CROATIA'S LOWER HOUSE PASSES RESOLUTION ON EXPULSION OF CROATS

ZAGREB, May 25 (Hina) - The Croatian Parliament's House of Representatives today passed a resolution regarding the systematic persecution of Croats and other non-Serbs in the Banja Luka area of northwestern Bosnia and the expulsion of Croats and other non-Serbs from the occupied areas of Croatia and from the Vojvodina region of Serbia. The House most vehemently condemned the forcible resettlement, expulsion and maltreatment of the innocent Croat and other non- Serb population with the aim of changing the ethnic structure both in the Serb-occupied areas of Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina and in Vojvodina. "This practice of ethnic cleansing represents a crime against humanity and international humanitarian law," the resolution said. It expressed solidarity with the Bishop of Banja Luka, Msgr Franjo Komarica, who resorted to a hunger strike in a bid to draw international attention to the unbearable situation in his diocese. The House called on the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe, EU and other international organizations to condemn the committed crimes and to demand that Serbia and Bosnian Serb authorities guarantee the legal safety, human rights and freedoms of Croats and others. It requested the Croatian government to deliver all relevant documents to the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague. The House expressed confidence that the international community, particularly specialized human rights agencies, would secure the protection of the Croat population, which was exposed to systematic persecution in grave violation of the UN Charter, the General Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights and other international documents. (hina) vm 252200 MET may 95