PEN MEMBERS ACCUSE WRITER COLLEAGUES OF LIBEL AGAINST CROATIA

ZAGREB, Dec 15 (Hina) - Twenty-seven Croatian writers today called for the resignation of the Croatian PEN Centre executive committee, particularly its president, Slobodan Prosperov Novak. The writers, 25 of whom are PEN members and two former PEN members, accused the Committee of "libel designed to undermine the sovereignty of the Republic of Croatia and tarnish its reputation." The writers' statement describes the grounds for their demands as follows: "Sixteen PEN members pushed a resolution through at the World PEN Congress in Prague which offered to establish cultural links with ideologists supporting genocide against the Croatian people. The resolution equally blames Serb executors and Croatian victims. "Twenty-one PEN members passed a resolution accusing Croatia of complicity in the Bosnian tragedy at a meeting in Krizevci on November 30. "None of the remaining 150 PEN members were consulted or informed about either of these resolutions. "The latest Croatian issue of the Lettre Internationale magazine (13-14/1994), published by the Croatian PEN Centre, carries copies of editorials which previously appeared in the Croatian Cultural Institute (Matica Hrvatska) organ "Vijenac", directed against the Croatian state and Croatian statehood. "Half of the Lettre Internationale editorial board have not been consulted or informed about this," the statement concluded. (hina) mm as sd 151330 MET dec 94