EU MONITORS DENY UN REPORTS ON ABUSE OVER SERBS IN WEST SLAVONIA

PAKRAC, May 5 (Hina) - "Croatia has the law on amnesty and pardon and it will be used in the treatment with soldiers of Serb nationality who surrendered yesterday to Croatian police in the villages above Pakrac," Croatian Interior Minister Ivan Jarnjak said to Croatian and foreign reporters in Pakrac this morning. He added that war crimes must be sanctioned everywhere in the world, and ,thus, in Croatia as well. Asked to comment on a statement by British Ambassador to the UN, who said that after the liberation plunder was committed in the Pakrac area, Croatian Interior Minister simply denied such statement and described it as a lie. "You will be given an opportunity to assure yourself that this was not true", he added. Pakrac Police Superintendent Nikola Ivkanec said the Croatian police were establishing normal life in the newly-liberated villages above Pakrac. "We are assisting and offering maximum help to residents who live in those village," Ivkanec said adding that the Croatian police secured their property and personal safety. Ivkanec said the Croatian police would soon make possible for journalist to tour such villages and assure themselves of the situation there. An EU monitor in Pakrac, Guenter Baron, told Reuters that Croatian troops had rounded up 1,700 Serb men of all ages from the liberated half of the town last night and taken them away in busses. According to the Reuters report, they were deposited in schools in two towns to the north where they were given "a good meal and allowed to take a bath". EU sources said earlier that Serb women and children were also bussed away after being separated from menfolk. The EU monitor suggested that Serb men were normal prisoners of war. He also described the Croatian operation as excellent, professional, competent and correct. According to this report, foreign journalists who were permitted to tour "the Serb side of Pakrac on their own found no evidence of dynamited or looted houses." The Reuters report quoted a resident from that part of the town as saying "No problems so far. The police are treating us well." (hina) mm mms 051312 MET may 95