SERB REFUGEES FROM WESTERN SLAVONIA SPEAK ABOUT THEIR PROBLEMS

( Editorial: --> 7441 ) ILOK, Dec 10 (Hina) - Several hundreds of people, mostly Serbs from western Slavonia, on Wednesday held a meeting in Ilok at which they spoke about their problems, at an initiative of the UNTAES. They spoke to representatives of Ilok authorities, the National Committee for the restoration of inter-ethnic trust, the Joint Council of Municipalities, the Serb Democratic Independent Party, the Agency for Facilitating Real Estate Transactions, the UNTAES and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. These people left their homes in western Slavonia in 1995, after the area was liberated from Serb occupation. In answer to numerous remarks concerning breaches of pension and tenancy rights, National Committee member Mirko Tankosic called on the gathered to have more trust in Croatian authorities. "Particular irregularities you have encountered with certain representatives of the executive authority are not Croatia's official policy", Tankosic said. "The return of displaced persons is Croatia's interest, and the two-way return is an expression of equality of all Croatian citizens, regardless of their nationality", Tankosic said. The slowness in the return process was the result of poor funds for the reconstruction of houses. Gerard Fischer, head of UNTAES Civil Affairs, told the gathered the Croatian government had to find appropriate solutions for citizens of Serb nationality who currently occupy houses of Croats displaced from the area. I believe the Croatian government is politically willing to resolve that issue, Fischer said, adding the international community would organise a monitoring system to supervise the two-way return process. The UN transitional administrator for eastern Croatia, William Walker, will visit Geneva next Wednesday for a meeting with top UNHCR officials, Fischer said. The UNHCR has ensured USD 1.7 million to assist in solving issues surrounding the return of displaced persons and the reconstruction of their homes, he added. The head of the OSCE regional office in Vukovar, Pierre Peeters, told the gathered they would not be abandoned after January 15, 1998, since the international community would stay in eastern Croatia. The OSCE will not take over the UNTAES mandate, but the Croatian government will, Peeters said, adding that the OSCE would monitor to see if all signed agreements are complied with. (hina) ha jn 102153 MET dec 97