Yugoslav’s Serbs Claim Autonomy, Seal Off Area

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia — Minority Serbs in Croatia today proclaimed autonomy within the republic, sealing off roads and railways in defiance of Croatian authorities.

“The Serbian people must use all means to resist the terror of the fascist (Croatian) government and to protect its human dignity and civil and national rights,” the Serbian National Council said in a statement carried by Tanjug news agency.

The council, an unofficial body claiming to represent Serbs in Croatia, said the declaration was based on the results of an August referendum that showed an almost unanimous vote for limited self-government. Croatian authorities declared the referendum illegal, but it was held anyway.

Belgrade radio reported barricades were set up early today across roads and railway lines to Knin, a Serbian-dominated city of 10,000 people near the Adriatic coast.