SANADER LODGES SHARP PROTEST WITH YUGOSLAV OFFICE IN ZAGREB

ZAGREB, MAy 25 (Hina) - Croatian Deputy Foreign Minister Ivo Sanader lodged a sharp protest with the charge d'affaires of the Yugoslav Office in Zagreb, Momir Radosavljevic, because of severe violations of civil rights of Croats in Yugoslavia. The Croatian population was the target of a number of terrorist attacks, aimed at intimidation and ethnic cleansing, both in Yugoslavia and in the Serb-occupied parts of Croatia and Bosnia- Herzegovina, particularly in the Banja Luka region. The increasing number of incidents in these areas confirmed that a coordinated deportation was going on, Sanader said, listing cases of expulsion, harrassment, planting bombs etc. He particularly dwelt on the case of expelled Croats from Bapska, Ilok, Sarengrad and Tovarnik in the occupied Croatian region of eastern Slavonia. These Croats were expelled on May 17 and 18 to Yugoslavia and were treated inhumanely and in violation of all international conventions on refugees and displaced people. According to local priests, several hundreds of Croats were expelled to Sid, but it was impossible to get in contact with them since Yugoslav authorities and even Yugoslav Red Cross denied that they were there. On the other hand, Serbian media said that 67 Croats had sought refuge in Yugoslavia, fleeing before western Slavonia Serbs, and that they were being decently treated. Sanader described it as a Yugoslav propaganda move aimed at convincing the international community that Yugoslavia was ready to cooperate and promote peace, while Croatia was the one who caused trouble. Stressing the concern of the Croatian Government, Sanader noted that the latest events did not contribute to the process of normalization of relations between Croatia and Yugoslavia, but were a step back. The Croatian government called on Yugoslav authorities to do everything to protect Croats and to prevent further blatant violations of fundamental human and civil grights. (hina) jn rm 251556 MET may 95