HIGH REPRESENTATIVE'S OFFICE CONDEMNS INCIDENT NEAR TRAVNIK

TRAVNIK, Aug 30 (Hina) - The head of the department for refugees of the international high representative's office in Bosnia- Herzegovina, Minna Jarvenpaa, on Saturday expressed the office's regret and concern regarding an incident which took place in Bukovica, a village in the Travnik municipality, yesterday, when some 200 Bosniaks (Muslims) prevented about 100 Travnik Croats from visiting their houses in Bukovica after six years of exile. Today, Jarvenpaa met with the head of the Travnik municipal authorities based in Nova Bila, Tomo Rajic, and the president of the Travnik Party of Democratic Action (SDA), Munir Karic. We do not believe Bosniaks gathered spontaneously in this case, Jarvenpaa said, adding Bosniak authorities in Travnik must take responsibility for the incident. She demanded that a speedy investigation be carried out and effective steps taken against the organizer of the incident. An envoy of the BH Federation vice president Ejup Ganic's, Salko Beba, who also met with Jarvenpaa, said Ganic condemned the incident in Bukovica and demanded an unconditional continuation of the return process. The president of Travnik's SDA, Karic, assured Jarvenpaa Bosniaks in Travnik were determined in supporting the return process, and requested of local authorities to safeguard it. According to Travnik municipal authority head Rajic, the Bukovica incident confirmed "the reserve of the Croat side toward the proclaimed openness and freedom of movement in Travnik". Rajic also cautioned about uneven international assistance in the reconstruction of Croat and Bosniak houses. He said the international community to date donated aid for the reconstruction of 1,914 Bosniak and only 338 Croat houses, even though Croat damaged houses were more numerous than Bosniak ones. At the end of her visit, Jarvenpaa demanded that Bosniak authorities take a speedy and public stand in relation to the Bukovica incident. Later, she visited the Bosniak-controlled Croat villages of Guca Gora and Bukovica. (hina) ha 302107 MET aug 97