VARES VARES, Sept 6 (Hina) - Croat returnees to the central Bosnian municipality of Vares, on Monday morning staged a peaceful rally in the courtyard of the parish church protesting against the closing of the only Croat school in this
area. The classes in the Croatian language were cancelled by a decision of Kemal Celebic, Education Minister in Zenica-Doboj Canton in Bosnia-Herzegovina's Croat-Moslem Federation. Over a thousand Croat returnees to Vares, who gathered during the rally, reiterated their request that Croat children be allowed to have classes in Croatian, their mother tongue, as this right is guaranteed by the Constitution, different federal laws and international conventions. Protesters decided to tell some 230 Croat pupils to boycott classes after they were ordered to enrol in the school with Bosniak language. Top Bosnian Croat politicians and international representati
VARES, Sept 6 (Hina) - Croat returnees to the central Bosnian
municipality of Vares, on Monday morning staged a peaceful rally in
the courtyard of the parish church protesting against the closing
of the only Croat school in this area.
The classes in the Croatian language were cancelled by a decision of
Kemal Celebic, Education Minister in Zenica-Doboj Canton in
Bosnia-Herzegovina's Croat-Moslem Federation.
Over a thousand Croat returnees to Vares, who gathered during the
rally, reiterated their request that Croat children be allowed to
have classes in Croatian, their mother tongue, as this right is
guaranteed by the Constitution, different federal laws and
international conventions.
Protesters decided to tell some 230 Croat pupils to boycott classes
after they were ordered to enrol in the school with Bosniak
language.
Top Bosnian Croat politicians and international representatives in
the country have been notified of these requests.
Prior to the war Croats were a majority in Vares. According to the
1991 census, 8982 Croats had lived in this municipality, and over
three thousands have come back so far.
(hina) ms