ROUND TABLE ON RETURN OF DISPLACED PEOPLE HELD IN ZAGREB

ZAGREB, Dec 9 (Hina) - A round table 'Return - Right to Choose or Coercion", was held in Zagreb on Monday, on the occasion the International Human Rights Day (December 10), in organization of the group for direct protection of human rights. Croatian President's advisor on humanitarian issues, Slobodan Lang, said at the round table that the failure of the international community to face the question of genocide was one of the basic characteristic of the world in the end of the 20th century. A representative of the Croatian Public Attorney's office, Marta Vidakovic-Mihic said there was an increasing number of cases when displaced people could not come back to their houses, although they proved their ownership of the houses, since other persons had already moved into them, even sometimes by using force. A UNHCR official, Jan Bolling told the round table that after the 1995 'Storm' action, a small number of displaced people returned to their homes. He expressed belief that about 30,000 persons might return to Croatia next year. He added that the UNHCR directed its activities to projects aimed at the return to the eastern Slavonian villages of Antunovac and Bilje and the western Slavonian village of Kusonje. (hina) jn mš 092330 MET dec 96