SEPAROVIC REJECTS DZAKULA'S CLAIM OF NEW WAR CRIMINALS LIST

( Editorial: --> 8609 ) ZAGREB, Dec 15 (Hina) - Justice Minister Miroslav Separovic and Assistant Interior Minister Josko Moric commented on a statement by Serb Democratic Forum leader Veljko Dzakula that "Serbs are leaving Croatia because of frequent provocation and harassment and the appearance of new lists of war criminals." In an interview with Croatian television broadcast in a prime time evening news programme, Separovic rejected the existence of any new lists of war criminals, saying that there was only one list of 25 persons who had been convicted in absence and who would be ensured retrial. "Croatian authorities will continue to condemn any institution or conduct of proceedings contrary to the General Amnesty Act, which has been consistently applied to more than 12,000 persons," he said. Separovic said the mentioning of new lists was being used for propaganda purposes to encourage the Serb population to leave the Danube region and to exert additional pressure on the international community to extend the UNTAES mandate, which expires on January 15. Moric said in the same television programme that the safety of property and citizens in the Danube region had up to now been the concern of the UN Transitional Administration and that as of today any progress in the security situation would be the result of work of the Transitional Police Force now under the Croatian Interior Ministry. We expect that Croatia's sovereignty over the entire region will be evident through the work of the Transitional Police Force in the next few days, Moric said. Moric said his task was to ensure that the Transitional Police Force, for whose work he was now responsible, guaranteed the personal safety and the safety of property of all citizens in the Croatian Danube region. (hina) vm 152225 MET dec 97