NEW YORK, Nov 6 (Hina) - UN Special Human Rights Rapporteur for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Yugoslavia, Jiri Dienstbier, on Friday delivered a speech before the UN General Assembly's Human Rights Committee amending a written
report he compiled in late September, which he described as out of date. The speech focused mostly on the situation in Serbia following the deployment of the Kosovo Force. Dienstbier unambiguously supported the cancellation of international sanctions against the regime of Slobodan Milosevic, claiming it was ordinary people and not power-wielders who were most affected by the sanctions. According to Dienstbier, this is especially true after the bombardment of innocent people and the destruction of the economic foundations of their existence, for which it was absurdly believed that it would affect the ruler, he said. Croatia is mentioned twice in the speech, the first tim
NEW YORK, Nov 6 (Hina) - UN Special Human Rights Rapporteur for
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Yugoslavia, Jiri Dienstbier, on
Friday delivered a speech before the UN General Assembly's Human
Rights Committee amending a written report he compiled in late
September, which he described as out of date.
The speech focused mostly on the situation in Serbia following the
deployment of the Kosovo Force. Dienstbier unambiguously supported
the cancellation of international sanctions against the regime of
Slobodan Milosevic, claiming it was ordinary people and not power-
wielders who were most affected by the sanctions.
According to Dienstbier, this is especially true after the
bombardment of innocent people and the destruction of the economic
foundations of their existence, for which it was absurdly believed
that it would affect the ruler, he said.
Croatia is mentioned twice in the speech, the first time as the
party which is to blame for the slow process of refugee return in
Bosnia-Herzegovina, especially in Republika Srpska.
It is difficult to imagine significant progress in the return of
refugees to Bosnia-Herzegovina until Croatia has fulfils its
obligations from the Dayton agreement and enables its citizens of
Serb nationality to return, Dienstbier said.
Croatia is mentioned the second time in the context of some positive
cases in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, which Dienstbier
mentioned in his report. These are rare cases which bear witness to
the fact that progress can be possible if there is enough political
will, but there is almost no political will at all, Dienstbier
believes.
The 35-page report, in which nine pages are dedicated to Croatia,
deals with security, refugee return, judiciary, labour rights,
media freedom, missing persons, women's rights, and war crimes
trials. The key section of the report on Croatia focuses on,
Dienstbier said, the fate of hundreds of Croatian Serbs who went
missing before, during or after operations "Flash" and "Storm".
The only commendation Croatia received refers to the equality of
sexes, although here, too, Dienstbier recommends cooperation
between the Government and non-government organisations and UN
bodies.
(hina) rml