Bosnian refugees

The human cost of the Balkan crisis is largely well-known but I would like to draw attention to an aspect of it which may not have reached many people, the suffering of refugees in `host' countries.

The London Sunday Times (Sept. 4, 1994) carried on its front page a report which is truly shocking and which brings great shame on me and my fellow British. It concerns the terrorization of a group of Bosnian refugees living in the Essex town of South Ockenden where they were housed after being given asylum. The terror is being carried out by what the Times call "violent white gangs" (doubtlessly influenced by fascist groups such as the British National Party) who have attacked the Bosnians' houses and the people themselves to a point where they are now considering returning to Bosnia!

Many British people like to pride themselves on their sense of fair play (the French even use the expression le fair play!) and tolerance. It is beholden for such people to show themselves at times like this and come to the aid of the Bosnian refugees by protesting to the authorities. I urge the many expatriate British readers of this paper, whatever their political persuasion, to write to their M.P. demanding firstly that the police take firm measures to protect the refugees concerned, that the people responsible for these attacks be apprehended, and secondly, that the refugees are rehoused in an area more suitable than a notorious London overspill estate.

I would not like to have it on my conscience that people who fled the horrors of the Balkan conflict and sought a safe haven on our shores preferred to believe they were safer in Bosnia than in Britain. How about you?

DAVID JARDINE

Jakarta