BOSNIAN GOVT CANNOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR EXODUS OF SERBS - CRO EMBAS

EMBAS $ SY WASHINGTON, Feb 28 (Hina) - The exodus of Serbs from the suburbs of Sarajevo has given rise to unfounded accusations against the Bosnian Government, similar to those levelled against the Croatian Government following the mass departure of the so-called "Krajina" Serbs, the Croatian Ambassador to the UN, Mario Nobilo, said in a statement on Tuesday. "Just like the Croatian Government, the Bosnian Government cannot do much to make the Serbs stay, when their own leaders urge and even force them to leave," Nobilo said. The departure of Serbs from Sarajevo was a tragedy but the Bosnian Government had no responsibility for it. The root cause of both tragedies - the one in Sarajevo and the one in Croatia - was Serbia's policy of creating an ethnically pure state. Many Serbs had been led astray by their leaders, their intelligentsia and their church to believe that the Serbs could not live together with Croats, Moslems or any other nation. The real tragedy was this artificially created belief, which could not be changed by the Croatian Government or the international community. Serb leader Milan Babic confirmed in August last year that the "Krajina" Serbs had left their homes at the orders of their leaders who hoped to stir up international indignation against Croatia and a military response from Belgrade, Nobilo wrote. (hina) as 281143 MET feb 96