HUMAN RIGHTS WORKING GROUP WRITES ABOUT RETURN OF REFUGEES

BANJA LUKA, June 27 (Hina) - The Banja Luka-Based Human Rights Working Group (HRWG) comprising of representatives of the international community (OSCE, OHR, UNHCR, IPTF, UN Human Rights and Civilian Affairs Centre and SFOR), expressed deep concern over the fact that local Republika Srpska police authorities in this town had completely refused to apply the law and thus enable the return of 21 families to their homes, the HRWG said in a letter distributed to reporters from both Bosnian entities by spokesman for the Sector Southwest of the International Police Task Force (IPTF), Allun Roberts. #L# Every one of these families, the letter continued, had requested and had been granted by the Banja Luka court the right to return to their homes. However, the Republika Srpska police ignored the court decisions, laws of Republika Srpska and stances of the international community, which could have incalculable repercussions in the process of return of displaced persons and refugees, as well as on the overall process of implementing the peace agreements, the letter said. Although there were 38 such court decisions in Banja Luka and not one has been followed through, 21 of these decisions were under special observation of the Human Rights Working Group. At issue were Bosniac and Croat families who had remained to live with relatives in Banja Luka, although they had been exiled from their homes, the letter said. Many of them had paid war contributions to Republika Srpska, and some of them had worked for free in organisations working in Republika Srpska during the war. Their houses had been illegally appropriated from 1993 to 1995 and allocated to Serb families who had fled from western Bosnia or Croatia. Despite court decisions and previous persuasions of high police officials in Banja Luka that they would uphold such court decisions, the local police had not carried out any of the requested the removal from apartments, the letter said. The failure of the police to arrive could have had even bigger consequences because groups of citizens had threatened the families which were to return to their homes. The fact that displaced persons and refugees still could not return to their homes, even if they had court orders, had to arise deep doubt in the possibility of a more mass return of displaced persons to this town, the letter said, stressing that such a stance of police would not pass without appropriate reactions. (hina) lm 271329 MET jun 97