MESIC: INT. COMMUNITY MUST INSIST ON RETURN OF REFUGEES TO SERB ENTITY

ZAGREB, Aug 9 (Hina) - The international community should exert pressure with the aim of securing the return of Muslim and Croat refugees to the Bosnian Serb entity, Croatian President Stipe Mesic said in Washington on Tuesday. "That problem in Bosnia-Herzegovina is certainly difficult and it is the most difficult in the Serb entity. The international community must provide assistance there. The international community is assisting the current authorities in the Serb entity, and those authorities are not doing anything to facilitate the return of Bosniaks and Croats. In that sense, I believe they can exert some pressure and the authorities must guarantee safety for returnees," Mesic said in an interview with the Voice of America. "We support the return of all refugees and displaced persons to their homes. This is not simple - houses have to be reconstructed first. But if Croats are not returning to the Bosanska Posavina region, that will cause problems with the return of Serbs," Mesic said in the interview for the Croatian Voice of America section. Asked whether he would bring up the question of Zvonko Busic, who is serving a life sentence for planting a bomb and hijacking a TWA plane 25 years ago, Mesic said that problem would be dealt with through diplomatic channels. The Croatian authorities have been asking for several years that Busic be transferred to a prison in Croatia, and one of the possibilities would be Busic's being pardoned by the US President. "There are problems in the legislation, because we don't have life imprisonment, 20 years in prison is the highest sentence and in America it is much higher. If Busic would return to Croatia in that way we could not keep him imprisoned. That problem must be solved because, according to a new law, the sentence of 30 years in prison can be pronounced for the gravest crimes. I hope that in this case we will find a solution," Mesic said. Asked whether all transcripts of conversations held at the late Croatian President Franjo Tudjman's office, which have intrigued American experts dealing with Croatia, would be made public, Mesic said that given the quantity of the material "it is clear that it won't be possible to made everything public." "But, what interests the public will be given to the media and they can publish it freely. These are not documents protected as military or state secrets, these are simply conversations that took place without protection," Mesic said, adding he believed what was important for today's politics could be made known. (hina) rml