HEATED DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT ABOUT REPORT ON WORLD WAR II VICTIMS

ZAGREB, Feb 3 (Hina) - The House of Representatives today heard and discussed a report by the parliamentary Commission investigating victims killed in World War II and the post-war period. Commission chairman, Kazimir Sviben, said the Commission had investigated two grave sites, one in Gracisce near Pazin (Istria) and another near Trilj in Dalmatia, in the period between Dec 1, 1992 and Aug 31, 1994. The Gracisce grave contained twenty bodies of German soldiers, probably killed between 1943 and 1945, Sviben said. The Trilj grave contained 102 skeletons of Croatian soldiers and civilians taken prisoner after the Arzani battle on May 26 and 27, 1944. All the written evidence shows that 106 bodies were buried in that grave, but only 102 were found, Sviben said. The Commission has also gathered data on the killings of 66 persons killed by Yugoslav agents in foreign countries after the war. "The Commission is gathering data on all victims, regardless of their religion, nationality, political or ideological choices and the side they fought on," Sviben declared. "We are also interested in the perpetrators of these crimes, but we've decided to investigate the victims first. We are not accusing anyone of war crimes, because it's for the courts to settle," Sviben said. On behalf of the Complaints Commission, Ante Dapic (Croatian Party of Rights) upbraided the Commission for not citing the perpetrators or the circumstances surrounding the crimes. "Without this, the report lack scientific basis," Dapic asserted. HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) Member Ivan Kovacic urged the Commission to investigate the killings of Croats committed after May 15, 1945, in Bleiburg (Austria), Kocevje, Zidani Most, Ljubljana (Slovenia), and Kordun and Zumberak regions in Croatia. Liberal member Franjo Zenko proposed that the Government engage expert agencies to investigate mass graves and war crimes. He advised the Commission to stick to marking the graves. He was backed by several deputies from various parties. HDZ Member Vice Vukojevic reminisced about the number of the victims of Fascism having been overrated for 50 years - while the victims of Communism were downplayed and ignored. Zivko Juzbasic of the Social-Democratic Action accused the Commission of avoiding to investigate Ustasha crimes such as the killing of children from Kozara (Serb-populated area of north- western Bosnia), buried at Mirogoj cemetery in Zagreb, and the executions of Zagreb Croats in late 1944. Juzbasic urged the House to reject the report or at least to order the Commission to send in a more detailed one, drawing sharp retorts and annoyed exclamations from several members. One of hese was Muhamed Zulic (HDZ) who rebuked Zulic for playing district attorney, and at the same time censured the Commission for not putting a single word about Moslem victims in the report. "The world has found the strength to condemn Fascism and Nazism as a great evil. I call on this House and the whole nation to condemn Communism and Bolshevism as a no lesser evil," HDZ member Djuro Perica adjured. Liberal Member Goran Granic suggested that the House set up an institute for investigating war and post-war victims. The House then adjourned until Tuesday, February 8. (hina) mm as 032107 MET feb 95