HHO CONCERNED ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN EAST CROATIA

ZAGREB, May 20 (Hina) - The Croatian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights (HHO) on Thursday expressed concern about the poor state of and prospects for human rights in eastern Croatia, particularly due to intimidation and attacks on residents of Serb nationality and their property, a the inefficiency of judicial authorities and police. The head of HHO's office in Vukovar, Sasa Lalic, told reporters on Thursday the office had received over 300 reports on violations of human rights in Vukovar-Srijem County in 1998, and about 150 this year. Lalic pointed to frequent incidents occurring lately, namely the planting of explosives, death and intimidation threats, even physical assaults, particularly in the villages of Berak, Tompojevci, and Marinci. According to Lalic, the aim of the incidents is to force the Serb population in villages around Vukovar to flee their homes. When asked to comment on peace protests recently staged in Berak, Lalic said they were a legitimate act on the part of the villagers, who demand that competent state institutions solve the issue of the killed members of their families, whose bodies have never been discovered or are reported missing. The head of HHO's office in Osijek, Jaroslav Pecnik, said the office had received 111 reports on violations of human rights in Osijek- Baranja County since the beginning of the year. He also pointed to the fact that returnees could not get their flats back despite court rulings in their favour. According to him, out of 20,000 residents in Croatia's eastern-most region of Baranja, 11,000 do not have health insurance and about 6,000 live on welfare. Pecnik said workers were being fired from their jobs on account of their national belonging. (Hina) it jn/ha