BRCKO MULTI-ETHNIC POLICE FUNCTIONING WITHOUT PROBLEM

( Editorial: --> 2425 ) SARAJEVO, Jan 5 (Hina) - The multi-ethnic police force in the northern Serb-held Bosnian town of Brcko, set up by decision of international supervisor Robert Farrand, is working without any problems and is supported by the local population, UN spokesman Alexander Ivanko said in Sarajevo on Monday. About 20-30 people attempted to obstruct Saturday's ceremony at which the multi-ethnic police force was officially established, Ivanko said, adding that they were hired demonstrators who had appeared according to a well-known scenario. Not a single incident has happened since police officers from all three nations began patrolling the Brcko area last week. It is still not clear whether their work will be supervised by local authorities or they will be responsible to the Serb Interior Ministry based in Pale, southeast of Sarajevo. UNHCR spokesman Kris Janowski expressed hope that the joint police would enable faster return of refugees to the Brcko area. More than 12,000 people have applied for return, but only ten per cent have returned. Not a single Croat or Moslem refugee has returned to Brcko town because of the obstruction of local authorities, he added. An arbitration commission should have decided within a year after the signing of the Dayton peace agreement whether the Sava river town would be part of the Moslem-Croat Federation or the Serb Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina, but it has delayed taking a decision for another year. (hina) vm mm 051443 MET jan 98