PREFECT CONDEMNS ACTIONS OF ITALIAN SFOR TROOPS IN TASOVCICI

( Editorial: --> 5151 ) MOSTAR, Oct 2 (Hina) - Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Prefect Zeljko Obradovic on Friday received a delegation of Croat refugees, currently living in the village of Tasovcici, near Capljina in southern Bosnia-Herzegovina. The meeting was held in the wake of yesterday's incident which happened when members of an Italian police unit within the NATO-led peace Stabilisation Force (SFOR) used force to disperse a group of Croat refugees from central Bosnia, who had blocked the Sarajevo- Ploce road near Capljina. They were protesting against the return of some 50 Muslim refugees to their houses in Tasovcici, which the Croats are currently occupying. The delegation told Obradovic they had been provoked by the Muslim refugees and acted spontaneously by blocking the road. The behaviour of Italian police officers, who forcibly unblocked the road, was "inappropriate and unnecessary", they said. Prefect Obradovic said he opposed unorganised returns and all forms of forced return, as well as one-way returns which were undertaken without the cooperation of local authorities. We especially oppose return to the houses which are occupied by refugees, he said, condemning the behaviour of the Italian soldiers. The Croat refugees, who cannot return to their homes in central Bosnia, do not deserve such treatment, he added. The behaviour of SFOR members was also condemned by the Association of Displaced and Exiled Croats of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Association of Homeland War Veterans of Herzeg-Bosnia. (hina) rml /mbr 022100 MET oct 98