By EDITH M. LEDERER Associated Press Writer

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Condemning Yugoslavia's failure to cooperate with war crimes investigators,

the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday demanded the arrest of three men charged with organizing an alleged

massacre of more than 200 Croats.

The council also deplored Yugoslavia's recent refusal to issue visas for a team of investigators to visit

Kosovo.

And it repeated its call to Yugoslav authorities and leaders of the Kosovo Albanian community to cooperate

with the tribunal's prosecutor in the investigation of possible war crimes.

A council resolution demanding Yugoslavia's cooperation passed by a 14-0 vote, with China abstaining. The

resolution is legally binding, but contains no punitive action if Yugoslavia doesn't comply.

The council demanded that Yugoslavia immediately execute arrest warrants issued by the tribunal for Veselin

Sljivancanin, Miroslav Radic and Milan Mrksic. They allegedly ordered a 1991 massacre of 261 Croats taken

out of a hospital in Vukovar in eastern Croatia. The deaths occurred during a rebellion by minority Serbs.

Yugoslavia, which consists of Serbia and Montenegro, has refused to extradite its citizens sought by the

tribunal, citing a constitutional ban on extradition.

But the council noted that its resolutions require states to comply with requests from the tribunal, and

domestic law can't be used to duck international law.

Despite obstruction by Serbian authorities, the war crimes tribunal, based in The Netherlands, announced

earlier this month that it will continue investigating alleged war crimes in Kosovo during the nearly

eight-month crackdown by the Yugoslav army and Serb police. Hundreds have died, mainly ethnic Albanian

civilians, and thousands have fled their homes.

The Yugoslav government claims the tribunal has no jurisdiction to investigate alleged war crimes in

Kosovo, which is a province of Serbia.

China's Ambassador Qin Huasun, explaining his country's abstention, said Kosovo was an internal matter and

``terrorists'' on both sides should be equally condemned.

He said Beijing backed Yugoslavia's investigation and handling of alleged war crimes ``through its internal

judicial procedures.''

AP-NY-11-17-98 2004EST