40TH ANNIVERSARY OF 1968 INVASION SLIPS BY QUIETLY

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000392 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL CZ LO SUBJECT: 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF 1968 INVASION SLIPS BY QUIETLY ¶1. (SBU) The fortieth anniversary of the Warsaw Pact's August 21, 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia was observed in small, lightly attended ceremonies around Slovakia. Czech President Vaclav Klaus attended a short wreath-laying ceremony near Comenius University in Bratislava with Slovak President Gasparovic, while Slovak PM Robert Fico spent the day in Prague with Czech PM Topolanek. (Besides highlighting the unity of Czechs and Slovaks, the exchange of presidents and PMs enabled Fico, a former Communist with Russophile tendencies, the opportunity to avoid most official domestic observances - and domestic media.) ¶2. (SBU) Like recent official commemorations of the November 1989 Velvet Revolution, which have been scaled back dramatically under the current Slovak government, the fortieth anniversary was observed with less pomp than, for example, the 37th anniversary during the last year of then-PM Dzurinda's center-right government. But while the government coalition members took a low-key approach to the observances, representatives of the three right-of-center opposition parties made a point of turning out in force. ¶3. (SBU) Visiting the Czech Republic, Slovak PM Fico praised the slogan of the Prague Spring, "Socialism with a human face," speculating that if 1968 had ended as it began, Czechs and Slovaks might have attained a standard of living as high as Austria's by now. Fico declared himself in strong agreement with the tradition of Alexandre Dubcek, the ethnic-Slovak leader of the Czechoslovak Communist Party in 1968, who advocated a liberalization process within the Communist system. ¶4. (U) Ambassador Obsitnik visited the site of the official commemoration, Safarikovo Square, where the all-news channel TA3 was staging live broadcasts throughout the day. During an interview with TA3, the Ambassador recalled his anger upon hearing news of Soviet tanks invading Czechoslovakia, but also said he felt proud of those who had resisted the Soviet invasion. The Ambassador said Russia's attack on Georgia is evidence that such events can still happen today. "We must never forget that such tragedies are still possible, and that we can prevent them only if we remain vigilant and active in support of democratic values and human rights," the Ambassador said. ¶5. (SBU) Media coverage of the anniversary was light in comparison to past years. Only one of the major Slovak dailies (Sme) covered the anniversary as its lead story, and only the above-mentioned TA3 broadcasts devoted time to the observances outside of normal news hours. TA3 also hosted an exhibit of photographs from the days just after the invasion. When Poloffs visited in the early afternoon, about a dozen people were viewing the pictures, mostly middle-aged Slovaks stopping by in their daily rounds. ¶6. (U) One of the most telling signs of the new perspective on 1968 was the sudden appearance on August 20th of red foodprints around downtown Bratislava. On them was printed "Invasion. 21.8." The prints led invariably to shops where one learned that the Apple i-Phone was to go on sale at midnight on August 21. Poloff was unable to find anyone who thought the advertisement could be considered in poor taste, although he was able to find a handful of 20-somethings who did not recognize the reference to 1968. ¶7. (SBU) Comment: With the fastest-growing economy in the EU and Euro adoption only a few months away, it is not surprising to find Slovaks more focused on their relatively happy present than on the sad events of 40 years ago. It may also be that 1968 is becoming a date in ancient history for many Slovaks, who now learn about it in school and perhaps hear about it from grandparents. Certainly the current government has no incentive to remind anyone of what happened then. And while some columnists--as well as the Ambassador--cited clear parallels between 1968 and the recent Russian invasion of Georgia, few of the official speakers made the obvious linkages. End comment. OBSITNIK