TFSROL: BOBAN DENIED VISA TO AUSTRALIA;

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000042

SIPDIS


EMBASSY VIENNA FOR BOSNIA

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PREL HR BK
SUBJECT: TFSROL: BOBAN DENIED VISA TO AUSTRALIA;
GOC ASKS WHETHER U.S. WILL LET HIM IN


SEE ACTION PARAGRAPH 4.


1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.


2. IN A JANUARY 4 MEETING FOREIGN MINISTER MATE
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PAGE 02 ZAGREB 00042 041835Z
GRANIC TOLD AMBASSADOR GALBRAITH THAT THE PLANNED
"LONG VACATION" TO AUSTRALIA BY THE "PRESIDENT" OF
THE SO-CALLED "REPUBLIC OF HERCEG-BOSNA," MATE BOBAN,
HAD BEEN CANCELLED BECAUSE BOBAN HAD BEEN DENIED A
VISA. WE LATER CONTACTED THE AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY IN
VIENNA AND WERE TOLD BY FIRST SECRETARY MARK HIGGIE
THAT BOBAN HAD BEEN DESIGNATED A "CONTROVERSIAL
VISITOR" BY THE MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND ETHNIC
AFFAIRS ON THE BASIS THAT HIS VISIT "DID NOT MEET
PUBLIC INTEREST CRITERIA." SPECIFICALLY, HIGGIE SAID
THAT THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT FELT THAT BOBAN'S
VISIT COULD POTENTIALLY UPSET ETHNIC SERBS AND
MUSLIMS FROM THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA CURRENTLY RESIDING
IN AUSTRALIA.


3. HIGGIE STATED THAT VISAS HAD BEEN DENIED ON
SIMILAR GROUNDS TO DOBROSLAV PARAGA, PRESIDENT OF THE
CROATIAN PARTY OF RIGHTS, AND BOSNIAN SERB "VICE
PRESIDENT" BILJANA PLAVSIC. HE ADDED THAT THE VISA
TO BOBAN WAS DENIED, IN PART, TO BALACE THE EARLIER
REFUSAL OF PLAVSIC. HE ALSO COMMENTED THAT HAD BOBAN
APPLIED A YEAR EARLIER, BEFORE THE MUSLIM-CROAT
CONFLICT AND ENSUING VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS, HIS
APPLICATION MIGHT HAVE BEEN FAVORABLY RECEIVED.


4. ACTION REQUEST: GRANIC SAID THAT BOBAN STILL
HOPED TO VISIT THE U.S. FOR HIS "LONG VACATION." HE
ASKED, "OFF THE RECORD" WHETHER WE COULD TELL HIM
"OFF THE RECORD" WHETHER THE VISA APPLICATION WOULD
BE FAVORABLY RECEIVED. NOTE: BOBAN WAS GIVEN AN A-1
TDY VISA WITH 12 MONTHS VALIDITY LAST FEBRUARY TO
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ATTEND THE PEACE TALKS IN NEW YORK. PLEASE PROVIDE
GUIDANCE FOR OUR REPLY TO GRANIC.


5. COMMENT: WHEN WE WERE FIRST INFORMED BY FOREIGN
MINISTER GRANIC THAT BOBAN WOULD BE TAKING A "LONG
VACATION," THE IMPLICATION WAS THAT THIS WAS PART OF
AN EFFORT TO GET HIM OUT OF THE WAY AND, COMBINED
WITH THE CREATION OF A NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL FOR
"HERCEG-BOSNA," PERHAPS PART OF AN EFFORT TO EASE HIM
OUT OF THE PICTURE ENTIRELY. WE ALSO NOTE THAT
FOREIGN MINISTER GRANIC WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY
BOSNIAN CROAT LEADERS AKMADZIC AND TOMIC (WHOSE STARS
APPEAR TO BE RISING) AT THE TALKS IN VIENNA WITH B-H
PRIME MINISTER SALAJDZIC.


6. COMMENT CONTINUED: WE ARE WELL AWARE THAT BOBAN
MIGHT AT SOME POINT BE TRIED FOR WAR CRIMES ALTHOUGH
WE HAVE NO IDEA WHETHER AT THE PRESENT TIME
SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE EXISTS TO MAKE THE CASE AGAINST
HIM. WE BELIEVE THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND HERE
COULD BE IMPROVED IF ANOTHER "VACATION SITE" WERE
FOUND FOR MR. BOBAN. AUSTRALIA WAS AN IDEAL
DESTINATION, BEING AT LEAST 48 AIR HOURS AWAY AND
WITH A SUBSTANTIAL TIME DIFFERENCE BUT WE NOTE THAT
THERE ARE REMOTE PARTS OF THE U.S. AS WELL.

GALBRAITH


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