UN MONITORING MISSION IN E. CROATIA WILL OBSERVE WORK OF CRO POLICE

( Editorial: --> 8387 ) VUKOVAR, Jan 30 (Hina) - The UN monitoring mission in eastern Croatia, requested by the Croatian Government after the completion of the UNTAES mandate on January 15, 1998, will monitor the work of Croatian police in the area. The UN support group consists of 180 civilian police monitors who will carry out their mission in every police station 24 hours a day during the next nine months, said the UN office in Vukovar. The monitors will also take part in regular police patrols and will pay special attention to the two-way return, the office added. The support group will be headed by Souren Seraydarian, a special envoy of the UN Secretary General, head of the UN office in Zagreb and former deputy UN transitional administrator for eastern Croatia. The UN office in Vukovar recalled that the Croatian Government, and police in particular, were in charge of security in the Danube river region. The office evaluated the police work to date as good and believed that locals could trust them. The office called on all citizens to report to the support group all violations of their rights, possible evictions in particular, adding that international organisations in eastern Croatia would be notified. The UN support group will be assisted by a team of 20 associates, including lawyers, political advisors and public relations staff. The equipment used by the UNTAES is being taken away, under organisation of a 60-member UN team. The remaining UN military units are leaving eastern Croatia as well. The last to leave will be a Russian battalion and Slovakian engineers in charge of taking away equipment and clearing the grounds. A US platoon will guard UN equipment in Vukovar and at the Osijek airport until May, when the task will be passed on to the police. (hina) ha jn 301657 MET jan 98