PROJECT ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN CROATIA BIASED - SAYS GOVT

ZAGREB, Dec 3 (Hina) - The Croatian government will voice its final opinion on a United Nations project for strengthening the protection and promotion of human rights in Croatia upon Foreign Minister Mate Granic's return from abroad. Members of the government endorse the project with the UN, but are very critical with regard to some assessments made in the papers drafted for the project. Premier Zlatko Matesa and the ministers pointed out today the papers were exclusive and biased towards Croatia, and clearly showed the lack of understanding for Croatia in part of the international community. Reconstruction and Development Minister Jure Radic wondered how such papers could state that in July 1991, serious conflicts broke out in Croatia between mainly Serbian separatist forces and forces loyal to the government, or that after Croatia's military liberation operations in 1995, numerous Croatian Serbs were subjected to a wide range of human rights violations, including murder, assault, looting, and harassment. The drafted papers make no mention of the suffering of Croats or who was the aggressor, Radic said, adding they were "nationally coloured, exclusive, and biased." We should discuss the project, but not such papers, said he. Deputy Foreign Minister Ivo Sanader said international institutions still had a biased attitude with regard to what happened in Croatia. This is the core of the lack of understanding, added Matesa, who said that part of the international community was simply unwilling to accept Croatia which, he said, was the crux of the problem. Even after eight years, some will not acknowledge who attacked Croatia, the Premier said. He pointed out Croatia supported the promotion of human rights, endorsed the UN project, but not based on data and assessments made in the papers in question. (hina) ha mm