NGO'S PROTEST AGAINST CRO GOVT'S ROLE AT CONVENTION

ZAGREB, Oct 30 (Hina) - Forty Croatian non-government organisations on Friday issued a protest letter in Zagreb, expressing their dissatisfaction of the fact that the Croatian government is one of the sponsors of the 1998 Convention of Croatian NGO's. As the letter notes, the Government is actually working against NGO's particularly those concerned with the protection of human rights. The signatories of the protest note, which was distributed by the Croatian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights (HHO), are up in arms because the Croatian government is one of the co-organisers of the NGO convention which opened on Thursday at the Zagreb Fair. "By its actions to date, the Government has shown that it is selective both politically and financially towards NGO's", notes the protest letter. This, the first such convention in Croatia was organised by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Croatian government. The protest note which was signed by the HHO, the Community of Serbs in Slavonia and Baranja, the Citizens' Committee for Human Rights, Organised Supervision of Elections by Citizens (GONG) "Be Active Be Emancipated" womens' human rights group (B.A.B.E), amongst others claims that the Croatian government has politically and financially been selective towards NGO's and in this way marginilised organisations involved with "promoting and protection of human rights, minority rights; ethnic and others, and who are involved with assisting true returns of refugees". The signatories further claim that NGO's are under constant pressure from "government institutions and the media which is controlled by the government". In opposition to recommendations by the Council of Europe, the Croatian government adopted the Law on associations which goes against international standards and which determines that financial assistance granted from the state budget will be given to those organisations which adhere to 'national interests'", notes the protest. The Croatian government has been asked to change its law and adjust it to meet international standards and to introduce tax relief for NGO's concerned with human rights issues. At the same time the government should introduce transparency in its method of financing from the state budget. It is important that the government changes its attitudes towards NGO's. (Hina) sp