SERB REPS. WARN ABOUT VIOLENCE AGAINST SERB RETURNEES

ZAGREB, Oct 18 (Hina) - A Vice-Chairman of the Confidence Building National Committee, Vojislav Stanimirovic, and a committee member, Milorad Pupovac, on Monday warned that harassment against Knin residents had resumed after a period of stabilisation of the security situation in the Knin broader area. Stanimirovic and Pupovac issued a public statement saying that last night, parts of estate of four households of Serb returnees were set on fire in Zagrovic Polje, the hamlet of Raskovici near Knin.. Being members of the Confidence Building National Committee, we deplore this act most severely and ask state bodies to prevent the spreading of such incidents. We request all parties in Croatia to oppose the political radicalism which irresponsible individuals and groups understand as a call for violence against Serb returnees, they wrote in the statement. Sibenik-Knin County police on Monday evening said local policemen had reported that fire was set to five haystacks and one wooden makeshift shed with a light trailer inside, owned by N.R (aged 36), three haystacks owned by N.R (aged 67), and one haystack owned by each S.R. (68) and N.R. (59) in Zagrovic. The police added an on-the-spot investigation would be completed on Tuesday to establish the cause of the fire. A police spokesman confirmed those events in the night between Sunday and Monday. (hina) mm ms