UN ON SITUATION IN WESTERN SLAVONIA

ZAGREB, May 8 (Hina) - Reports on violations of human rights of Serb civilians and soldiers in western Slavonia, which we had published were based on information we held as reliable at the moment, and we abode by what we had said, a UN spokesman, Fred Eckhard, told a press conference in Zagreb on Monday. Eckhard maintained that the information had been grounded primarily on reports of EU Monitoring Mission and on several other sources. Asked whether there was concrete proof of the abuse over civilians and soldiers in the former Sector West, or whether only allegations about that were being checked, Eckhard replied that "there is the proof" of an attack on "a convoy of civilians by Nova Varos." 'In the convoy there was at least one military element, i.e. there was anti-aircraft cannon in it,' Eckhard added. According to UN forces' reports, about 30 people died in the attack. The information about the attack near Nova Varos, was included in reports based on talks between international humanitarian organizations' workers and Serbs who had left western Slavonia for Bosnia, as well as on statements of Nepalese UN battalion troops, who had passed along the Okucani-Stara Gradiska road, Eckhard added. We were worried because we had reasons to believe that still another civilians could head for south. It would be irresponsible from us to keep quiet about all that. Therefore, we published reports as honestly as we could being aware that all facts had not been completely checked, he said. Statements of more than 100 refugees, collected by professionals, were taken by us as a means for directing others' attention to events that were likely to happen, he said. We believed that lives could be saved if we attracted your attention to possible events, Eckhard said adding that the decision on publishing such reports was made personally by UN Secretary- General's special envoy, Yasushi Akashi. Eckhard said there was no information that Serb civilians were being forced to leave western Slavonia. The United Nations would not like that Serb civilians leave the former Sector West, he said adding that, however, all those who want to go from the area in question, would be allowed to depart, in line with the Cessation of Hostilities agreement. We believe that the decrease in tensions with Knin and the improvement of the entire situation would be facilitated if the Croatian side would speed up the checks of men and their release, and let us to organize a possible evacuation of the remaining population on the ground of one's own free will, Eckhard said. (hina) mm mms 081803 MET may 95