Former political dissident and President of the Czech Republic Vaclav Havel blasted the EU for appeasing terrible international dictators.
Havel specifically called out the EU’s dealings with the Castro Regime during his opening comments on the Dissident Panel at the Democracy and Security Conference in Prague, Czech Republic this week.
Vaclav Havel may have had serious health challenges the last couple of years but his message here is as strong as ever to the international gathering of democracy activists in Prague.
Since the audio is difficult to understand due to the accoustics in the hall, I am transcribing Havel’s message:
Vaclav Havel (through translater): Let me introduce this now using a specific example- the Cuban example…
…First… they (the EU) decide to invite dissidents to national day celebrations at the embassies. Second… they say we welcome changes but we’d like to be cautious so we’ll exclude dissidents from all of this. And now… I fear that again they are trying an appeasement policy position and I think that this conference should send a clear message to the EU leaders and say that this is not the right way to go.
(This message from Havel did not make it into the mainstream news.)
Previously from Prague:
Prague Blogging- 2007 Democracy & Security Conference
Blogging From the Communist Parliament Building
A Night Out With Jose Maria Aznar, Vaclav Haval & Natan Sharansky
Senator Joe Lieberman Gets Personal in Prague
Democracy & Security: Has Democracy Reached an Impasse?
Democracy & Security: Does Democratization Mean Security?
Bush Rocks the Czernin Palace At Prague Democracy Conference
Garri Kasparov Joins Democracy Leaders at Press Gathering
Democracy & Security: Day 2- Dissident Row
Richard Perle Talks On Bush Freedom Agenda (Video)
Former Official Discloses Islamist Infiltration of Bolivia (Video)
Iraqi Warrior Zainab Al-Suwaij Speaks on Mideast Human Rights
Plane Blogging With EYEontheUN’s Professor Anne Bayefsky
Freedom Marches as Dictators Goose Step
