ZAGREB, March 25 (Hina) - Discrimination against the Serbs in Croatia has continued although certain progress has been made, Ben Ward, a member of the Human Rights Watch, said on Thursday. Certain discriminatory laws have been
annulled and the security situation is generally stable, Ward told reporters in Zagreb. Ward's report, titled "Second-Class Citizens: Serbs in Croatia", presented in Zagreb today, is the result of a six-month study on the human rights of Croatian Serbs in eastern and western Slavonia, Kordun and Banovina (eastern and central Croatia). In his report Ward highlighted the problem of tenancy rights and different treatment of Serbs as regards property and tenancy rights. Another important problem is the calculation of pensions allowance and years of service for Serb citizens during the time when they lived on the once occupied Croatian areas. Problems also exist in th
ZAGREB, March 25 (Hina) - Discrimination against the Serbs in
Croatia has continued although certain progress has been made, Ben
Ward, a member of the Human Rights Watch, said on Thursday.
Certain discriminatory laws have been annulled and the security
situation is generally stable, Ward told reporters in Zagreb.
Ward's report, titled "Second-Class Citizens: Serbs in Croatia",
presented in Zagreb today, is the result of a six-month study on the
human rights of Croatian Serbs in eastern and western Slavonia,
Kordun and Banovina (eastern and central Croatia).
In his report Ward highlighted the problem of tenancy rights and
different treatment of Serbs as regards property and tenancy
rights.
Another important problem is the calculation of pensions allowance
and years of service for Serb citizens during the time when they
lived on the once occupied Croatian areas.
Problems also exist in the implementation of the current amnesty
law, and the Human Rights Watch especially objects that many
people, who had been granted amnesty, have not been notified about
it. The national trust-establishment committee has made very
little progress and many of its branch offices are not operating at
all.
Ward said there has been some progress as regards the return of
Serbs from Yugoslavia or Bosnia-Herzegovina to Croatia, but those
are mostly elderly people or people whose housing problems have
been solved.
The number of Serbs leaving Croatia is increasing, Ward said.
Admitting that part of them were leaving Croatia or not returning
because of the difficult economic situation, Ward objected that the
poor economic situation could not be the only reason.
The Human Rights Watch has prepared a set of recommendations on
different measures for improving the status of Croatian Serbs and
requested the solution of their housing problems.
Ward also recommends the cancellation of citizenship fees,
objecting that Serbs who have been living in Croatia for a long time
and are not Croatian citizens, have to pay citizenship fees
amounting to US$225, which does not apply to Croats.
(hina) jn rml