PARLIAMENT VICE PRESIDENT RECEIVES CROAT REFUGEES FROM VOJVODINA

ZAGREB, Nov 22 (Hina) - Croatian Parliament vice president Jadranka Kosor on Friday received a delegation of Croats expelled from Serbia's northern province of Vojvodina. The delegation, led by Vrano Orlovic, spoke of the plight of a large number of refugees who had been forced to leave their homes without any property and were now living in Croatia in very difficult conditions. The Croat refugees are mainly accommodated in the areas which were liberated by the Croatian army in 1995 and are concerned about the fact that Serb refugees are gradually returning to these areas. About 45,000 Croats expelled from Vojvodina have been registered in Croatia. Most of the once predominantly Croat villages are now without Croats. In 1991 the Serbian Emigrants' Association obtained documents from the Serbian Statistical Bureau with data on Croat property and estates in Vojvodina. The data were given to Serbs from Croatia who already in 1991 visited Croats in Vojvodina and encouraged them to move, Orlovic said. The authorities of Serbian-led Yugoslavia do not recognize the Croatian minority. (hina) vm jn 221707 MET nov 96