CROATIAN VICE PREMIER HOLDS TALKS WITH UN RAPPORTEUR REHN

ZAGREB, Oct 21 (Hina) - A Croatian Vice Premier, Ljerka Mintas- Hodak, on Tuesday talked with the UN human rights special rapporteur, Elizabeth Rehn, about the two-way return of refugees and displaced persons, the security situation in Croatia's liberated areas and the Danube river region, and the problems concerning the ownership of houses to which the displaced and refugees are returning. "The government is now drafting an operational programme clearly specifying measures which local authorities should take in order to promptly and painlessly solve the ownership issue," Mintas-Hodak said after the talks. She informed Rehn that a large part of difficulties had been created by the "spontaneous return" of people to the liberated areas, but such problems had not been recorded in the Danube area where entrance "was controlled all the time," she said, adding one could return there only in an organised manner. After the liberalisation of entry to the Danube area, this problem would become more noticeable than up to now, Mintas-Hodak explained, adding that under the operational programme the government envisaged the application of the same model of the return, the same deadlines and criteria both in the Danube area and other Croatian war-affected areas. Mintas-Hodak and Rehn also discussed the right of Bosnian Croats to return to their hometowns and villages in the Bosnian Serb entity. Mintas-Hodak urged the international community to show the same care for the return of all refugees to Bosnia-Herzegovina, regardless of their ethnic origin. When Rehn asked how she could help most effectively right now, the Croatian official insisted that Ms. Rehn should make more effort in order to get final information regarding the fate of missing Croatian soldiers and civilians. Mintas-Hodak explained that this was the prerequisite for talks on forgiving, tolerance and co- existence in the region. Elizabeth Rehn told reporters that she was completing a successful mission in Croatia, during which she tried to get acquainted with the problems of returnees, the displaced and refugees. Rehn said she was aware that it took time for the settlement of ownership problems, and added that as regards human rights more attention should be devoted to individuals rather than to whole ethnic groups. She congratulated the Croatian government on its achievements in recent weeks but, she added, there remained some unsolved things and reasons for criticism. She hailed the surrender of war crimes suspects and the adoption of amendments to some laws, which showed the government's readiness to cooperate. (hina) jn mš ha 211804 MET oct 97