SETTLERS IN CROATIA SLAM ETHNIC SERB LEADER'S STATEMENT

ZAGREB, July 21 (Hina) - The association of settlers in Croatia (ZUNH) on Monday condemned a statement made by a Croatian Serb leader, Milorad Pupovac, who recently said that the plunder of property of ethnic Serbs was being tolerated in Croatia. The association issued a press release saying that such a statement "whether intentionally or not, causes damage to the reputation and identity of settlers". #L# At last Friday's news conference, Pupovac, the head of Croatia's Serb People's Council, said Serb returnees were encountering problems in getting back their pre-war property which is currently used mainly by Bosnian Croat refugees. According to him, Croatia has been tolerating the plunder of ethnic Serbs' property after the 1995 liberation operations Flash and Storm and is evidently incapable of securing compliance with the rule of law. The ZUNH says settlers have been trying for long time to avoid being treated as second-class citizens. "We categorically refute that due to one or two cases, all settlers are criticised, and we have on several occasions distanced ourselves from all examples of abuse and wrongdoing in the process of the restitution of property," the ZUNH statement reads. The statement of some Serb leaders that the situation regarding the exercising of rights of Serbs to come back to Croatia and Croats to return to their homes in Bosnian Serb entity "is practically the same" was labelled by the ZUNH as untruth and a petty-political and dirty statement which hinders the process of return. The ZUNH calls on all relevant institutions and competent persons to help create conditions for the accelerated exercising of the right to the return of refugees and displaced persons throughout the region. (hina) ms