UN ON SITUATION IN WESTERN SLAVONIA

ZAGREB, May 5 (Hina) - UN spokesmen Walt Natynczyk and Christopher Gunnes shared their impressions of yesterday's events in western Slavonia with reporters this afternoon. They described how UNCRO representatives yesterday presented senior Croatian Government officials with a detailed plan for the demobilisation and voluntary departure of Serbs from the (encircled) area, in line with the cease-fire agreement. "We were implementing the demobilisation plan and were supposed to supervise the free departure of Serbs," Natynczyk began. He related how immediately after the meeting with Croatian officials, senior UNCRO and Croatian army officers set out for Istocni Grabovac to meet local Serb representatives. "At that moment, six mortar shells hit Grabovac, followed by 75 artillery projectiles and bursts of rifle fire - and Serb representative Veljko Dzakula surrendered on the spot," he said. "From that moment, demobilisation was out of the question - only surrender was possible," Natzynczyk said. He could not say where the shells had come from. Christopher Gunnes described the shelling of Istocni Grabovac as an "attack on civilian targets." The two spokesmen then expatiated on the "unacceptable treatment" of Serbs in Pakrac. Last night, at about 22:00 hours, Serb civilians and solders were ordered to form a double line 200-yard long. Women, children and elderly men were separated from draft-age men, who were taken away. "We don't have any details, but there were 20 to 22 buses," Natynczyk said. According to UN estimates, about 2,000 men between 16 and 65 were taken away. "Most were taken to Bjelovar and the rest to Varazdin. As far as we know, most of them were soldiers," Natynczyk said. EU monitors had access to the prisoners, both in Pakrac and afterwards in Bjelovar and Varazdin. "According to the EU Monitor Mission, except for the unacceptable way they were taken away, these men were not subjected to physical abuse," the spokesman admitted. "They received water and medical assistance. We noted down all their names and will try to follow what happens to them," Guinness said. UN civilian officials had already contacted Serb prisoners in Bjelovar, and other officials were on their way to Varazdin even as the press conference was in progress. "(Serb) women, children and old people are still in their homes in Pakrac," Gunness confirmed. UN allegations about the looting of Serb property in Pakrac drew a barrage of questions and a lively debate. Disregarding a subsequent denial by the EU Monitor Mission, both spokesmen stuck to yesterday's EUMM report that "some intoxicated Croatian soldiers were looting" Serb property. "We are standing by these reports," Gunnes persevered. Asked to read out the report in question, Gunnes demurred because it was an "internal document." Amid expressions of surprise that the UN could attach so much importance to reports that were at best inconsistent and had been revoked by their authors, Gunnes said: "Yesterday we had a top-level meeting at our headquarters in Zagreb to discuss the credibility and reliability of EUMM reports. We concluded that they were reliable and made them known to the public." He said UNCRO had to depend on ECMM reports because it "did not have access" to the area. He did not explain why UNCRO soldiers had withdrawn from the area. UN civilian police was expected to strengthen its patrols in western Slavonia. UN Military observers, Red Cross, UNHCR, the UN civil sector and EC monitors would continue closely monitoring the situation, he said. Gunness said that the Croatian side had asked the Nepalese battalion to leave their base in Pustara, western Slavonia. "They said they could not guarantee their security," Natynczyk said. However, since "ECMM and UNCRO had reported there was no fighting," the UNCRO command in Zagreb ordered the Nepalese battalion to stay put. (hina) jn as 051957 MET may 95