Yes for beekeepers, no for 2,5 million of refugees

Union of Refugees and Displaced People in B&H

Sarajevo, 30 July, 1997(AIM) - " I can not be well represented by anyone who has a cottage house, plum tree, cow, house, car, apartment.... I have been paying rent for past five years while looking at my own house and my fathers grave and I can not go there. Sixty families return independently to their homes and no one comes to donate a single old furnace. Every beekeeper and every minister in this country has his office, car, room and official hall for meetings, while 2,5 million refugees do not even have meeting room, not to mention a program. Municipal authorities are highly expeditive in throwing shaheed family or refugees out of an apartment, but rather inefficient in returning the private property of people. How many people returned to their homes using UNHCR help, and do you know how well are these UNHCR employees paid?" stated Mr. Fadil Banjanovic emotionally on the General Meeting of the SIRL B&H (Union of Refugees and Displaced People B&H) today. Following opinions could be also heard: "Ethnic cleansing means genocide, hence the crime. Supporting ethnic cleansing means is identical, so is preventing people from returning to their homes. Investigation for responsibility in Hague should be requested for those who support not returning of people to their homes, hence the ethnic cleansing.", or furthermore: "Returning home should not be conditioned by material funds available for support. People should be returned home, and then we should help them after. " These are just some emphasized ideas on the meeting, which was only two hours long since they could not get hall for any longer time period. Dissatisfaction of the attendants was also rather visible since issues could not be settled, changed or agreed upon. According to the opinion of certain attendants, meeting was held for the sole purpose of passing the Statute of the Union in order to enable Mrs. Komarica to travel to USA. Namely, concrete reason for holding the meeting of Union of Refugees and Displaced People B&H was Statute which was supposed to be adopted and given to UN for the purpose of "receiving" of the "B" Statute which was received last month. Passing of the Statute was somewhat absurd since, according to the President, the new Statute is to be adopted in a month, depending on the state laws on associating and associations.

Problems which Union faces were also mentioned, such as problems in funding occurring concurrently with the requests of returnees for material support in mechanical tools or construction materials. Another great obstacle to implementation of Annex no.7 of Dayton Accord is that no international organizations exist to strongly encourage return of refugees. The Federation B&H Government does not accept proposed cooperation with the Union, while Union has concrete programs for return of refugees. Union representatives believe that meeting with President Izetbegovic or Mr. Silajdzic, Co-presiding of the Minister Council, could be effective. Concrete steps of the Union could be expected in the period after the meeting of the Presidency and Union. (end)