"APEL" FORWARDS LETTER TO UN TRANSITIONAL ADMINISTRATOR

VUKOVAR, Sept 7 (Hina) - While visiting the eastern Croatian town of Vukovar on Sunday, the president of "Apel", the Centre for the Protection of Human Rights of Imprisoned or Missing Residents of Croatia and Members of Their Families, Zdenka Farkas, handed an UNTAES representative a letter for the UN transitional administrator William Walker. An "Apel" delegation accompanying Farkas also handed UNTAES representatives a video-tape of "Grobnica" (Grave), a documentary on the Ovcara mass grave, and other material on the sufferings of Croats. The delegation visited the so-called Bulgarian Cemetery in Vukovar, where they arranged some graves of killed Croats, and visited the demolished houses of some of the Centre's members. Recalling the international community's so far insufficient efficacy in preventing crime committed in Vukovar and other formerly occupied parts of Croatia, the letter of "Apel" points to the uncared-for site of the Ovcara mass grave from which, the letter stresses, the bodies of 200 cruelly killed wounded persons, civilians and Vukovar Hospital staff had been exhumed. The letter points out the families of the victims were so far allowed to visit the site only twice, on 1 and 30 November 1996. For this reason, "Apel" requests UN transitional administrator Walker that the families of 83 identified persons be allowed to mow down the grass at Ovcara, to bring flowers and light candles. They also requested that a mass be served for the victims. In the letter, "Apel" requests of the UN to put a memorial plaque at Ovcara before leaving eastern Croatia, as well as to demand of the Yugoslav government lists of all killed persons and mass grave sites. (hina) ha 071835 MET sep 97