croatia has revised its historical revision which has confused most people into sticking with what they know. Yugoslavianism is bad; Croatia in any form is good.
Why does Dinamo Zagreb, a private football club organise clinics in Australia? To bridge the gap between Croatia and its diaspora, and to find some talent if any exists. The Croatian community has produced more than one national team player for the homeland and yet there is little recognition for it.
Wouldn’t Canberra Deakin like some sort of monetary support for helping produce Josip Šimunić? The football landscape is only one field of interest of the Croatian community, albeit a large one. The status quo has changed in regards to traditional clubs in the Australian footballing landscape, making it harder for Sydney United and the Melbourne Knights to survive financially. Through surviving financially it will enable them to develop more talent for Australia and maybe Croatia as well.
Why doesn’t the HNS send coaches to help develop players in Australia?
It’s more than likely that they haven’t even thought of the idea, but have Croatian diplomats in Australia pushed for any of these things? No. There is no dialogue between the community and the Consular offices meaning they have only a small idea in their own mind in what the community wants. Maybe this Croatian newspaper needs assistance? Media is an important aspect of keeping in touch with the homeland and keeping people interested in what is going on. Maybe Croatian radio programs need sponsoring? Why do the same group of businesses continue to sponsor these noble projects through their patriotism? How far can we push before we hit a brick wall? They might want it to stay like that. Croatian diplomatic missions in Australia, through the Republic of Croatia need to fund community projects without taking them over for political manoeuvring or other undeserved credit.
The Republic of Croatia needs to work together with its diaspora communities to build a bridge between the homeland and host countries. They need to enable easier trade and investment in Croatia while developing and safeguarding a healthy national consciousness of Croats in faraway lands, through language, art and sport. We have a huge untapped potential of Croats outside of Croatia – but up until now a plan and understanding between the two has been seriously lacking.
This was the purpose of Croatian diplomatic missions in the first place. It seems that they have strayed from the path somewhat.
The Croatian community in Australia has done enough giving to Croatia – Croatia now needs to give back to a community which is at a crossroads of survival.