TUESDAY ATTACK WON'T STOP RETURN OF CROAT REFUGEES TO TRAVNIK

SARAJEVO, Feb 11 (Hina) - The High Representative in Bosnia- Herzegovina strongly condemns the continued violence against Travnik Croats, spokesman for the Office of the High Representative (OHR), Simon Haselock, said in Sarajevo on Thursday. Haselock was commenting on a terrorist attack which occurred on Tuesday in the central Bosnian town of Travnik and in which a Croat policeman, Vlado Stojak, was wounded. Haselock said the international community was determined not to allow the chain of violence to continue and added that incidents like the one in Travnik would not stop the efforts which were being made to enable refugees to return to their homes in central Bosnia. The return of Croat refugees is our priority this year, he said, adding that efforts would be made to change the impression that Bosniak (Muslim) returnees were being given more help. A special round table on return will be held in Travnik on Monday, to be chaired by Ambassador Hanns Schumacher, the OHR spokesman said. He also commented on a letter sent to High Representative Carlos Westendorp by Croat Homeland War volunteers, regarding the Travnik incident. The High Representative understands their feelings, but accusations about Westendorp's alleged passivity in securing equal protection of all BH citizens, are unfounded, said Haselock. The spokeswoman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Arianne Quentier, said her organisation condemned the incident in Travnik and would not give up its efforts in securing the return of refugees to central Bosnia. UN Mission spokeswoman Kelly Moore said the attack in Travnik was a serious incident because an attack on a policeman was a threat to security of all people in the area. The International Police Task Force (IPTF) will give full support to the joint federal and cantonal investigation team to discover the perpetrators, Moore said. (hina) jn rml