BANJA LUKA DISPLACED DOUBT POSSIBILITY OF RETURN

( Editorial: --> 0139 ) BANJA LUKA, April 28 (Hina) - The United States Ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina Richard Kauzlarich and the German Government's commissioner for return and reconstruction Dietmar Schlee, on Tuesday at the regional conference for return in Banja Luka, warned that local authorities in Bosnia-Herzegovina should implement cantonal return programmes. They said the international community expects Croatia to develop a comprehensive programme for return. Schlee also warned the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia that Kosovo is not only its problem given that Germany is caring for 140,000 Kosovo refugees. Return to Bosnia-Herzegovina must be two-way, not one-way, and this conference must produce a concrete plan for it, said Ejup Ganic, President of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Return is progressing in areas where a multi-ethnic police force has been established and the international community should especially help areas to which people are returning, said Ganic. More than half of the Bosnian Croats, the least numbered people in Bosnia-Herzegovina, are not in their houses, said Federation Vice- President Vladimir Soljic. They wish to return but minimal security and living conditions must be secured, said Soljic. He agreed with Ganic on the need to assist multi-ethnic areas. Soljic said that the largest number of people are returning to the areas of Bosnia-Herzegovina which are under Croat authority. Federation Premier Edhem Bicakcic said that his government has adopted regulations necessary for return, adding that the same is expected from the Republika Srpska government. The many demolished houses and commercial buildings are the biggest obstacles to return, believes Bicakcic. He also warned that the process will not continue if accused war criminals are not tried. The Republika Srpska Premier affirmed that his government is ready to reconstruct more than 1,000 houses for returnees in several Republika Srpska towns. For return to succeed, however, it has to be "regional and simultaneous" Dodik believes. Petar Djodan and Bosko Starijas spoke on behalf of Serb refugees from Croatia who are now in Republika Srpska. They requested that Croatia recognises documents of the former Yugoslavia and hold that Croatia should acquit all Serbs serving sentences because of war crimes, who are not wanted by The Hague Tribunal. They expressed the importance of Serbs returning to Croatia and recognition of property ownership rights for those who do not return. They also requested that Serb Croats in Republika Srpska be given the right to vote in Bosnia-Herzegovina's elections this autumn. The Republika Srpska government has an opportunity to show its readiness to enable the return to reconstructed houses in Posavina, where 25,000 houses belonging to displaced people were demolished, said the displaced Croats' representative, Ivo Krizanovic. Krizanovic and Kemal Gunic also talked about the return of displaced Croats and Bosniaks to Banja Luka. Gunic argued his pessimism in regards to the return of 25,000 Bosniaks to Banja Luka with information that even those 600 Bosniaks who had remained in that town cannot live in their homes but sleep on the street. Krizanovic condemned the violence in Drvar and Derventa and advocated that nobody in Bosnia-Herzegovina should occupy other people's houses but that everybody should return to their own. (hina) jn mrb/lm 281809 MET apr 98