HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN CROATIA IN 1996 SATISFACTORY

ZAGREB, July 21 (Hina) - The human rights situation in Croatia in 1996, with regard to the situation in which Croatia was, was satisfactory. The Croatian Government has been systematically dealing with the protection of human rights, a Vice Premier, Ljerka Mintas Hodak, has said (on Monday) on occasion of the completion of a government report on the human rights situation in Croatia in 1996. The state bodies tackling the human rights protection had a clear sphere of their work and according to their number and system Croatia was among the first European countries, since few countries had so many bodies dealing with the human rights protection, Mrs. Mintas-Hodak said in Zagreb. She added that the comprehensive (over 300-page) report included information on the system of the bodies for the protection and promotion of human rights as well as proposals of the Government Coordination for internal policy and human rights with the aim of improving the security situation in former occupied areas. According to her, the Coordination will analyse the security situation in those areas every two months and supervise the implementation of an operational programme for the return there. Speaking of the security situation in those areas, the Croatian Vice Premier said that the number of criminal acts against the life and the body had decreased last year, but the number of criminal acts against property had been still too high, and special attention would be devoted on prevention of such acts. She added that the Government would elaborate a complete report on the human rights situation in Croatia regularly every year, whereas some other countries make such reports from time to time. With regard to the importance of the matter and to the fact that Croatia had passed through a war period after which the human rights situation is especially important, the Croatian Government holds that it should make comprehensive reports in order that full knowledge could be got about the entire state policy referring to the protection and promotion of human rights. She said that some Croatian and foreign organisations had dealt with certain cases of human rights violations in the country, but their reports lacked the presentation of the entire government policy in everything it has done and is doing in the protection of human rights. During the elaboration of the report the Government wanted to include other non-governmental organisations and religious communities, but this attempt failed as only two or three organisations, out of some 30, had responded to the invitation. Although this report was 'tedious' to some extent, due to the space dedicated on the legislation, Mintas-Hodak maintained that the legislation should not been neglected, as it helped create a legal framework and basis for the protection of human rights. She added that it was necessary to improve further the legal system and harmonise certain laws with Croatia's new legal system, particularly in connection with the usage of minorities' languages, religious communities and the field of labour and social welfare. Asked about the human rights situation in Croatia in 1997, Mintas- Hodak said that it was too early to speak about a report for this year, and that the report would be completed in the end of 1997 or at the beginning of 1998. A Croatian Deputy Labour and Social Welfare Minister, Jasna Babic, commented on the compatibility of the Croatian legal system with international regulations in the field of human rights. Undoubtedly, Croatian Government is committed to the protection of human rights, in which it has become recognisable among central and eastern European countries, according to Babic. (hina) mm mš 211530 MET jul 97