(19 Mar 2001) English/Nat
XFA
Overlooked by several NATO helicopters flying in the air, more than 15-thousand Bosnian-Croats gathered on Monday in front of Mostar Cathedral amid growing signs that the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina is under threat.

Those gathered called it 'a prayer for peace and justice' in Bosnia.

The prayer was attended by sacked Croatian Democratic Union officials led by Ante Jelavic and also Croat war time general Slobodan Praljak, who was accused of destroying the old bridge in Mostar 1993.

SUGGESTED VOICEOVER:

This was the first time since the 1992-1995 conflict that Bosnian Croat militants appeared in their war time uniforms carrying HVO (Croatian council of defense) military police insignia in public.

Two weeks ago the international community in Bosnia sacked four military officials for various violations of the Dayton peace agreement and for trying to force a separation from the Federation of Bosnia Hercegovina.

In a political rather than a religious speech, Mostar bishop Ratko Peric accused the international community of denying Croat rights and freedom in Bosnia.

SOUNDBITE: (Croatian)
"What is this foreign force that denies to one people the right to have its own institutions of self defense, human rights and freedom. Is this a destruction of the constitutional rights of one nation?"
SUPERCAPTION: Mostar Bishop Ratko Peric

SOUNDBITE: (Croatian)
"This is a prayer against such destruction of constitutional rights and freedom of Croats and such destruction has never happened in Croat history."
SUPERCAPTION: Slobodan Praljak, retired Croat general

Praljak ordered the destruction of a 300 year old bridge in Mostar during the war.

The so-called Croat national congress proclaimed their independence and autonomy from Bosnia on Saturday, but said that it would hold off for the next 60 days until all institutions of self rule are in place.

Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ] ​​
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]


You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]

свернуть