Andrew Jameson
Chair, Russian Committee, ALL
Languages and Professional Development
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Tel: 01524 32371 (+44 1524 32371)
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From: Transitions Online <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: New at TOL
Date: 26 September 2000 01:21
Transitions Online (TOL) (http://www.tol.cz) is the leading Internet
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NEW AT TOL:
WEEK IN REVIEW
(Free Access)
http://www.tol.cz/week.html
Both Sides Claim Early Victory in Yugoslav Elections
OSCE Dismisses Russian Election Fraud Accusations
Bailiffs Freeze Shares in Russia's Independent Media-MOST
Police Name Suspect in Missing Journalist Case
Electoral Storm Hits Polish Public Television
Islamic Community Center Inaugurated in Bosnia
Holocaust Deniers in Czech Republic To Face Tougher Sentences
Kyrgyz Political Parties Decry Akaev's Candidacy
Investigation Into Romanian Union Leader's Murder Progresses
Russia Leads Region in Olympic Medals
OUR TAKE: It's Pretty Vacant Out There
Protesters and Police in Prague
http://www.tol.cz/oursep25.html
The full text of this article also appears below.
FEATURE: Forever and a Day
by Mike Scollon
http://www.tol.cz/frartic/specr09005.html
(Free Access)
The last Jew living in the Polish town of Oswiecim, near the Auschwitz
death camp, died in May. Since then, a disco has been built in what is
purported to have been a Nazi slave-labor tannery, and the town's only
synagogue to survive World War II has been reopened. Recently, over one
hundred Jews embarked on a solemn journey to Oswiecim--for many, their
birthplace--to let the healing begin.
MEDIA: The Harm Before the Storm
by Petra Breyerova
http://www.tol.cz/frartic/media1.html
(Free Access)
Just before the footage of a police training exercise with officers clad in
riot gear fighting mock protesters, a Czech police spokesman had said that
anti-globalization protesters were being trained by foreign activists. The
juxtaposition of images left little to the average Czech's imagination. The
news item was fairly typical of Czech media coverage of the International
Monetary Fund and World Bank meeting in Prague. Before the show has even
begun, television and print media has been accused by many of
sensationalism and inflammatory coverage that has done little to allay the
fears of already-nervous Czechs.
OPINION: Putin Flirts With Extremists
by Nikolai Butkevich
http://www.tol.cz/frartic/putinfli.html
(Free Access)
In a meeting with editors from several major national newspapers last
month, Russian President Vladimir Putin took the unprecedented step of
including Aleksander Prokhanov, the editor of the country's most prominent
anti-Semitic paper, "Zavtra." By placing "Zavtra" on a level with other
national dailies, Putin legitimized a publication that regularly defames
Jews. At the same time, the president has promised that state-sponsored
anti-Semitism is gone forever from Russia.
FEATURE: He Cannot Get Pregnant
by Katerina Zachovalova
http://www.tol.cz/jul99/specr09004.html
Czech employers prefer men in higher positions--admittedly, because they
cannot get pregnant. Although employment rates are high among Czech women,
discrimination is nonetheless a given. In positions where women have the
same qualifications and experience, their salaries are typically 10 to 35
percent lower than the salaries of their male counterparts. And women have
much more difficulty getting promoted. Still, women themselves are
unwilling to stand up for their rights and risk being labeled "feminists."
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BEGGING WITH DIGNITY
TOL desperately needs a computer upgrade. Used or new models welcome. If
you can help, please contact Luke Allnutt at [log in to unmask]
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BOOKS: Chinggis, Not Genghis
Review by Timothy May
http://www.tol.cz/books/bksep003.html
Since 1990 and the fall of the Soviet Union, there has been a renewed
interest in the countries of Central Asia, Mongolia, and the Asian
territories of Russia. This massive region, including Sinkiang and Tibet
in China, comprises what has been coined Inner Asia. Despite the little
matter of the misspelled name of one of the world's most famous leaders, a
new book, "A History of Inner Asia" by Svat Soucek, is a welcome and
much-needed addition.
IN FOCUS: The Existential American University
by Nair Aliyev
http://www.tol.cz/sep00/theexist.html
No one knew that the American University in Baku, Azerbaijan (AUB) had
closed down. But then again, no one's quite certain that it has--despite
the fact that university employees have taken away all computers and
textbooks in fear of a government raid, and fall classes have not yet
started. Professors and students learned that the university had shut down
only from an obscure newspaper in early July. There was no official notice
given. Accompanying this article is a sidebar by Yordanka Nedyalkova
looking at American-style universities across the region.
http://www.tol.cz/sep00/branding.html
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OUR TAKE: It's Pretty Vacant Out There
Protesters and Police in Prague
It was good weather for overthrowing the international order. The midday
sun cast long shadows of the neo-gothic cathedral on one of Prague's main
squares. If it hadn't been for the hundreds of protesters, pensioners would
have nattered the hours away on benches, workmen would have enjoyed a
lunch-time nap, and teenagers would have been kicking around a hacky-sack.
Instead, anti-globalization protesters chanted slogans calling for
international solidarity, black-clad anarchists looked moody in sunglasses,
communists carried red flags sheepishly, and the less committed--wearing
designer-label clothes with a carefully groomed scruffiness--enjoyed the
sun, occasionally clapping or talking into mobile phones.
Thousands of anti-globalization protesters are gathering in the Czech
capital to protest the IMF/World Bank annual summit that starts on 26
September. After weeks of overblown expectations and excessive media
coverage, 23 September was the curtain raiser, as between 1,600 and 2,000
protesters tested the water and took part in a variety of marches. The day
went by largely without incident, with only a smattering of violence
between anarchists and fascists at Prague's main railway station. Nothing
more than what often happens in Eastern Europe's provincial cities on a
Saturday night.
For the last few months, there has been widespread talk of violence. Many
Czechs fear another Seattle, where at a World Trade Organization summit
last December, hundreds of protesters were arrested and $1.7 million in
damage was caused as activists clashed with police. Prague--or in protester
jargon, "S26"--is supposed to be bigger: There has been talk of 50,000
protesters descending on the capital. Czech television news and tabloid
newspapers have been guilty of whipping up a good deal of hysteria: One
tabloid instructed people to barricade their doors and stock up with food.
Kids have been given time off school and pensioners have been offered cash
incentives to leave Prague.
The peaceful outcome of Saturday's protests were a welcome relief for
Prague's citizens--although the big ones are still to come. Sun-kissed
apathy, rather than anarchy, ruled the day. Truncated chants were left
hanging in the air; those who understood a halting, garbled speech in
Czech, tried hard to stifle their laughter. One protester--apparently
Spanish--pushed away probing cameramen. Despite the mask covering her face,
the protester wore her half-heartedness on her sleeve. If there had been a
fight, the press--based on sheer numbers--probably would have won.
There was only a hint of anticipation in the air. At one point, the crowd
pricked its ears at the distant murmur of chanted slogans. The swarm of
media smelled a story and just enough fear to make sure their press passes
(in the event of violence) were more prominently displayed. A Czech
protester with a megaphone ordered comrades to stay put--not, however, to
stand and fight, as the chants weren't from blood-hungry fascists but from
another group of anarchists, who were warmly greeted by their comrades. The
press looked both relieved and disappointed--safe, but without violence,
their story would be relegated to the back pages. The melee of cameras and
notebooks went back to hitting up 14-year-olds with dreadlocks for quotes
about the imminent destruction of the international order.
The sheer weight of the police presence--numbering around 11,000 throughout
Prague--was key in keeping the peace on Saturday. In the past, police
received much public criticism for their brutality in fighting with
revelers at the 1998 and 1999 Global Street Parties. Well aware of this,
Civic Legal Watch, (OPH)--a Czech NGO made up of human rights campaigners
and lawyers--has trained civilian monitors to walk the streets on the days
of protests. The monitors are performing a variety of functions: not just
taking note of brutal police behavior, but also keeping the lines of
communication open by translating potentially explosive dialogue between
protesters and police. If you stood still for long enough on Saturday you'd
have had a card thrust in your hand, listing telephone numbers for legal
advice or first aid. Notably, OPH has already achieved a small success in
persuading special police units to display their numbers on their
uniforms--not standard practice in the Czech Republic. OPH says that this
will make police officers think twice before reaching for their baton.
It looked that way on Saturday. The police's behavior, much like the
protesters, was exemplary and commendable. They have stepped up their
overall presence but have lowered their profile in potentially inflammatory
situations. For the last few days, there have been police officers on every
corner, but on Saturday in the square they were trying to keep their heads
down as much as possible. Nine vans with police in full riot gear, however,
ominously lay in wait behind a theater bordering the main square, just in
case.
The true test will be the next few days of protests. If Saturday is
anything to go by, S26 won't live up to the hype. It looks like the
expected 50,000 protesters, or anything close to that, probably won't
materialize. Strahov, a huge stadium overlooking Prague, has been hired by
a private contractor to house the protesters in a tent camp big enough for
20,000 people. Now, at most, there are 200 people there. The organizers are
upbeat, though, and eager to tell journalists that another busload of
protesters is just across the border. But like all good hostesses, they are
fearing the worst: What if nobody comes? The endless kegs of beer and the
sausage stands are ready; the beds--arranged prisoner-of-war style in
tents--lie empty, save for the brave few. Up in the old stadium on the
hill, the wind blows harder and everyone looks like they just want to go
home.
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