WASHINGTON, Dec 9 (Hina) - The UN Secretary-General, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, on Monday submitted to the Security Council a Regular Report on the human rights situation in former UN protected areas in Croatia.
WASHINGTON, Dec 9 (Hina) - The UN Secretary-General, Boutros
Boutros-Ghali, on Monday submitted to the Security Council a
Regular Report on the human rights situation in former UN protected
areas in Croatia. #L#
The security situation had somewhat improved, but Ghali felt
concerned over cases of intimidation and looting, particularly in
the Knin area, the Report said.
Prospects for building confidence among the local Serb
population had decreased owing to the Croatian Government's slow
progress in the investigation of human rights violations
perpetrated during military operations in 1995, the Report said.
Positive political events in the observed period included the
signing of an Agreement on normalisation between Zagreb and
Belgrade, the passage of a new Amnesty Act and Croatia's accession
to the Council of Europe, the Report said.
There was not much progress in the return of Croatian Serbs,
the Report said, adding that local authorities and inhabitants did
not favour the return of Serbs and wished for the departure of
those who had stayed.
The Report identified the Government's short-comings in
ensuring the efficient protection of the Serbs' property and
property rights and the lackadaisical implementation of the Amnesty
Act as the main obstacles to the return of Serbs.
The returning Serbs found their houses occupied and were
unable to repossess them, the Report said. Some people against whom
legal proceedings had been suspended under the Amnesty Act had
reportedly been arrested again.
Croatia's cooperation with the War Crimes Tribunal was another
reason for concern, the Report said. The Croatian Government was
not assiduous about arresting war crimes suspects who were believed
to be staying in the area under its control, the Report elaborated.
The International War Crimes Tribunal prosecutor was not
satisfied that Croatian authorities were making any serious efforts
to investigate the actions of Croatian troops and civilians during
military operations in 1995, the Report concluded.
(hina) jn as
091846 MET dec 96