EXHUMATION OF BODIES FROM OVCARA MASS GRAVE MAY RESUME SOON

ZAGREB, April 17 (Hina) - Croatian Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Kostovic on Wednesday met Robert Kirschner, a representative of the Physicians for Human Rights organization, for talks on the continuation of exhumation of a mass grave near the Serb-occupied eastern Croatian town of Vukovar. The organization has been authorized by the UN Security Council to exhume a mass grave at Ovcara and report its findings to the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague. The Physicians for Human Rights have been trying for several years to conduct the exhumation and identification of bodies from the Ovcara mass grave but their efforts have been obstructed by Serb authorities. "As soon as UNTAES (the UN Transitional Administration in Eastern Slavonia) decides that the exhumation can begin, the Physicians for Human Rights will be able to continue their work," Kostovic said, adding that Croatian experts would provide them assistance. Kostovic said that the Croatian government was continuing exhumation and identification of all mass graves in Croatia. (hina) vm jn 171753 MET apr 96