UN HIGH COMMISSION OFFICE REPORT-HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN CROATIA

( Editorial: --> 8541 ) GENEVA, June 3 (Hina) - Emigration of Serbs from the Croatian Danube River Region continues, even though the number of cases is decreasing, said a monthly report by the UN High Commission's Office for Human Rights on the situation in Croatia, Bosnia- Herzegovina, and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia published on Tuesday in Geneva. The report reads that Serbs leaving the Danube region are emigrating to other countries, mostly to Norway and Denmark, adding that, at the end of the school year, middle of June, the Commission was expecting a new wave of emigration. The report states as reasons for Serbs emigrating discrimination, intimidation, threats, administrative pressures, unemployment, and generally a poor economic standard. All in all, the situation in the Danube region is reported to be peaceful and stable, although there has been an increase of incidents in public places. Citing UNHCR statistics, the report said that 15,000 people have returned to the Danube Region. The report also relates to the Croatian Judiciary of the situations viewed with concern, stressing that proceedings took too long, the inefficiency of officials solving problems in denying citizenship and cases of lack of respect of court decisions, although the work of the Judicial Court was noted. Looking at the media situation, the report warns how restrictions of free press continued, and mentions 530 court proceedings against reporters and publishers. (hina)dgr/lml 031319 MET jun 98