SPEECH OF CROATIAN AMBASSADOR TO UN

NEW YORK, Dec 2 (Hina) - The Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the United Nations, Dr. Mario Nobilo, held a speech to the Third Committee of the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday, in which Croatian Ambassador expressed the satisfaction of the Government of Croatia with the results of the World Conference on Human Rights held in Vienna. He said that Croatia supported the establishment of the International War Crimes Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. "One of the greatest concerns of my Government is the systematic violation of the human rights of the remaining Croats and non-Serbs in the United Nations Protected Areas and the "pink zones" within the Republic of Croatia," said Ambassador Nobilo in his speech. Croatian Ambassador to the UN warned also about the gross violation of the human rights in Serbia and Montenegro, especially in Kosovo, in the Sandzak area, and in Vojvodina. "In 1991 and 1992, some 35,000 Croats were driven out or moved from Vojvodina ...," Ambassador Nobilo displayed that figure. "The Government of Croatia strongly condemns all violations of humanitarian law in Bosnia-Herzegovina by any party to the conflict, including extremist Bosnian Croat forces," added Ambassador Nobilo. He stressed the fact that the Bosnian Croats were the first victims of ethnic cleansing in B-H. "This occurred in October of 1991 when Serb and Montenegrin forces ethnically cleanses the Bosnian Croat population in eastern Herzegovina, especially in the town of Ravno." Croatian Ambassador underlined that: "Due to ethnic cleansing by Serbian forces, the Bosnian Croat population has practically ceased to exist in eastern, northern and western B-H. Now because of Bosnian Moslem offensives, the Bosnian Croats in Central Bosnia are in serious danger." Ambassador Nobilo emphasized that Croatia was willing to accept constructive criticism of its own record on human rights, and would undertake measures for improvement of the situation in that context. 021749 MET dec 93