THREE PYROTECHNISTS INJURED IN EXPLOSION OF ANTI-PERSONNEL MINE

KARLOVAC, May 22 (Hina) - Three pyrotechnists were injured Sunday evening in an explosion of an anti-personnel mine which they discovered while demining an area next to the state road Karlovac- Turanj, some 50 kilometres south of Zagreb.#L# Tomislav Simunic, born in 1974, Josip Kasunic, born in 1959, and Hrvoje Buncic, born in 1973, who work for demining company AKD Mungos, were immediately transported to the Karlovac hospital. Due to severe injuries of abdominal organs, a surgery has been performed on Simunic who was placed in the intensive care. Kusunic's condition was stabile after a surgery, while Buncic only suffered light injuries of an arm and was released from the hospital immediately, Karlovac General Hospital doctors told Hina Monday. On this occasion, the Croatian Association of Trade Unions (HUS) - the union of employees in demining projects, on Monday forwarded a letter to representatives of the authorities reading that humanitarian demining must be defined as "a duty of special state interest" in the Strategy of Croatian economic development, and regulated by a special law. The HUS pointed to a high level of stress and risk of the humanitarian demining and warned that it cannot be a race for square metres of demined areas. The Association also stressed that the race is caused by conditions set by the International Bank while approving loans for demining projects. The Union of pyrotechnists reminded that mine planting was a part of the plan of the Greater Serbian aggression primarily directed against civilians and that it had all characteristics of a war crime against civilians. The Union believes this standpoint must support last year's suit against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia because of the aggression in Croatia, and use the opportunity to define the mine war as a war crime against civilians. The Union believes it is necessary that the Croatian National Sabor pass a declaration on the matter. (hina) it jn