GLINA, 10 Oct (Hina) - Representatives of Glina municipality, western Slavonia, on Thursday informed reporters about yesterday's visit of a group of 16 Serb refugees, former Glina residents, who are currently living in Erdut and who
came to Glina to visit their homes, in which they lived until last year's military operation 'Storm'. The visit was organized by the U.N. Transitional Administration in Eastern Slavonia (UNTAES).
GLINA, 10 Oct (Hina) - Representatives of Glina municipality,
western Slavonia, on Thursday informed reporters about yesterday's
visit of a group of 16 Serb refugees, former Glina residents, who
are currently living in Erdut and who came to Glina to visit their
homes, in which they lived until last year's military operation
'Storm'. The visit was organized by the U.N. Transitional
Administration in Eastern Slavonia (UNTAES). #L#
After the arrival of a bus carrying 16 Serb refugees in front
of the Glina police station at 11:35 a.m., some hundred Glina Croat
returnees gathered around the bus and staged a peaceful protest.
Croat houses in Glina had been completely destroyed during the
four-year Serb occupation of Glina, the protesters said, adding
they were temporarily accommodated in Serb houses and flats.
There were no incidents during the meeting, Glina authorities
said.
Most of Glina Serbs left the town of their own accord during
the military operation 'Storm' after they had refused to live in
the independent, sovereign and democratic Croatia, the protesters
said.
During the Serb aggression and occupation of the area, 144
Glina Croat soldiers were killed and 86 Croatian army and Interior
Ministry members were wounded. The Serb aggressor killed more than
400 Croat civilians and destroyed 2,000 Croat houses in 36 villages
in the north-western part of the Glina municipality.
Glina Croats returned to their town 14 months ago, after four
years spent in exile and they refused to accept that those Serbs,
who participated in the armed rebellion against Croatia and who
expelled Croats from their homes, could walk freely through Glina,
the protesters said.
The protesters condemned the behavior of the U.N. Transitional
Administration, which did not respect the opinion of local
authorities, especially because displaced Croats are still not
allowed to visit their homes in Vukovar, Erdut, Dalj and other
parts of the Croatian Danubian area.
The bus with the Serb refugees returned to Erdut at 12:15 p.m.
(hina) rm
101943 MET oct 96