WASHINGTON, July 11 (Hina) - Croatian Ambassador to the UN Mario Nobilo asked the UN Secretary-General to consider the human rights situation in Croatia within the framework of UN bodies in charge of the issue, and not of the Security
Council.
WASHINGTON, July 11 (Hina) - Croatian Ambassador to the UN Mario
Nobilo asked the UN Secretary-General to consider the human rights
situation in Croatia within the framework of UN bodies in charge of
the issue, and not of the Security Council. #L#
"It is the position of my government that the human rights
situation in Croatia does not in any way constitute a threat to
peace and security in Croatia, nor in the region, and should
therefore, consistent with the Charter of the United Nations, be
addressed exclusively by the United Nations for dealing with human
rights," Nobilo's letter to Boutros B. Gali published in New York
on Thursday said.
Nobilo reproached the UN for not verifying the reason for a
variation in numbers and assessments about the return of Serbs to
Croatia.
While the Croatian government informed that 7,065 Serbs had
returned to Croatia, international observers said it was a much
lesser number.
"My government is deeply disappointed that when such
reservations existed, the international observers did not seek to
verify the authenticity of the number...," Nobilo said.
"The Croatian government has well-documented files in this
regard and invites the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights to visit the government's Office for Displaced Persons and
Refugees and verify the authenticity of the number that the
government had submitted," the letter said.
"Out of the total documented returnees, 5,192 returned to
Croatia after receiving security clearance from the Office for
Displaced Persons and Refugees, 586 returned on the basis of
Croatian citizenship and 1,287 returned on the basis of other
documentation," Nobilo wrote.
"I should also like to add in this regard that my government
estimates that several thousand more ethnic Serbs returned to
Croatia for whom there is no documentation," he said.
Recalling that Croatia had opened its doors to more than 300
humanitarian organizations which were in one way or the other
engaged in human rights issues, Nobilo wrote, "We did so with hope
that transparency would translate into disciplined, balanced,
thorough and coordinated investigations".
He recalled that the number of repatriated refugees to Croatia
had been unmatched in the region.
Nobilo added that "the returns would be proceeding at an even
faster rate if there were no legitimate security concerns
associated with un-managed influx of persons that were associated
with the party that started the conflict in Croatia.
"The risks regarding the safety of 38,000 non-Serb returnees
presently in the liberated areas and the right of return of 80,000
more non-Serb expellees from the liberated areas are serious and
significant, and have wider implications," the letter said.
"The number of Serb returnees to Croatia must be considered
within the context of the generally accepted norms and standards,
regarding the return of displaced persons and refugees," Nobilo
concludes.
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