BOSNIAN BISHOPS WARN ABOUT SLOW REFUGEE RETURNS

SARAJEVO, Oct 31 (Hina) - Bosnia and Herzegovina bishops have sent another warning to the effect that the return of refugees to the country is proceeding in a slow manner that was impermissible, especially in the Serb entity, the Republic of Srpska (RS). Presenting in Sarajevo on Wednesday conclusions from a two-day convention of the Bosnian Bishops' Conference, Banja Luka bishop Franjo Komarica said the RS authorities' attitude towards refugee returns was "strange" to say the least. Of 3,000 property restitution requests submitted to RS authorities by Bosnian Croat refugees, 1,853 were cleared but only 300 implemented, said Komarica. He pointed to the fact that almost nobody but the Caritas was assisting in the return of Croats-Catholics. "There is evidently no political will to encourage returns, and those wishing to return to urban areas like Banja Luka are especially hampered," said Komarica. The head of the Bosnian Catholic Church, cardinal Vinko Puljic, also said it was now completely clear the RS authorities had not kept the promises made about the return. The Bosnian bishops have warned that the general situation in the country is cause for concern. The difficult political and economic situation continues to incite people to leave Bosnia for good, they maintain. The Bishops' Conference has called on the authorities to take urgent measures to change the situation, while simultaneously encouraging the resumption of the process of reconciliation as the basic condition for the establishment of a stable state. This is, however, not helped by actions like the attempt to prosecute 15 Croats from Zepce for war crimes, said cardinal Puljic. The approach to this case is not correct, he said, adding he believed a protest priests of the Zepce diocese announced in connection with this matter was justified. (hina) ha sb