The U.S. condemns the August 9 killing of an ethnic Serb in the village of Berak. Apparently his death resulted from a beating.

Unfortunately, this is not the first occasion that we have expressed concern about this situation before this Council. In previous remarks, we have stated our concern about violence and intimidation targeted at the Serb minority in this region and in particular in this village.

We expect the Government of Croatia to investigate this crime in a thorough and expeditious manner.

We call on the Government of Croatia to arrest those responsible promptly and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.

It is also critical that this investigation and prosecution be transparent to all concerned; thus far that has not been the case.

We would also underscore the need for the Croatian Government to make clear in public statements and official actions that it will not tolerate ethnically motivated violence.