The Sava River Is Not Always Deep

How many Serbs have returned to Croatia? Not even Deputy President of the Office for Exiles and Refugees in the Croatian Government Damir Zoric knows the answer. It is known, however, how many Serbs intend to return to Croatia - 26,000. Damir Zoric speaks about the possibilities for their return.

VREME: How many people from the former Krajina returned to their homes by 1 April?

Zoric: I don't know how many of them returned, but we have resolved nearly 4,000 requests of the 15,000 complete requests which have been submitted. These are the people who really want to return, at all costs, without any conditions. We have received about 26,000 requests and a number of them contain certain conditions which are quite normal and acceptable (personal rights, safety of property, etc.) and a substantial number of requests contain impossible wishes. However, I am sure that more than 4,000 people have returned. There are various channels, and the Sava is not always deep.

Another 30 percent would return on certain conditions which pertain to the personal rights, safety of property and the alike. The others would return if the "Ustashi" government was replaced, if "Krajina" was revived with its army and police, if the predominant population were in power, etc. Yet others are afraid because they had been in the army, even though some of them were just car mechanics or cooks. There are also those who wish to return, who are setting no conditions and are even willing to testify in court if necessary. There are all kinds of things. We have received a number of such requests through Serbia's Helsinki Committee.

If I remember, Boutros Boutros-Ghali in his report on the human rights in Croatia mentioned the number of 14,000 people who wish to return. Did he obtain the figures from your office?

If you remember, he also mentioned the Yugoslav authorities had said that about 80 percent of the 200,000 Serbs from Croatia would not go back. I don't know from what source he got the number 14,000, but the fact is that Boutros-Ghali and this office so far agree on the number.

I had a look at your figures, the number is a bit bigger, isn't it?

Yes, two months have passed and the number has now reached about 15,000-16,000.

What about those who were in the army? What's awaiting them?

They know it best. If they didn't do bad things, they can easily return, only they must wait because we can resolve 50 requests per day at the most. That is about 16,000-17,000 a year. This is why the process will last much longer than is expected. Many of those who do not wish to return now will do so in a few years' time. Perhaps even earlier.

You have said that more requests would have been resolved if they had been complete. What does this mean?

Somebody hands in a request and it says, for example, Petar Petrovic, Knin. What does this mean? We look at the census and find thirty persons of the same name. Who is this one then? No address, nothing, how can I know which Petar Petrovic wishes to return. In some cases, however, we complete the requests ourselves, using the information we have. Eventually, if a person has residency in Croatia, regardless of the citizenship, that person is included in our program. And if we have all the information, this person will certainly be able to return home.

Exactly how many people left Croatia? Serbia's Helsinki Committee says about 190,000, UNHCR says 15,000 at the most, and your office operates with the number 130,000 refugees, a quarter of them being soldiers. Which of these numbers is the least incorrect?

Neither one is completely accurate, but it should be no problem to establish the correct number. Take the 1991 census of each town and see how many people lived there.

How many?

Not more than 130,000-140,000 Serbs. We did the census twice. No other state did it. I understand that the numbers are being augmented to show the depth of sacrifice. However, it is our aim to reduce the number of refugees to zero.

What about the people from Western Slavonia, Banija, Lika, who are now living in Eastern Slavonia and want to return to their homes. We hear that there is a project for their return. Is this true?

It's OK. But we must know who these people are, where they wish to return. We must make conditions for their return. We have 46 requests at the moment and we shall resolve them. We have already resolved a few. These people will surely return.

The whole thing seems to be a little slow? Don't you think so?

I know someone might find it slow, but someone might find it quick, because in addition to all this, we have another job which we must also do. We have Kuplensko, we have the return to Bosnia-Herzegovina, we have to take care of a large number of people. And we also have limited personnel at our disposal. So, as I have said, we can resolve 50 requests a day on the average, whether someone considers it slow or not.