WESTENDORP'S OFFICE ASKS FOR UNOBSTRUCTED RETURN OF CRO SERBS

( Editorial: --> 2512 ) SARAJEVO, March 26 (Hina) - The Office of the High Representative on Thursday voiced concern over the failure of Croatian authorities to respect an agreement reached earlier on unobstructed visit of Serb refugees to the area of Vojnic (about 100km south-east of Zagreb). Spokeswoman for the Office of the High Representative in Sarajevo, Aisling Burne, said the Croatian police thwarted efforts made earlier with the aim of enabling Croatian Serb refugees, currently living in Banja Luka, to visit their pre-war homes in Vojnic. The Serbs, who started their journey towards Vojnic two days ago, were kept waiting for five hours at the border by the Croatian police, who later issued a one-day entry permit, said Aisling, adding that the permit is usually issued for a period of three months. Members of the basic and special police in Vojnic prevented Serbs to contact their relatives and friends whom they saw in the streets, Aisling said. This can only be described as deliberate thwarting of the visit, Aisling said, describing the behaviour of the police as "irresponsible". The Office of the High Representative strongly condemned such behaviour because it was contrary to the guarantees for unobstructed visit given earlier by the Croatian government. Westendorp's office demanded that an investigation be conducted so that those responsible for the behaviour of the police could be punished. The events in Vojnic represented a violation of the peace agreement and European Union ambassadors would be informed about it, Aisling said. Speaking about the Vojnic case, Aisling Burne also mentioned yesterday's meeting of the Contact Group in Bonn, which called on Croatia to fulfil its commitments from the Dayton peace agreement and cooperate in full with the international community. Croatian Serbs, who are currently in Bosnia-Herzegovina, have to be allowed to return to their homes and be guaranteed the right to property and adequate papers, said Aisling. UNHCR spokeswoman in Sarajevo Ariane Quentier supported the views of the High Representative. UNHCR was having intense talks with the Croatian government. The aim of those talks was to secure a procedure which would allow all Serb refugees, regardless whether they come from Bosnia- Herzegovina or Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, to enter Croatia and return to their homes, said Quentier. (hina) jn rm 261415 MET mar 98