EXHUMATION OF MASS GRAVE IN EAST CROATIA STARTS

BERAK, May 26 (Hina) - Special crews of the Croatian Government Commission for Detained and Missing Persons on Wednesday started the exhumation of a well near the centre of the eastern Croatian village of Berak. According to statements of witnesses, the well contains the remains of at least three victims of the Serb aggression on Croatia. According to the commission head Ivan Grujic, the exhumations will last several days. Exhumations are also being conducted in a mass grave, discovered in the so-called Sarviz-dol region, near Berak, three days ago. Thirteen bodies were discovered in the first layer of the grave, and the will be exhumed soon. The bodies were transported to this location from another grave, and their remains are in poor shape, which will aggravate the identification, Grujic said. Another 29 Croatians from Berak are still registered as missing. There are suspicions that their bodies are buried in the Sarviz-dol grave. Croatian returnees to Berak on Wednesday continued their peaceful protest which began on May 7. They demand that light be shed on the fate of missing Berak residents, and that criminal proceedings be started against persons who committed war crimes. (hina) it/ha