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http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/jun2002-daily/25-06-2002/world/w4.htm Jang (Pakistan) June 25, 2002 Serbs still victims of discrimination -"Croatian Serbs were chased out of their jobs, particularly in the public sector. They were chased out of their apartments, particularly in the big cities and were stigmatised in a country of war criminals." -[T]here are some 300,000 Serbs living as refugees in other countries including 250,000 in Serbia and Montenegro. "For the most part, the young hide their identity," he said citing as an example figures from Split, Croatia's second-largest city, which has more than 450,000 residents but where only nine people declared themselves to be Serbian Orthodox. -According to United Nations figures, only 95,000 out of 280,000 Serbs who fled during the war have returned so far. ZAGREB: Seven years after the end of the Serbian-Croatian war, and two years on after the death of nationalist president Franjo Tudjman, Croatian Serbs say they are still treated as second-class citizens. "In the course of the last 12 years, Croatia's policy has been a policy of discrimination," said Milorad Pupovac, president of the Serb National Council which groups Croatia's Serb associations. "Croatian Serbs were chased out of their jobs, particularly in the public sector. They were chased out of their apartments, particularly in the big cities and were stigmatised in a country of war criminals," he told AFP. Pupovac and other Croatian Serb leaders have also demanded a revision of the Balkan country's first census since independence, asserting that it seriously exaggerated the post-war decline in the country's ethnic Serb population. Pupovac said more Serbs than listed were living in Croatia, claiming that results had been flawed by faulty methodology and failure to include returning refugees. The new census showed that ethnic Serbs -- the country's second largest group -- had dropped to 4.54 percent of the population in 2001, down from 12.16 percent in the last survey in 1991 when Croatia was still part of the former Yugoslavia. The census said more than 200,000 Serbs were living in the country but Pupovac said the actual figure is somewhere between 250,000 and 300,000, making it closer to six percent of the population. In addition, there are some 300,000 Serbs living as refugees in other countries including 250,000 in Serbia and Montenegro. "For the most part, the young hide their identity," he said citing as an example figures from Split, Croatia's second-largest city, which has more than 450,000 residents but where only nine people declared themselves to be Serbian Orthodox. Pupovac said the biggest problem for Croatia now is the rehousing of those Serb refugees returning. "We have tried very hard for the restitution of our properties since 1997 but with very little success," Pupovac said. "The current occupants, who are Croatians, have more rights than the owners and in practice, our right of ownership is not recognised." He said another contentious issue is the rebuilding of Serb homes destroyed in Croatia by either military or para-military groups and the battle for compensation from the Croatian government. In May, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) urged Croatia to step up efforts to encourage the return of ethnic Serb refugees, asking it create a more favourable climate for their return. According to United Nations figures, only 95,000 out of 280,000 Serbs who fled during the war have returned so far. Pupovac said while the current government is not anti-Serb, it has not done enough to ensure its Serbian citizens are treated equally or offer them protection as a minority group. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
