INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MUST PROTECT BOSNIAN CROATS - SIMONOVIC

( Editorial: --> 8591 ) WASHINGTON, 15 Dec (Hina) - Croatia's Ambassador to the United Nations, Ivan Simonovic, on Monday called on the international community to protect the smallest constituent people in Bosnia- Herzegovina - the Croats - as well as to make efforts with the aim of securing their return, especially to central Bosnia and Bosanska Posavina region, and help them preserve their identity. "Since the signing of the Washington agreements, Croats from Bosnia-Herzegovina have been leaving the country in considerable numbers. Those who have remained and a small number of those who have returned are victims of an increasing number of ethnically- motivated murders, terrorist acts, destruction of personal or community property and physical attacks," Simonovic said at the UN General Assembly in New York. Participating in a discussion on the situation in Bosnia- Herzegovina, Simonovic said pressure on Croatia had been increasing due to the alienation of Bosnian Croats. "Their loss of faith in the Dayton-Paris agreements and the international community as a whole should not be taken easily because they are the smallest of the three constituent peoples. The international community often stresses that the key to the reintegration of Bosnia-Herzegovina into a multiethnic state is the return of Croats to central Bosnia and Posavina," Simonovic said. Concrete help from the international community to Bosnian Croats was not sufficient, Simonovic said, adding that in this sense the international community should make more determined steps in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The media were the key area where the international community could help, Simonovic said, adding that television and radio programs in the Croatian language were allowed only at the local level in southern parts of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Croats were also disappointed at the lack of cooperation of the two other sides with the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), as well as with the lack of determination of others to establish that cooperation, he said, adding that this had led to Croats making up 70 per cent of imprisoned indictees. "Croats from Bosnia-Herzegovina are even more disappointed with the fact that there are no indictments against persons who organised and committed mass killings in their communities in central Bosnia, about which there is extensive evidence and documentation," Simonovic said. The UN General Assembly will conclude its discussion on the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina by adopting a resolution which calls for the timely implementation of the Dayton agreement and conclusions of the latest Bonn conference on the implementation of the peace agreements in Bosnia-Herzegovina. (hina) rm 152125 MET dec 97