BH CATHOLIC PRIESTS APPEAL TO CROATIA TO PROTECT BOSNIAN CROATS

( Editorial: --> 8104 ) ZAGREB, Jan 29 (Hina) - Catholic priests of the Sarajevo diocese Thursday forwarded an appeal to the Croatian President, the Croatian public and the Croatian media in particular, demanding a more effective protection of Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The appeal was signed by about 100 priests of the Sarajevo diocese who are attending the Theological-Pastoral Week in Zagreb. They expressed great concern for the survival of Croats in BH and demanded that Croatia exert its constitutional obligation to protect Bosnian Croats. The priests warned that the hopes of Bosnian Croats regarding the Dayton Peace Agreement and a peaceful and equal coexistence were not coming true. The Croats' return to their homes was almost impossible in Bosnian Serb-controlled territory, they said in the appeal, adding it was very difficult in the Muslim-controlled part of the Croat-Muslim Bosnian Federation as well. "We are witnesses to the discrimination of our Croat Catholic faithful, who feel abandoned by most present international factors as well. We are saddened by the fact that Croatia and the Croatian media give insufficient information about our situation to the domestic and international public", the Catholic priests said in the appeal. The priests believed the Croatian President himself, as well as the Croatian Government, could and should not allow Croats to disappear from Bosnian territory now that they have their internationally recognised state. On behalf of their faithful, the poor and unemployed in particular, the Catholic priests of the Sarajevo diocese expressed their gratitude to all who are helping, working and writing about the life of Bosnian Croats. (hina) ha jn 291642 MET jan 98