BAN HVO GATHERING IN MODRAN NEAR DERVENTA OR VETERANS WILL REACT

BANJA LUKA, MARCH 12 /SRNA/ - The Veterans' Organization of Republika Srpska /BORS/ has called on the Interior Ministry and other relevant authorities to ban the commemoration marking the 34th anniversary of the formation of the 3rd Battalion Modran of the 103rd Brigade of the Croatian Defense Council /HVO/, scheduled for March 21 in Modran near Derventa, and to conduct an investigation into its organization, warning that they will otherwise be forced to prevent the gathering themselves.

BORS stated that they will be forced to stop the event if the competent authorities fail to react. The Veterans' Organization of Republika Srpska is calling for an investigation into the organization of the gathering, as posters announcing the event display banned Ustasha symbols, and for those responsible for this act to be prosecuted. "We hope that an adequate response from the competent authorities will not be lacking and that there will be no need for our reaction," the statement said. According to information obtained by BORS, apart from a religious service, the program marking the anniversary also includes an "Assembly of the Third Battalion Modran". BORS stated that it has nothing against the dignified commemoration of members of any people who died in the tragic conflict in the region, the laying of wreaths at memorials, and the holding of religious services, just as Serb veterans do for their own victims and fallen comrades. "However, any kind of gathering or lineup of units that committed crimes against the Serb people in the Derventa area is absolutely unacceptable," BORS emphasized. BORS condemned the planned gathering of members of a wartime unit that remains in the worst memory of Serbs from the Derventa area, and whose very mention causes fear, discomfort, a sense of threat, as well as resentment and anger. They reminded that members of this unit established barricades along the ethnic line, committed various criminal acts there, and denied the population of the southern part of what was then the Derventa municipality the ability to travel. BORS added that, within the area of responsibility of this unit, Serb detainees were forced to dig trenches on June 19, 1992, during which eight Serb detainees were killed.