4,000 missing persons on commission's list

Of some 16,000 people missing in the Western Balkans, around 4,000 are on the Serbian government's Commission for the Missing Persons list. This is according to Commission President Veljko Odalovic, who on Friday in Belgrade also said that "even though there is a large number of people whose destiny was not revealed, the process of exhumation and identification has come to a serious halt in the past two years". 4,000 missing persons on commission's list "There are 500 graves in Croatia, and there have been no exhumations whatsoever in the past two years, which is inexcusable," Odalovic pointed out at a news conference on the occasion of the International Day of the Disappeared, which will be marked on Sunday, August 30. "From Kosovo-Metohija we have received a response from EULEX which is rather humiliating - that the location in Belacevac, where, according to reliable information, there are more than 20 bodies of kidnapped and murdered Serbs, will not be opened this year," he underscored. Stating that the International Committee of the Red Cross had guaranteed that the exhumation would begin in August, Odalovic said that the problem is very serious if the revealing of facts about the victims depends on the good will of donors. Pointing out that the families of the missing persons are understandably dissatisfied with this stand, Odalovic said that the Serbian government is ready to assist in the search for war victims by providing equipment, logistics and funds. He said that there are another 1,886 missing persons in Kosovo, 537 of whom are Serbs and other non-Albanians, and the Serbian government's Commission for Missing Persons this year took over only 12 identified human remains from the territory. Pointing out that Serbia has fulfilled all obligations, performed exhumations and delivered the victims' bodies to their families, Odalovic called on the international institutions to exert pressure on others to do the same, adding that the revealing of the facts about the missing people is crucial for peace, security and cooperation in the region.

4,000 missing persons on commission's list

"There are 500 graves in Croatia, and there have been no exhumations whatsoever in the past two years, which is inexcusable," Odalović pointed out at a news conference on the occasion of the International Day of the Disappeared, which will be marked on Sunday, August 30.

"From Kosovo-Metohija we have received a response from EULEX which is rather humiliating - that the location in Belaćevac, where, according to reliable information, there are more than 20 bodies of kidnapped and murdered Serbs, will not be opened this year," he underscored.

Stating that the International Committee of the Red Cross had guaranteed that the exhumation would begin in August, Odalović said that the problem is very serious if the revealing of facts about the victims depends on the good will of donors.

Pointing out that the families of the missing persons are understandably dissatisfied with this stand, Odalović said that the Serbian government is ready to assist in the search for war victims by providing equipment, logistics and funds.

He said that there are another 1,886 missing persons in Kosovo, 537 of whom are Serbs and other non-Albanians, and the Serbian government's Commission for Missing Persons this year took over only 12 identified human remains from the territory.

Pointing out that Serbia has fulfilled all obligations, performed exhumations and delivered the victims' bodies to their families, Odalović called on the international institutions to exert pressure on others to do the same, adding that the revealing of the facts about the missing people is crucial for peace, security and cooperation in the region.