67 SERB REFUGEES RETURN TO SISAK AREA

SISAK, Aug 27 (Hina) - As part of an agreement on the return of displaced persons, 67 Serbs on Wednesday returned from the UN- administered Danube river region of eastern Croatia to the Sisak area, about 50 km southeast of Zagreb. They left their homes two years ago during a Croatian military operation which crushed Serb rebellion in the area. Return was organised by the Croatian Government Office for Displaced Persons and Refugees in cooperation with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN Transitional Administration in the Danube region (UNTAES). The head of the Regional Office for Displaced Persons and Refugees, Branka Cindric, who met the convoy of Serb returnees, said that the refugees returned to Sunja, Kostajnica, Dvor, Glina, Topusko, Gvozd, Vojnic, Petrinja and Sisak. Cindric said that 32 persons returned to their homes while 35 returned as part of a family reunion project. The Serb returnees were transported to their homes or to their relatives by teams of the Regional Office. Returnees told reporters that they were happy that they could return to their homes after being two years away. They stressed the very good organisation of the convoy, thanking UNTAES, UNHCR and the Croatian government for organising their return. According to the Regional Office, 294 Serbs have returned to the Sisak area from the UNTAES-controlled region in an organised way while 2,235 have returned spontaneously. (hina) vm jn 271754 MET aug 97