56 VICTIMS OF SERBIAN AGGRESSION BURIED IN VUKOVAR

( Editorial: --> 4145 ) VUKOVAR, June 27 (Hina) - The remains of 53 people, exhumed from a mass grave at Vukovar's New Cemetery, were buried with high military and civilian honours on Saturday. The youngest victim buried today was two years old, while the oldest was 93 years old. Those buried included ten Croatian Army soldiers, five civil defence members and 38 civilians, while the remains of three soldiers were buried in other places. All the victims lost their lives during the Serbian aggression on Vukovar and immediately after members of the then Yugoslav People's Army and Serb paramilitary forces entered the eastern Croatian city in November 1991. The families and relatives of the victims received condolences on behalf of the Croatian National Parliament from its Education and Culture Committee chairman Nedjeljko Mihanovic. Mihanovic expressed "deep shock at the media silence" during the exhumations and burials at Vukovar's New Cemetery. In a farewell to the victims, Croatian Homeland War Defenders Minister Juraj Njavro said: "In the name of the Croatian Defenders Ministry and the Croatian Government I guarantee you that we will know how to protect our dear Croatian Homeland and nurture memories of you." On behalf of the city, Vukovar Mayor Vladimir Stengl called on Croatia and the whole world to help speed up the city's reconstruction. The nine-week exhumation of victims of Serbian aggression from the mass grave at Vukovar's New Cemetery ended on Friday. The posthumous remains of 938 people were exhumed, of which 580 have been identified so far. (Hina) mbr jn /ha 271533 MET jun 98