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Current AffairsFormer Czech dissidents on Ronald Reagan's role in bringing down communism

June 12, 1987: The President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, speaks in front of the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin: "General-Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr Gorbachev, open this gate... Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"  More

NewsNo one to blame for Asanace clearance operation

One on OneMilan Paumer: three times reborn in his journey to freedom

In today's "One on One" I'd like you to sit back and listen to an extraordinary story of determination on a dangerous journey towards freedom. The Masin brothers and their fight for democracy is one of the great stories of 20th century Czechoslovak history. Born to a military father who was persecuted by the Nazis in the Second World War, the Masins put to use their military knowledge and started a resistance group after the communists won elections in Czechoslovakia in 1948. Often regarded, as the "third brother" is Milan Paumer. He took the time to speak with me here in the studio at Radio Prague and explains in detail their escape through Czechoslovakia and East Germany to the West. In October 1953 a group of five men set out for freedom with little resources at a time of year when temperatures were around 0 degrees. The five men were Josef and Ctirad Masin, Milan Paumer, Vaclav Sveda and Zbynek Janata. Only the Masin brothers and Milan Paumer were to survive. Mr. Paumer, who now lives in the Czech Republic once again, describes this period in his as a series of births, three to be exact. Here he uses the diminutive of Josef, Pepa, and calls the brothers 'Mason', the name they adopted in the US. His story begins in the Ucrol train station.  More

Current AffairsA poignant reminder - a man who fought his way to freedom

After the communists came into power in Czechoslovakia in 1948, a small group of military-trained men formed a resistance group led by the brothers Josef and Ctirad Masin. The story of the Masin brothers and their fight for freedom is one of the great controversies of 20th century Czechoslovak history. Some deem the men heroes while others perceive them as criminals, as they took six lives while shooting their way to freedom through Czechoslovakia and East Germany. The man regarded as the "third brother" in the group is Milan Paumer and on Monday night he talked about the events surrounding their escape in October 1953 at a seminar held at Prague's Charles University.  More

Current AffairsCzechs take action against growing repression in Eastern Tibet

On Wednesday March 10, 2004, people around the world commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Tibetan uprising that was crushed by the Chinese communist army. Oppression in Tibet is not just a matter of the past and the night before the anniversary a candlelight procession was held in 12 cities in the Czech Republic. The symbolic event was dedicated to a Tibetan political prisoner, and is part of a worldwide campaign coordinated in the Czech Republic. The Buddhist leader Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, is currently being held by the Chinese authorities and may be executed as soon as this April. More

Press ReviewPress Review

Friday's decision by Milos Kuzvart not to run for the post of European Commissioner, and Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla's sudden collapse on Friday morning, are the main stories in the dailies today. All the papers speculate who will be replace Kuzvart to become the country's representative in the European Commission, and come to the conclusion that Monday will see heated debate at a meeting of the ruling coalition parties, as it is unlikely they will agree on one person. Most dailies feature a photo of Prime Minister Spidla taking it easy on a walk with his wife Viktorie and his dog Max in Prague's Letna Park. The big international story is the unrest among the Roma community in Slovakia, and all the papers carry photos of Slovak Roma looting supermarkets and grocery stores during protests at planned cuts in social benefits.  More

Letter from PragueTransition, tiles and difficult choices

Since I started working at Radio Prague as a reporter, I have used the phrases "before the fall of communism" and "after the fall of communism" countless times. And I hate them. Each time I say it I feel I shouldn't look back so often, I shouldn't constantly compare things to what they were like before 1989. It's more than fourteen years ago, and I am still using November 1989 as a point of reference.  More

Letter from PragueHello Goodbye!

About a month ago, a number of public opinion polls suggested that the Communists enjoyed second place on the popularity ladder in the Czech Republic. When the results of the first poll were released, they were not given much importance but confirmation from a second poll conducted by a different agency, resulted in heated discussion and public debate. The country's politicians, sociologists and independent commentators were asked to analyse the situation, trying to find a logical reason why ever more Czechs would want to support a party that was responsible for forty years of oppression not so long ago.  More

Current AffairsThe communists and the environment: was it all bad?

A conference has just ended in Prague that proves that not all historians are detached from reality in their ivory towers. Several hundred historians from over 20 different countries converged on the city for a week to discuss their research on one of the burning issues of today, the environment and how it is treated. You only had to look at the subjects of some of the presentations - for example looking at the history of the way Central Europeans have dealt with floods, to see that such research is of more than passing interest to today's society. David Vaughan was at the conference.  More

Current AffairsCommunist Youth Union backs radical on trial

Earlier in the week we reported on the trial of the radical socialist David Pecha just underway in the Czech Republic. The 24-year-old editor - charged with propagating communism through inflammatory rhetoric - has been a magnet for controversy, sparking a debate on the freedom of speech. One group that has been steadfast in its show of support, insisting Mr Pecha's trial goes against that freedom, has been the Communist Youth Union.  More