ZAGREB, July 19 (Hina) - The return of Serb refugees to Croatia is too slow, Serb Democratic Forum (SDF) president Veljko Dzakula told reporters in Zagreb on Monday. "Not one obligation towards the refugees the state has taken has
been executed," Dzakula asserted, pointing out the biggest obstacle to the return was the inefficiency of the commission for the return of property. "It is difficult to expect efficiency from a commission whose members are Croat refugees from Bosnia, and who are temporarily settled in Serb-owned houses," Dzakula said. The SDF estimates 25,000 Serbs have returned to Croatia so far. Dzakula said the government's estimate of 60,000 returnees was incorrect. Speaking about the trials of Serbs accused of war crimes committed during the Serbian aggression on Croatia earlier this decade, Dzakula said they were contrary to the constitution. "Croatia is violatin
ZAGREB, July 19 (Hina) - The return of Serb refugees to Croatia is
too slow, Serb Democratic Forum (SDF) president Veljko Dzakula told
reporters in Zagreb on Monday.
"Not one obligation towards the refugees the state has taken has
been executed," Dzakula asserted, pointing out the biggest
obstacle to the return was the inefficiency of the commission for
the return of property.
"It is difficult to expect efficiency from a commission whose
members are Croat refugees from Bosnia, and who are temporarily
settled in Serb-owned houses," Dzakula said.
The SDF estimates 25,000 Serbs have returned to Croatia so far.
Dzakula said the government's estimate of 60,000 returnees was
incorrect.
Speaking about the trials of Serbs accused of war crimes committed
during the Serbian aggression on Croatia earlier this decade,
Dzakula said they were contrary to the constitution. "Croatia is
violating its own Amnesty Law with such trials," he asserted,
adding the trials "serve to intimidate the Serb population in
Croatia and obstruct the return."
Those accused are willing to testify in front of The Hague war
crimes tribunal, he added.
According to Branko Gacesa, head of SDF's office in Banja Luka, the
capital of Bosnia's Serb entity, 12,000 refugees in the capital's
area wish to return to Croatia.
The head of SDF's office in Belgrade, Petar Ladjevic, said the
refugees' interest to return to Croatia has increased after NATO's
strikes against Yugoslavia last spring. To facilitate returns it is
necessary to simplify proceedings to obtain Croatian documents,
Ladjevic said, adding Yugoslavia currently accommodates 250,000
Croatian Serbs.
(hina) ha