Flag for Tibet day marked in the Czech Republic

In recent years the tenth of March has been increasingly marked in the Czech Republic as the day when a Tibetan uprising was crushed by the Chinese in the Tibetan capital Lhasa in 1959. Since the end of communism in 1989, many Czechs have marked the anniversary by expressing sympathy and support for Tibetan independence. City and town halls around the Czech Republic have also displayed the Tibetan flag on their buildings as part of a worldwide initiative called "Flag for Tibet". In 1996, when the "Flag for Tibet" initiative first started here, four city and town halls flew Tibet's flag - and this year two hundred of them did.

Photo: CTK

I spoke to pro-Tibetan activist Zuzana Ondomisiova and asked her about the reasons why more and more Czech city and town halls are supporting the Tibetan cause:

"Maybe in some way there is a historical reason, even though the Czech Republic is much smaller than Tibet, but the amount of people is maybe comparable. And also our Czech nation spent many years under the influence of a strong neighbour - in our case it was the Russians."

While Czech human rights organisations have been vocal supporters of the Tibetan cause, the attitudes of Czech politicians and political parties has been more mixed. In recent years former president Vaclav Havel has met with the spiritual leader of Tibet, the Dalai Lama. Members of some parties, such as the Freedom Union, have been particularly supportive of "Flag for Tibet" day, while the Communist Party has been against it. I asked Mrs Ondomisiova how much Czech politicians were addressing the Tibetan cause:

Photo: CTK

"I think that in our political sphere there are just a few people who have a continuing interest in the Tibetan question. I cannot say that there is some party or some special political group which would be interested in it through its programme. I don't think that any political party or group of politicians has a special programme for supporting the Tibetan question."

The Chinese government is against the "Flag for Tibet" initiative, and the Chinese embassy in Prague is dissatisfied that city and town halls around the Czech Republic have been participating in the event. I spoke to Yan Yuqing, the press spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Prague, and I asked her what the embassy's position was:

Photo: CTK

"The issue of Tibet is exclusively an internal affair of China. No foreign organisation or person has a right to interfere in it in any way or under any pretext. The Czech government recognises Tibet as a part of Chinese territory and it has declared that it does not support separatist activities in Tibet. Therefore the raising of the Tibetan flag in some cities in the Czech Republic is in breach of this statement of the Czech government."