CRO DISPLACED PERSONS ASSOCIATION'S ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE HOLDS SESSION IN ILOK

SESSION IN ILOK ILOK, July 18 (Hina) - The Administration Committee of the Croatian Association of Displaced Persons (ZPH) on Friday held its first session in the Danube region of eastern Croatian in Ilok. The committee concluded that "the return of Croatian displaced persons to the Danube region has not yet begun due to administration obstacles at the Government's Office for Displaced Persons and Refugees, at UNTAES and at UNHCR". Today's session was attended by ZPH president Mato Simic and UNTAES representatives. The return was slowed down because of slow control of abandoned houses and return-certificate issuance, the administration committee concluded, but also because of the UNTAES check-points and crossing procedures. The committee therefore requested that UNTAES check-points be moved further inland in the region under UN's transitional administration, especially in Nijemci, Bilje and Ernestinovo. The administration committee welcomed the beginning of work of local authorities at their headquarters, and called on displaced persons to return when the security situation permitted to do so. The ZPH Administration Committee "warns UNTAES and the Croatian Government" that Croatian property continues to be looted in the Croatian Danube region, while "money is being transferred to foreign banks". During a discussion, the members of the administration committee unanimously ascertained that UNTAES hindered the return of Croatian displaced persons and protected only the Serbs' rights. In answer to this, the head of UNTAES' civil affairs in Ilok, Anatoliy Oliynyk, said that the return was mostly slowed down because of recent incidents in the Banovina area, and because of "insufficient activity of the Croatian Government's Office for Displaced Persons and Refugees". Even though all municipal heads and mayors in the UN-administered Vukovar-Srijem County were invited at today's session, only representatives of the Tovarnik, Stari Jankovci and Tordinci municipalities (where the ruling Croatian Democratic Union Party - HDZ - won at the April municipal election), and the head of the Borovo municipality (where the Serb Democratic Independent Party won), attended. According to the head of Borovo, local authorities will protect the Croat property, after Serbs currently in their houses return to their homes in other parts of Croatia. (hina) ha 182030 MET jul 97