OMBUDSMEN BLAME HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES ON FEDERATION AUTHORITIES

SARAJEVO, July 3 (Hina) - Bosnian Federation ombudsmen on Wednesday drew attention to a large number of human rights violations being committed at all levels of government in the Moslem-Croat Federation. "Upon our appointment, the state pledged full cooperation and support, but those guarantees remained only on paper. State authorities, obviously unaccustomed to any kind of control, have started to boycott ombudsmen and to openly oppose them," ombudsman Esad Muhibic told a news conference in Sarajevo. Muhibic said that most irregularities were made by municipal and county authorities, but noted that basic problems lay in the political leadership of the Federation. Ombudsman Vera Jovanovic said that human rights were mostly violated by police, adding that that there was no difference between the behaviour of police in the areas under Bosnian Army control or in those held by the Croatian Defence Council (HVO). "The essential problem is that there are two ethnically pure police forces and as a result members of an ethnic community which is in a minority in a certain area suffer," she said. Jovanovic cited Croat-held west Mostar and Moslem-held Bugojno as examples where local police forces not only tolerated violence and discrimination but were directly involved in it. Judging by complaints received by ombudmen's offices this year, provisions of the peace agreement guaranteeing the right of refugees to return to their homes had been circumvented, ombudsman Branka Raguz said. "The number of people who have returned is negligible in comparison to the overall number of refugees, and the underlying cause of this problem lies in a lack of political will to allow the return," she said. "It seems that every effort is being made to prevent people from returning." Raguz noted that neither Croats nor Moslems wanted to take the first step, which was the only way to open the process of return. She said that a particular problem was displaced people moving into abandoned houses with the tacit encouragement of authorities. The institution of ombudsman was established as part of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) mission in the Federation to protect human rights and alleviate the consequences of ethnic cleansing. OSCE mission chief Robert Frowick said on Wednesday that the international community would provide full support to ombudsmen regardless of obstacles put up by local authorities. The heads of six major international agencies which are active in Bosnia-Herzegovina had signed a special letter of support to ombudsmen and sent it to the Federation authorities. (hina) vm 031939 MET jul 96