LOWER HOUSE CONTINUES DEBATE ON WAR, POST-WAR VICTIMS

ZAGREB, Nov 11 (Hina) - The House of Representatives on Thursday continued its debate on a report by the Commission for Establishing (Second World) War and Post-War Victims, which had started on October 22. The Commission's president Kazimir Sviben addressed the MPs at the beginning of today's session because of a considerable public interest and numerous objections to the report, saying the Commission has so far processed only part of the written sources and the data on victims are only those registered by the Commission so far. According to Sviben, some of those who are contesting the report have taken out of the context several tables on victims and presented them as the final number of war and post-war victims. The Commission's most serious failure is that we did not put an explanation with the tables that the figures shown are about the victims the Commission registered by the end of September 1999. I admit this is our most serious failure, he said. Sviben said a major problem the Commission faced during its work was the gathering of exact data, especially in areas which saw population resettlement. The Commission's work, he said, has to be based on reliable data and that is why it insists on the victims' names. We are aware that the overall number of victims, especially Jews and Serbs, is higher than has been registered by the Commission and this indicates that the Commission should step up its efforts, Sviben said. Direct investigation on the ground has shown that it is easier to gather data on Croats than on Serbs, because part of them have left Croatia. It is especially difficult to list the Jewish victims since witnesses who could provide more details are living elsewhere or have died, Sviben said. He also addressed the problem of Jasenovac victims, saying the book on Jasenovac deserves great attention and can serve as a valuable lead which should be followed carefully. (hina) mm rml