SERB EXODUS DEALS A BLOW TO BOSNIA AS MULTIETHNIC STATE

SARAJEVO, March 1 (Hina) - The police force of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina should soon get new uniforms. This has been proposed by the Office of the international High Commissioner for Implementation of Peace Agreement, Carl Bildt, spokesman for the Office, Ambassador Colum Murphy told a press conference in Sarajevo today. Bildt's deputy, Ambassador Michael Steiner yesterday presented the proposal to the President and the Vice President of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kresimir Zubak and Ejup Ganic respectively. It is expected that Zubak and Ganic would respond very soon. The policemen who have entered Sarajevo suburbs which had been handed over to the Federation, are wearing uniforms bearing the Bosnian Interior Ministry badges. Murphy said that the hand-over of the Sarajevo suburb of Ilijas was extremely important for all people in Bosnia-Herzegovina, because it meant that the four-year siege of the city was completed. 'The siege of Sarajevo is officially over...the world will neither forget what was done to Sarajevo nor the heroic resistance of its citizens', Murphy said. 'Sarajevo will forever be a symbol of civilisation assaulted, civilisation unbroken and civilisation unbreakable. For that the world owns a debt to the people of Sarajevo for their example of dignity and courage'. 'What the international community gave to the city was vital. But what the city gave to the world was even greater', Murphy added. The long struggle of Sarajevans for the preservation of multiethnic society was now endangered by mass exodus of Bosnian Serb from the suburbs which had been handed over to the Federation. 'This is a great blow to the idea of a multiethnic society and preservation of Bosnia-Herzegovina as an integral state. We still hope that some people would come back', spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Chris Janowski said. He added that the message of Bosnian authorities to the Serbs to stay in their homes had not been directed in a sufficiently convincing manner. According to data provided by the international police force, out of 1000 persons, only 251 expressed wish to stay in Ilijas. (hina) rm 011506 MET mar 96