DISPLACED PERSONS VISIT TOVARNIK, LOVAS AFTER SIX YEARS IN EXILE

EXILE $ TOVARNIK/LOVAS, Aug 27 (Hina) - A group of 53 displaced persons from the eastern Croatian villages of Tovarnik and Lovas, who are currently settled in the Primorsko-Goranska County, on Wednesday visited their homes in the UN-administered part of the Vukovar- Srijem County for the first time in six years of exile. Thirty displaced persons visited Tovarnik, while 23 visited Lovas where, after being received by village heads, Marinko Beljo and Zeljko Cirba, some of them visited their temporarily either occupied, robbed or demolished houses. The visit was organized by the president of the Displaced Persons Association of the Primorsko-Goranska County, Branka Balic, who told reporters the displaced were determined to return to their homes, that UNTAES was slowing down the return and that returnees needed the assistance of the government and charitable associations. There were 6,200 displaced persons from the Danube region situated in her county, she added. Speaking to reporters, the displaced said they were astounded at seeing how devastated their former residences were. But, with assistance, they were determined to come back, they said. The villages' heads Beljo and Cirba announced that the heads of the Tovarnik and Lovas municipalities would return to the two villages next week which, as they assessed, would mark the beginning of a more substantial return. Even though today's visit was organized by UNTAES, officials prevented the displaced from visiting their temporarily occupied homes with the explanation that a list of displaced persons was delivered too late (Friday) and that it did not contain addresses of the displaced persons' houses. This prevented UNTAES from asking Serbs staying in the houses in question whether they agreed to the real owners' visit. (hina) ha 271936 MET aug 97