EXHUMATION OF MASS GRAVE NEAR HRVATSKA DUBICA BEGINS

BACIN KOD HRVATSKE DUBICE, 18 March (Hina) - The exhumation of the largest mass grave in the area of Banovina (liberated in the summer of 1995) started on Tuesday in Bacin near Hrvatska Dubica (some 100 km southeast of Zagreb). According to available data, some 70 bodies were buried in the mass grave. #L# The exhumation is being carried out by the Government Commission for Imprisoned and Missing Persons. The grave is some 50 meters long and six meters wide. The bodies were buried in groups on several locations, said Ivan Grujic, the Commission's head. It is supposed that some 70 residents of Cerovljani and Bacin, of Croat nationality, who were registered missing in 1991, were killed and buried in the grave. The Serb occupying authorities arrested the unarmed civilians in Bacin and Cerovljani in October 1991, detained them in the Fire Brigade Hall in Hrvatska Dubica and executed them. The bodies were dumped into the grave one over the other. Umbrellas, remains of clothing and other personal belongings were protruding from the ground, and investigative teams concluded that the killed did not know what would happen to them. Investigative teams suppose that some of the bodies were thrown into the river Una. European Union monitors and a representative of The Hague Tribunal are taking part in the exhumation, which is to last around ten days. In the 19 months following the liberation of the Banovina area, more than 300 bodies have been exhumed in the area, which is one third of all exhumed bodies in the liberated Croatian areas. (hina) rm jn 182139 MET mar 97