SERBS RENEW ETHNIC CLEANSING IN TESLIC

SARAJEVO, 30 May (Hina) - Representatives of the international Implementation Force (IFOR), Carl Bildt's Office and the U.N. High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), on Thursday confirmed that a new wave of ethnic cleansing happened in the Teslic area (some 60 km east of Banja Luka). The Serb authorities in Teslic have expelled some 100 Bosniacs from the town. UNHCR spokesman in Sarajevo, Chris Janowski, said that it was the most massive expulsion of non-Serb population since the signing of the Dayton agreement. #L# In the last two days, the Sarajevo media reported that more than 300 Muslims had been expelled from Teslic in the last 45 days. The Serbs did not organise mass expulsions, but were forcing families one by one to leave their homes and cross over to the territory of the Croat-Bosniac Federation on an IFOR check point in the village of Kalosevici. 'The expelled were allowed to take only most necessary things with them. Before the departure, they had to pay 10 German marks per each person for the so-called exit toll. The local police are not interested at all in what is going on, nor are they trying to prevent the intimidation and expulsion of Bosniacs', Janowski said. Spokesman for Carl Bildt's office, Colum Murphy, said that the expulsion of Teslic Muslims was yet another example of ethic cleansing, adding Carl Bildt expressed deep concern because of it. So far, however, no measures have been undertaken to stop the expulsions. IFOR spokesman Max Marriner said that no one from IFOR had demanded that IFOR enter Teslic and try and prevent the violence. The latest events in Teslic represent great danger for the peace agreement as well, because they create not only new refugees but also justified concern that the return of refugees is impossible. Representatives of the international community in Bosnia are aware that the problem has to do with the removal of war crime suspects from power, an attempt of the international community which, so far, has not yielded results. Murphy recalled that Bildt actually did not have other means at his disposal except for political persuasion. There were, of course, sanctions against Yugoslavia, which had been introduced at the beginning of war, and which had been only suspended. Such measures could be applied without previous discussion before the Security Council, but only if they proved to be really necessary, Murphy said. (hina) rm 301532 MET may 96