ZAGREB, April 27 (Hina) - The UN Special Rapporteur for human rights, Jiri Dienstbier, on Thursday said Croatia's new authorities should now solve the speedy restitution of the property to refugees, as regards problem that impede the
return of refugees and displaced persons. I have suggested that some time term be set up for the usage and for the return of the ownership rights... If we, let's say, give one year for the end of the usage, temporary tenants will begin seeking right solution and give back houses to the right owners, Dienstbier told a news conference in Zagreb. He assessed that to enable right owners to have soon their property at their disposal would lead to a speedier settlement of other problems as this makes it possible for refugees to decide by themselves whether they will come back, sold or exchange houses and flats and thus remain in the Bosnian Serb entity, for exa
ZAGREB, April 27 (Hina) - The UN Special Rapporteur for human
rights, Jiri Dienstbier, on Thursday said Croatia's new
authorities should now solve the speedy restitution of the property
to refugees, as regards problem that impede the return of refugees
and displaced persons.
I have suggested that some time term be set up for the usage and for
the return of the ownership rights... If we, let's say, give one
year for the end of the usage, temporary tenants will begin seeking
right solution and give back houses to the right owners, Dienstbier
told a news conference in Zagreb.
He assessed that to enable right owners to have soon their property
at their disposal would lead to a speedier settlement of other
problems as this makes it possible for refugees to decide by
themselves whether they will come back, sold or exchange houses and
flats and thus remain in the Bosnian Serb entity, for example.
"You must have the right to do whatever you like with your house of
apartment," the UN official added.
Following the alteration of discriminatory laws, the Croatian
Government will face the difficult and complicated enforcement,
Dienstbier said.
With the progress made in the sector of cooperation with the Hague-
based International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
and in the media freedoms, he assessed that the main problem in the
human rights field in Croatia was now to restitute property to
refugees.
This problem affects foreign investments that are crucial for the
resolution of Croatia's financial problems, as foreign investors
would arrive only after they could see that Croatian authorities
have a clear stand on the inalienable of property.
In recent days Dienstbier held talks with Croatian President
Stjepan Mesic, a Deputy Prime Minister Zeljka Antunovic and other
senior officials.
In the 2000 report he submitted to the UN Human Rights Commission,
which convenes in Geneva, Dienstbier criticised the slow course of
the process of the return to Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
According to UN estimates, less than nine thousand citizens have
returned to Croatia.
The UN Rapporteur commended Croatia for political changes and
assessed that both President Mesic and other Croatian authorities
had the real political will to help make changes for better in the
respect of human rights and therefore impetus should not be lost.
(hina) mm ms