OSCE CONCERNED FOR UNANNOUNCED QUESTIONING OF SERBS

ZAGREB, Nov 4 (Hina) - The Organisation for Cooperation and Security in Europe's Mission is concerned with the fact that last week, members of the Croatian secret police questioned Serb nationals in Vinkovci (eastern Croatia) without any previous notification, said mission spokesman Mark Thompson on Wednesday. We have information that on two occasions the secret police questioned three Serb nationals in the Vinkovci police station, said Thompson at a regular press conference conducted by the OSCE and UNHCR in Croatia. "We were not informed of the incident which presents a violation to the agreement between our mission and the Croatian Interior Ministry, however our concern lies in the fact that this is also a violation of proper police procedures as stipulated by the Interior Ministry itself", he said. Thompson added that as soon as the Mission was informed of the incident, Assistant Interior Minister Josko Moric was contacted and he assured that the incident would not occur again. Several days later however, the same thing occurred and a Serb national from Borovo (suburb near Vukovar) was taken to the police station where he was detained and questioned for 8 hours concerning his conduct during the war, said Thompson. UNHCR spokesman Andrej Mahecic said that the recent convention of Croatian non-government organisations was quite successful attracting the participation of over 150 organisations. The UNHCR is not unfriendly to any institution and consider that the convention was very successful. Participants have shown their interest for the convention to be continued said Mahecic. He announced a meeting scheduled for Friday of the Coordinating Committee for returns which will discuss the laws relating to returns which are currently being investigated by expert teams in an effort to allow equal rights to all returnees. Special reference will be made to the housing situation he said. (Hina) sp