NATO/SFOR : Transcript of Press Briefing, 10 October 2000
Oleg Milisic OHR: Although most of the properties in Bocinja have
now been vacated, press
reports today have highlighted the high level of tension that still exists
in this area.
This situation is certainly not helped by the high incidents of looting
from
houses that have been vacated to allow for Serb return - reports show
that
almost every vacated house has been looted.
The OHR has previously condemned the looting of apartments by some occupants
before these properties are returned to their rightful owners.
Looting is a criminal act and the perpetrators must be identified and
prosecuted. Anyone who has any knowledge of looting or willful damage
to
apartments should report these cases to the police, or to the municipal
prosecutor's office.
I would just remind you that the municipal housing authorities have a
legal
responsibility in these matters and administrative silence following a
reinstatement where looting occurs is unacceptable and unlawful.
Municipal officials who fail to act when looting is reported are also
subject to prosecution and the OHR has been working with the public
prosecutors in the investigation of all cases of looting.
...and secondly, a short media advisory for you, the High Representative
is
in Banja Luka today where he will meet with students, and the Dean of
the
Economics faculty of Banja Luka University.
The High Representative will then meet with business leaders who are
successfully developing the private sector in the RS, and visit the Binis
Beton industrial plant to see for himself how the private sector can
successfully produce and export goods into the European Community.
The High Representative will also attend a meeting of the RTRS Board
this
afternoon before holding a press conference at the OHR in Banja Luka at
3.30, and as usual, all members of the press are invited to attend.
Henriette Schroeder OSCE : Good morning from the OSCE.
First, the OSCE would like to commend Governor Mirsad Kebo of the Sarajevo
Canton for his efforts to implement the decision of the OSCE and OHR with
regard to the reduction in the size of the cantonal government. As you
will recall, the OSCE and OHR issued letters to the governments of the
ten Federation cantons with instructions how to reduce the sizes of their
assemblies and executives. In a meeting last week with Ambassador Barry
Governor Kebo reiterated his commitment to reducing the overall size of
the Sarajevo Canton government, and Ambassador Barry thanked him for his
ongoing efforts.
A group of 146 Municipal Election Commission (MEC) supervisors arrived on Monday in Sarajevo and is currently undergoing training for their deployment to the field. The supervisors will be based in municipalities throughout BiH for six weeks. There will be an MEC supervisor in every municipality working with the OSCE election teams and he or she will be responsible for supporting the MEC both before and after the elections. Specifically, the supervisors will verify compliance with Provisional Election Commission (PEC) rules and regulations, and will assist in the co-ordination between MECs and polling station committees. On polling day itself the supervisors will assist the MECs in identifying problems, co-ordinate corrective actions with field offices, and significantly, work with MECs to compile polling station results forms.
Financial disclosure forms for candidates running in the November 2000 elections are now on the Web. Candidates for the Republika Srpska presidency and vice presidency, the BiH House of Representatives, and the entity parliaments, were required to file financial disclosure forms with the PEC. Candidates for the Federation's ten cantonal assemblies will be required to submit financial disclosure forms only upon election. A press release on this is available outside.
Also, copies of the final voters register for the November elections have been delivered to political parties to assist them in their campaign activities in the run-up to the November elections. The OSCE is also in the process of distributing copies of the register to the municipal election commissions (MECs) throughout BiH.
Ambassador Barry will be traveling to Bihac on Thursday with Principal Deputy High Representative Ralph Johnson to assess progress in the Una-Sana Canton on a variety of fronts. As you know, the OSCE has been keeping a watchful eye on the situation in the Canton since OHR and the OSCE were forced to intervene and remove Governor Veladzic last year. During the joint visit Ambassadors Barry and Johnson will meet with the heads of the Cantonal party caucuses, and also hold meetings the Governor, Prime Minister, and other cantonal officials. A media advisory is available outside.
Douglas Coffman UNMIBH : UNMIBH considers some of the media coverage of yesterday's assessment visit to Bocinja to be exaggerated and unhelpful. IPTF officers present at the scene believe that the visit of over 100 Serbs DPs to the village was highly successful and only marred by one incident when a foreign born resident turned over a table that had bottles of alcohol placed on it. This incident was handled properly by the police and the visit ended without further problems. Due to the overall success of yesterday's visit another will take place today.
The eviction process in Bocinja deserves mixed reviews. Although the
eviction
process was long over due, the speed at which it was eventually carried
out was satisfactory. In recent months over 100 families, both foreign
born and native Bosnian, have vacated the houses that they have been occupying
illegally .
Unfortunately, during this process there has been considerable looting
and
stripping of many of the houses. The police initially failed to prevent
this
from occurring. We believe this problem has now been contained. Looting
is by no means a problem that is unique to Bocinja.
UNMIBH hopes that the remaining illegal occupants in Bocinja will soon
depart from the village and that Serb return to Bocinja can begin in earnest.
Successful Serb return to Bocinja will in turn free up housing for the
return of
Bosniaks and Croats to the RS.
CAPT SUSAN GRAY SFOR : On October 5, 2000, SFOR troops carried out a no-notice inspection in Vitez. SFOR carried out the inspection based upon evidence indicating that anti-Dayton activities were taking place at the PTT telephone exchange offices and offices of the Ministry of the Interior building. The following violations of the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP) were suspected:
B-Croat Intelligence Service (SNS) maintaining offices and conducting
illegal wiretapping in the Vitez PTT building.
Croat Forces of the Federation Army (VF-H) maintaining illicit ties to
the SNS.
The inspection was successful and the following violations were identified:
Offices of the SNS were identified in the PTT building and un-registered long weapons and one grenade were seized. Facilities within the building enabled wiretapping but no wiretapping equipment was actually found during the operation.
In the Ministry of Defence offices, SFOR identified documentation indicating that VF-H forces were collecting data that could be detrimental to SFOR and IC operations.
Detailed analysis and translation of the seized documents is ongoing and may prove that additional violations of the GFAP occurred. It is not known at this time how long this investigation will take.
The inspection carried out in Vitez was legal and authorised under the GFAP and aimed only at those conducting illegal activities in violation of the agreement and therefore a threat to the safety and security of the citizens of Vitez and BiH. The situation in Vitez was calm throughout the inspection and continues to remain stable. SFOR will continue to target anti-Dayton activities within the region in order to maintain a safe and secure environment.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q: REUTERS (DARIA SITO - SUCIC) TO SFOR - When you said long weapons
were confiscated, can you tell us about the amount? How many?
A: I'm sorry we don't have that information at present, but I will check for you.
Q: Can you also explain what does it mean that the data could be detrimental to SFOR operations or the IC? What does this mean? In what sense?
A: That is operational information that I do not have at this time, again I will check on that for you.
Q: Please, Doug can I ask you for a comment on these Media Reports and the latest which came from the Hague where 23 Bosnian Muslims suspected of committing war crimes in Mostar region?
A: The names of people that were released yesterday by the Cantonal Court were names that the Cantonal Court had provided to the ICTY as part of a case file for alleged war crimes. The ICTY reviewed that case file and sent it and deferred it back to the Cantonal Court to take any action that they feel fit. They were not indictments by the ICTY as some people were led to believe yesterday. It is the rules of the road case.
Q: And just additionally can you comment on the trial and the sentence to Goran Vasic yesterday?
A: I have not comment on it at this time.
Q: OSLOBODENJE (ANTONIO PRLENA) TO SFOR - Susan you said that there was no wire tapping material found, but did you find any records or files of the telephone talkings maybe?
A: All the information I have today Antonio, is there with regard to that.
Q: And Aida, where is that event with Balasevic and……
A; It's coming Friday 13th Oct, at the Hope Headquarters in Sarajevo.
Q: What about the time?
A: The time is still to be confirmed. The media will be advised in time.