WESTERN SLAVONIA SERBS HAND OVER WEAPONS

PAKRAC, May 3 (Hina) - UN spokeswoman Susan Manuel said that rebel Serbs in the hitherto occupied Pakrac area of Western Slavonia had been surrendering their arms to UN peacekeepers since 9.00 hours today. Manuel said that civilians were still in their homes and soldiers had not taken hostages. The disarmament process would continue in the next four days, she added. There were up to 7,000 Serbs and about 600 Serb soldiers in the region, according to Manuel. Okucani was calm, with Croatian civilian and military police controlling all major crossroads and buildings. Croatian police in Okucani were transferring local Serb civilians to Nova Grasika as their security was threatened by unexploded devices. Croatian forces provided accommodation for 151 people from Western Slavonia, mostly elderly Serbs, in Kutina. (hina) mm vm 031837 MET may 95