THE HAGUE, Sept 30 (Hina) - A protected witness, who was a Serb Democratic Party leader in western Slavonia, described on Monday at the trial against former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic how extremist Serb units had expelled
the Croat population from the region in 1991, killing some civilians in the process.
THE HAGUE, Sept 30 (Hina) - A protected witness, who was a Serb
Democratic Party leader in western Slavonia, described on Monday at
the trial against former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic how
extremist Serb units had expelled the Croat population from the
region in 1991, killing some civilians in the process. #L#
According to the local population, the crimes were committed by
Vojislav Seselj's radicals and local extremists, witness C-37 said
answering the prosecution's questions about the expulsion,
killings and destruction committed in western Slavonia in the
second half of 1991.
In addition to the expulsion of Croats and other non-Serbs,
killings, destruction and looting in western Slavonia, the
indictment also charges Milosevic with a massacre committed in
Vocin in 1991 by Serb forces, including Seselj's volunteers and the
"White Eagles".
Under the indictment, while they were retreating from Vocin and its
surroundings on December 13, 1991, Serb forces went from house to
house, killing a large number of the remaining Croat civilians.
Before they retreated that day, the two units killed a total of
thirty-two civilians.
"What I heard was that a few days prior to the end of the exodus,
several Croatian families had been taken away and killed," the
witness said about the crime.
He said that according to his knowledge, the local authorities had
not investigated crimes committed against the Croat population.
The witness said that crimes were also committed by some members of
the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) Banja Luka corps and the
Territorial Defence forces. He also testified that some of the
Croat civilians detained in the Bucje prison camp had been killed
while others had been exchanged. Some Serbs were also detained in
the camp, the witness said. He confirmed that Belgrade had deployed
JNA units from Serbia in Croatia.
It was difficult to follow the testimony because the witness's
voice was distorted to hide his identity.
Witness C-37 was the first witness for the prosecution in the
Croatian and Bosnian part of the trial. He began his testimony on
Friday when he described relations among Croatian Serb leaders and
their relations with the Bosnian Serb leadership and Belgrade.
The prosecution introduced a series of documents during Monday's
testimony bearing witness to the close ties between Knin and
Belgrade. The documents include letters by civilian and military
leaders of the so-called Krajina dating back to 1993, such as
letters by Goran Hadzic and General Mile Novakovic requesting
Milosevic, the Yugoslav army and the Serbian police to send back-up
and provide financial help and equipment.
The witness said that the rebel Serb government received reports
that Milosevic had agreed to provide financial assistance from
Yugoslav Army funds. The prosecution also presented official
documents from Knin indicating that Milosevic agreed to the concept
of "Krajina's" defence system which involved 25,000 people and the
financing of its defence and commanders with Yugoslav army funds.
The witness said that Belgrade had shown "more interest" in Knin and
eastern Slavonia than in western Slavonia.
Milosevic stated that the witness mostly just repeated what he had
heard from the local population or the media and objected to the
testimony being hear say. He also objected that the witness was
being used to introduce documents that the witness knew nothing
about.
(hina) sp rml sb