INT. COMMUNITY INSISTS ON ARREST OF FIVE MOSTAR CROATS

MOSTAR, Aug 23 (Hina) - Finn Lynghjom, the head of the Mostar-based regional office of the international community's High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina, on Wednesday asked the interior ministry in the Croat-Moslem Federation's Herzegovina- Neretva Canton to arrest immediately five Mostar Croats, who are suspected of committing war crimes against civilians and prisoners of war. The cantonal court, which has been allowed by the International War Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) to process this group of Bosnia Croats, forwarded orders to police stations in Croat-populated Mostar municipalities to apprehend these five suspects. They could have been arrested a long ago if there had been enough will for such a move, Lynghjom's letter read. This letter was made public at Wednesday's news conference held by international officials in Mostar. Lynghjom wrote that the Office of the High Representative (OHR) was concerned over a failure of competent bodies to take any operation which would bring the five before justice, and assessed this situation when they are still at large although the warrant for their arrest was issued six month ago, as impermissible. Quoting some media reports Lynghjom asserted that the five suspects could be seen in the public everyday, while police fail to take adequate measures. He warned that the OHR could consider severe measures if it was proved that the police failed to do their job professionally, and added that the OHR had informed the ICTY of the obstructions. Lynghjom maintained that in case the Hague-based ICTY took over the case, this would represent a setback for Mostar. (hina) jn ms