Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
95ZAGREB2658
1995-07-17 16:31:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Zagreb
Cable title:  

ALL'S NOT WELL IN WESTERN SLAVONIA

Tags:  NOTAG HR 
pdf how-to read a cable
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 002658 

SIPDIS


BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU
USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSCE

E.O. 12356: DECL: 7/14/00
TAGS:
SUBJECT: ALL'S NOT WELL IN WESTERN SLAVONIA


C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 002658

SIPDIS


BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU
USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSCE

E.O. 12356: DECL: 7/14/00
TAGS:
SUBJECT: ALL'S NOT WELL IN WESTERN SLAVONIA



1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.


2. SUMMARY: IN WESTERN SLAVONIA, THE AREA RETAKEN FROM
REBEL SERBS BY CROATIAN FORCES MAY 1-3, SERBS DETAINED BY
THE CROATS AS POSSIBLE CRIMINALS ARE REPORTEDLY FINDING
THAT THE GOC HAS ITS THUMB ON THE SCALES OF JUSTICE --
TRIALS ARE MOVING SLOWLY IF AT ALL, AND THE DETAINEES HAVE
INSUFFICIENT ACCESS TO COUNSEL. SERBS WHO REMAINED IN
THEIR HOMES ENCOUNTER HARASSMENT AND/OR EXPERIENCE
PROBLEMS IN RECLAIMING THEIR PROPERTY. REINTEGRATION OF
THE SERB POPULATION IS STILL FAR FROM REALITY. END
SUMMARY.
--------------
DETAINEES FACE LACKADAISICAL JUSTICE
--------------


3. IN A JULY 13 DISCUSSION WITH POLOFF, SENIOR UN CIVIL
AFFAIRS OFFICER IN PAKRAC GRAHAM DAY WAS COMPLETELY
DOWNCAST ABOUT THE SITUATION FOR SERBS IN FORMER SECTOR
WEST, DESCRIBING THEIR TREATMENT AS ONE OF CONSISTENT,
CONFIDENTIAL






CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 03 ZAGREB 02658 01 OF 02 171547Z
LOW-LEVEL BUREAUCRATIC NAGGING AND EVEN PERSISTENT ABUSE.
BY FAR THE MOST PRESSING PROBLEM, HE SAID, WAS OBTAINING
FUNDS TO PAY PRIVATE LAWYERS FOR THE COMPETENT DEFENSE OF
SERBS STILL INTERNED ON CHARGES OF WAR CRIMES. (NOTE:
SEVERAL OTHER UN OFFICIALS HAVE RECENTLY CRITICIZED TO US
THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PUBLIC DEFENDERS AND JUDGES
ASSIGNED TO THESE CASES. MOST OF THE CROATIAN LAWYERS HAD
NOT INTERVIEWED OR EVEN MET WITH THEIR CLIENTS BEFORE THE
TRIALS STARTED. IF THE LAWYERS ARRIVED AT THE TRIALS AT
ALL, THEY EITHER CAME LATE, OR LEFT EARLY. JUST DAYS
AFTER THE TRIALS STARTED, SEVERAL JUDGES RECESSED FOR A
ONE-MONTH SUMMER VACATION, LEAVING THE ACCUSED TO PONDER
THEIR FATE IN HOT, OVERCROWDED JAILS. 180 MEN HAVE BEEN
INDICTED AND ONLY FOUR LAWYERS WERE ASSIGNED TO DEFEND
THEM. TWENTY CASES HAVE GONE TO TRIAL AT THIS TIME. AN
OFFICIAL AT THE UN CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (THE
"MAZOWIECKI" COMMISSION) SAID ALL THE CHARGES WERE
ABSTRACT, AND UNCHR WAS ATTEMPTING TO GET THEM DROPPED.
UN OFFICIALS ARE MONITORING THESE TRIALS DAILY.


4. ONLY ONE INDIVIDUAL, MLADEN KULIC, HAS A PRIVATE
LAWYER, LOCATED FOR HIM BY UNOV (UN OFFICE IN VIENNA)
OFFICIAL MICHAEL PLATZER (PROTECT). PLATZER SAID THIS
LAWYER HAD BEEN HARASSED BY SEVERAL PUBLIC DEFENDERS AND
EVEN ONE JUDGE FOR TAKING ON HER CLIENT. AGAINST ALL
INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS, AND CONTRARY TO GOC TREATY

OBLIGATIONS, CROATIAN POLICE INSISTED ON ATTENDING THE
PRIVATE DISCUSSIONS SHE HELD WITH HER CLIENT. THE UN HAS
IDENTIFIED COMPETENT PRIVATE ATTORNEYS WHO ARE WILLING TO
TAKE OTHER CASES. HOWEVER, PRO BONO WORK IS NOT ALLOWED
UNDER CROATIAN LAW. MANY LAWYERS ARE NOT WILLING TO BILL
CONFIDENTIAL






CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 04 ZAGREB 02658 01 OF 02 171547Z
CLIENTS WITH A PROMISE TO PAY LATER BECAUSE TAX
AUTHORITIES ARE EXAMINING THEIR ACCOUNTS. PLATZER SAID
THE UN LACKED FUNDS TO PAY THE OBLIGATORY USD 200
EQUIVALENT PER DAY COURT FEES.

--------------
CONTINUING INTIMIDATION AND INEQUITY
--------------

5. DAY ALSO TOLD US THAT LOCAL SERBS, ESPECIALLY IN THE
NOVSKA AREA, CONTINUED TO BE INTIMIDATED AND PHYSICALLY
HASSLED BY RETURNING CROATIANS AND EVEN POLICE PATROLLING
THE AREA. THE ISSUE OF RETURNING LIVESTOCK TO ITS
ORIGINAL OWNERS HAS BECOME CONTENTIOUS. THE GOC ROUNDED
UP ALL THE FARM ANIMALS IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE CRISIS

SINCE NO ONE WAS LEFT TO CARE FOR THEM IN THE WAKE OF
REFUGEE FLIGHTS AND GOC DETENTION OF THE LOCAL POPULATION.
MOST OF THESE ANIMALS WERE PLACED WITH NEARBY CROAT
FARMERS FOR CARETAKING. DAY REPORTED THAT THE GOC HAS
BACKTRACKED ON ITS PROMISE TO PAY THESE FARMERS A DAILY
SUM FOR THEIR UPKEEP. VELJKO DZAKULA, THE LOCAL SERB
LEADER, TOLD POLOFF THAT THE FARMERS REFUSED TO RETURN THE









CONFIDENTIAL








NNNNPTQ5858





CONFIDENTIAL PTQ5858

PAGE 01 ZAGREB 02658 02 OF 02 171547Z
ACTION EUR-01

INFO LOG-00 AID-00 AMAD-01 CIAE-00 SMEC-00 OASY-00 SRPP-00
EB-01 FBIE-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-08 L-01
ADS-00 M-00 NSAE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-01 PM-00
PRS-01 P-01 SCT-00 SP-00 SS-00 STR-01 TRSE-00
T-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 PRME-01 PRMC-01 DRL-09 G-00
/031W
-------------- DA2737 171547Z /38
P 171631Z JUL 95
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6444
INFO NSC WASHDC
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ISP//
JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-5PMA/J21//
NATO EU COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA
USLO SKOPJE
AMCONSUL MUNICH
USMISSION GENEVA
DIA WASHDC
CINCUSAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//DO/LG/XOX/IN/POLAD//
CINCUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5/POLAD//
JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5/ECPOLAD//
COMSIXTHFLT //N2//
CONFIDENTIAL






CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 ZAGREB 02658 02 OF 02 171547Z
HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//CA/POLAD//

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 002658

SIPDIS


BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU
USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSCE

E.O. 12356: DECL: 7/14/00
TAGS:
SUBJECT: ALL'S NOT WELL IN WESTERN SLAVONIA

ANIMALS TO THEIR SERB OWNERS "ON PRINCIPLE," NO MATTER
WHAT THE GOC MIGHT PAY THEM. SERBS WHO APPROACHED THESE
CROATS FOR THEIR PROPERTY, IDENTIFIABLE BY ITS BRANDING,
WERE ROUGHLY HARASSED. DAY TOLD OF ONE INCIDENT WHERE A
CROAT FIRED SHOTS IN THE AIR IN THE PRESENCE OF A CIVIL
AFFAIRS OFFICER, AND THEN THREATENED THAT THE NEXT SHOTS
WOULD BE FIRED AT PEOPLE.


6. APPROXIMATELY 50 FAMILIES OF WEST SLAVONIAN SERBS NOW
IN BELGRADE HAVE EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO RETURN TO THEIR
HOMES IN CROATIA. THEY HAD LEFT IN MAY AND JUNE WITH THE
DAILY UNHCR CONVOYS TO BANJA LUKA. HOWEVER, BUREAUCRATIC
OBSTACLES IN BELGRADE HAVE PREVENTED THESE PEOPLE FROM
RETURNING. MINISTER MAJDAK'S OFFICE CLAIMED THAT THESE
PEOPLE WERE WELCOME IN CROATIA, AND THAT NO IMPEDIMENTS
EXISTED ON THE PART OF THE GOC FOR THEIR RETURN.
ANTITHETICALLY, MANY FAMILIES IN THE PAKRAC AREA STILL
EXPRESS INTEREST IN LEAVING. THEY HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED BY
UNHCR, AND ARE BEING DEALT WITH ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.
DZAKULA AND DAY BOTH CONFIRMED THAT MANY OTHERS TALK OF
CONFIDENTIAL






CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 03 ZAGREB 02658 02 OF 02 171547Z
LEAVING BUT WANT TO WAIT UNTIL THEIR HUSBANDS OR FATHERS
ARE RELEASED FROM JAIL BY THE CROATS. A CONTINUED EXODUS
WOULD EVEN FURTHER MARGINALIZE THE REMAINING 1200 SERBS,
BY OFFICIAL GOC COUNT, REMAINING IN THE SECTOR.


7. COMMENT. AN ARTICLE IN THE GOVERNMENT-INFLUENCED
DAILY VJESNIK JULY 14 IS TITLED "PEACEFUL AND STABLE IN
PAKRAC." AT A NEWS CONFERENCE ON JULY 12, PAKRAC POLICE
CHIEF IVKANEC STRESSED A SIMILAR THEME. SUCH IS FAR FROM
THE CASE, HOWEVER. EVENTS IN THE FORMER SECTOR WEST WILL
BE READ AS A TEST OF THE REINTEGRATION OF SERBIAN AND
CROATIAN CIVIL SOCIETIES. EXPERIENCE TO DATE IS NOT
ENCOURAGING. END COMMENT.
KLEMP

















CONFIDENTIAL








NNNN