UNPROFOR'S PRESS CONFERENCE ON SITUATION IN SECTOR SOUTH

ZADAR, July 6 (Hina) - U.N. Protection Force (UNPROFOR) spokesman in U.N. Sector South, A. Roberts, held a press conference in the Croatian city of Zadar on Wednesday. He told journalists about recent incidents in and near the zone of separation. He said that on Monday six Serb civilians were arrested by Croats near the Croatian side of the zone of separation, but he got only unofficial confirmation by the Croatian police on that case. Asked whether the arrested persons were really civilian or Serb soldiers dresses as civilians UNPROFOR spokesman repeated that they had been dressed in the civilian clothes adding that Canadian peace keepers had noticed six persons driving in a tractor through the village of Kasic (the Zadar hinterland). But the six persons had passed none of the U.N. official checkpoints. UNPROFOR allows free movement of civilians who visit their homes, but they visit houses at their own responsibility, explained A. Roberts. He said that UNPROFOR had to wait for an official statement of the Croatian police on the event that had occurred last Monday. Roberts informed journalists of the incident when the Serbs in the village of Lisana Tinjska in the Biograd hinterland formed a checkpoint, dug three reinforced dugouts and set up the road blocks in the Serb side of the zone of separation on Monday. According to Roberts, this might be an attempt of Serbs to change the disengagement line, since the incident took place within the zone of separation. The Canadian UNPROFOR battalion already destroyed the dugouts, removed the road blocks and disarmed the Serb people on Tuesday, UNPROFOR spokesman told today's press conference. Spokesman A. Roberts said that an incident of opening fire at a U.N. helicopter had been registered in the area of Sinj. He said that the helicopter had been came under small arms fire opened from the Croatian positions. The helicopter was hit but its pilot and two U.N. military observers aboard were not injured, according to the spokesman for UNPROFOR. The situation in Kakma remains unchanged. The Serb armed forces are still there, said spokesman Roberts adding that UNPROFOR controls the area. UNPROFOR spokesman Roberts said that he could understand the dissatisfaction and outrage of the Biograd citizens because of the water shortage, but without agreement of both sides UNPROFOR could not let water supplies to Biograd. At today's conference in Zadar Roberts said this problem had to be solved by agreement of the both sides at the local levels. In connection with displaced persons' protests at the UNPROFOR inefficacy Roberts said that UNPROFOR sympathized with the situation of the displaced persons, but the question of returning them to their homes could not be solved without an overall political settlement. 061702 MET jul 94