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From: OTVORENE-OCI_ST@ZAMIR-ZG.ztn.apc.org (Otvorene oci  )
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Organization: Otvorene Oci
Subject: NGO visit to Knin
Date: Sun, 20 Aug 1995 14:57:00 +0100
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NGO visit to Knin

[Split, 19-08-95]

Gaining access to former sectors South and North is getting
less difficult for domestic and international human rights
organisations. Not only did the Dalmatian Committee of
Solidarity (DOS) accompanied by Otvorene Oci Split manage to
get to Knin on August, Friday 18th, so did representatives of
the Karlovac branch of the Croatian Helsinki Committee.

DOS (Mrs. Roza Roje and Mr. Vojko Ivica) and Otvorene Oci
monitored the situation along the road to Knin, the situation
in Knin, visited the UN compound in Knin, held talks with
UNHCR (Mr. B. Otim), Mr. E.G. Flynn (Human Rights Action Team)
and Mr. B. Pupovac (president of the refugees in the UN
compound) and made an inquiry into the necessity and
possibility of establishing a form of presence in the area.

The road to Knin is dotted with small villages, none of which
is untouched by burning or looting. Otvorene Oci verified
statements made a day earlier by a Serb who stayed behind in
Kricke, that the villages of Zitnic and Tepljuh had been
burnt. At least 2 out of 3 houses were set on fire. The same
goes for other villages (Siveric, Ramljane, Kosovo, Vrbnik,
Kalmdra). In some of the villages all houses had been burned
(Cenici, Uzdolje, Zvjerinac). According to B. Otim from UNHCR
the houses were set on fire during the past 7 days, a
statement which was verified by the fact that one of the
houses was still smoldering. As is visible inside the houses,
looting is widespread in these villages. While passing through
the village of Kalmdra in the afternoon Otvorene Oci witnessed
three soldiers loading a truck full of items from one house, a
house that it had visited earlier in the day and seen
everything still inside.

The ghost villages are mainly uninhabited. Nobody takes care
of the lifestock that is running around freely everywhere.
Vegetables in abundance in the gardens, but no one to eat
them. The road along these villages is used mainly by vehicles
with Croatian Army license plates, by buses filled with
Croatian Army soldiers and also by a relatively small number
of civilian cars.

The situation in Knin was somehow rather eerie, the presence
of civilians only few and far between. Here, the destruction
was less than in the villages, there was no sign of burnt
houses and the only structural damage was minimal. The
majority of the damage was in the form of collapsed roofs and
broken windows.
Widespread looting was witnessed as Otvorene Oci saw civilians
and military openly going into shops and taking whatever they
want. Along the main street, the majority of properties had
been claimed by Croatians and their names put on the
entrances. Otvorene Oci visited one apartment block,
containing six apartments none of which had been looted. The
only evidence inside the apartments were of people leaving in
a hurry and taking very few possessions, if any, with them.
Military presence in Knin was high, although there appeared to
be no restriction of movement within the town. A few cafes
were open for business but few shops, only the kiosks selling
cigarettes and daily newspapers. Also noticable were a number
of pictures of President Tudjman and written beneath,
"Tudjman, covjek koji pobjeduje" (Tudjman, the man who wins).

DOS and Otvorene Oci visited the UN compound and first
discussed the situation with the head of the UNHCR office, B.
Otim. He stated that lots of Serb villages all over former
sector South had been set ablaze. He reported that the village
of Kistanje, previously inhabited by 3000 people, was totally
burnt and deserted. 
The vast majority of the Krajina Serbs has fled. Out of the
almost 900 people that sought refuge within the UN compound
780 are still there. 67 Croatian inhabitants stayed in the
compound during the first week as well out of fear; they have
returned to their homes. Another 250 refugees currently reside
in an elementary school building under control of the Ministry
of the Interior.
Mr. Otim also reported that every day dead bodies are being
found in the villages. The day before our arrival in the
village of Zagrovice monitors found 8 corpses, old people, all
shot in the head. He said the were shot 7 days ago. He stated
that monitors found corpses every day.
Mr. Otim stated that the situation of elderly people in the
outlying villages is quite desperate and humanitarian
assistance badly needed, a fact that was verfied by Otvorene
Oci while accompanying Mr. Otim on a humanitarian mission. A
90 year old woman, living in a village on her own was visited
to deliver " meals ready to eat". Her house was burnt, as are
all the others in the village, and so she is living outside,
sleeping on three chairs, with just a blanket for warmth. The
woman is too scared to leave, despite UNHCR attempts and so
remains with only UNHCR food (which she has difficulty
opening) and nothing else, including water. UNHCR have still
not been able to ascertain the situation in all of the
villages. Apart from transport problems people can not come to
UNHCR themselves as a specific documents are required to be
able to move freely within the sector.

The NGOs discussed the situation with E.G. Flynn, head of one
of the 4 "Human Rights Action Teams" (HRAT) established by the
UN and designed to work in both sectors. Their monitoring
efforts were hindered by restrictions of movement until 08-08-
95 in most areas and until 11-08-95 in other areas. According
to his information fewer than 50 Serbs are left in Knin,
mainly old people. In 3 of the UN compounds where another 55
refugees were residing until yesterday, Croatian Army police
came to take away the men because of allegations of committing
war crimes. The UN refused, even when the army police created
a threatening atmosphere by shooting in the air to back up
their wishes. Therefore the UN decided to take them to the
main compound. Negotiations with Croatian Army general Cermak
subsequently led to the agreement that the Croatian
authorities would not interrogate every man between 18 and 60,
but only approximately 10 men whom they suspect to be war
criminals. The UN will be present at the interrogation and
only if the authorities provide sound proof of war crimes,
will the army be able to take them to a detention centre. All
other men may leave for Serbia. Mr. Flynn stated that the
majority of the 835 refugees will do so next week. 

Mr. B. Pupovac represents the `refugees from the camp of
sector south in Knin' and reported on the mood and future of
the refugees. They are well taken care of but most of them
feel afraid and do not want to stay in Croatia. 650 out of 780 
applied for transport to Serbia. The refugee population
consists mainly of elderly people, but there are also 110
children, 2 of which were born within the compound. A doctor
from the Knin hospital, now a refugee, said that during the
first 2 days the Croatian Army consisted of professionals who
behaved correctly towards the population and their belongings.
These soldiers left however and were replaced by other
soldiers. Then the burning and looting started.

The Dalmatian Committee of Solidarity is currently taking an
initiative on behalf of the Croatian Coordination of Human
Rights Groups to establish a presence in the area of former
sector South. Positive reactions were expressed by
representatives of the HRAT, UNHCR and the refugee community.
The Dalmatian Committee of Solidarity deems it necessary to
establish this presence as soon as possible. ## CrossPoint v3.02 ##