Mikhail Sokolov, the former "Radio Liberty" - for "Novaya Gazeta"
"Aeroflot plane landed at the airport in Prague", as it was said to passengers. In fact, it is a true, but Ruzyne airport at the Prague already has a new name - "Vaclav Havel".
In 2012, the World Prague "Forum 2000" "Media and Democracy" held in Prague for the sixteenth time, but for the first time without its founder. Probably that is why so many performances at the Palace Zofin were devoted to the person and the work of Vaclav Havel, a human rights activist, politician, and media person.
A former Australian Minister of Foreign affairs, Gareth Evans said that during his presidency, Havel provided a strong moral support to those who fought against authoritarian regimes. Contrary to the "realpolitik" it takes a have a strong posision according the repression in Tibet and China, supported the democratic movement of Aung Suu Kyi in Burma, Cuba, Belarus. Havel's attitude to tyranny in all its forms was unequivocal.
A former U.S. State Secretary Madeleine Albright said that Vaclav Havel founded the "Forum 2000" to bring the world closer to freedom:
- Havel was able, finally, to realize his dream to travel, and he saw that the world is not that big, but there is a struggle between freedom and repression in the world. He was an honest political leader.
Actually, this endless struggle for free speech and against dictatorship was discussed at the "Forum 2000".
In the center of conversation were those who are active: Tibet has sent the prime minister-in-exile Lopsanga Sangeya. He talked about “ the great Chinese Internet wall”, provocations against the supporters of the Dalai Lama, and that as a sign of protest against the repression China's offensive for free speech and meetings went on more than 40 self-immolation of Tibetans. Pay attention to the assault on democracy in Ukraine passionately urged daughter of Yulia Tymoshenko - Eugene. Burma were represented by one of the leaders of the student protests of 1988, Ko Ko Gyi riots who spoke about the difficulties of transition from dictatorship to democracy, was convicted firstly on 20 and then on 65 years in prison, and was imprisoned in the camps of the junta for 26 years.
Especially bright and actively were democracy movements from Belarus Franek and Vintsuk Vechorka and Alexander Milinkevich. They consistently denounced the dictatorship in the heart of Europe, and personally dictator Alexander Lukashenko.
At the Prague forum Russia was represented by a politician Grigory Yavlinsky, who acted as a media expert. Yavlinsky explained that in Russia the government controls all the electronic media and influential newspapers:
- There is no free independent politically influential media. They immediately destroyed when they can hardly influence on people thoughts. All politically influential media are state-owned and controlled by Vladimir Putin. Putin personally makes all key decisions about the most important media. He believes in the power of television, as he was created by the TV.
A part of the press in Russia belongs to the business, but business in Russia is also a state-owned. So the press is owned by the government either directly or through business. In addition, many people in Russia do not require a free press, as disappointed in her 90 years at the time of construction of the criminal economy.
The state wants people to not have any politically influential press. The government has a direct interest in the neutralization of the society in its passivization because a disunity society is not a problem for the authorities. People are disappointed with politicians, corruption and social problems. Some Eastern European countries are searching for authoritarian methods of recovery. Disappointing people, the loss of respect and vision for the future are case that one can see not only in Russian. This happens also in Europe, especially in the East - in Romania, Hungary, Poland and even in the Czech Republic, where the regional elections in the two areas were won by the Communist party.
The freedom of the media is crucial. Society should pay a big price for this. it is necessary to do anything to separate the press department from the government, business and special hired by the government people. We need the public media, need also a special independent media. In a situation of frustration, crisis, uncertain future of the global economy, it may be an issue number 1 -to have a professional independent free media, - said Grigory Yavlinsky.
- Voice of the supporters of freedom must be heard loudly - said at the Forum Madeleine Albright. When a mass murder or bombing civilian villages are take place, thanks to new technologies the world will know about it. But the technology do not have a morality, they can abuse. The Nazis used the radio. Khomeini were distributing tapes. Today the Internet recruited supporters of different ideologies. We have learned to value freedom, but we must understand who and how use it. Do not be afraid of a clash of civilizations, but we can not avoid the collision of ideas, - said Professor Albright.
I managed to talk with ф former U.S. Secretary of State alone. In an exclusive interview with the "New" Professor Madeleine Albright said:
- I hope for democratic change in Russia. The people of Russia is ripe to make their own decisions about their lives, and to have the opportunity to truly express their feelings. And I know that in Russia there are many people with different views. And as in every great country, its government must listen to the people who want to express their opposing views.
Are there any changes in the policies of Putin? it is hard to say. I think President Putin seems to not want to hear those who do not agree with him, and this is unfortunate because in a great country, you can not disagree with your leadership, and your leadership to listen to what you had to say.
Supporters of democracy should feel that they can express their views. They should not punish for it. And I'm sorry, when I see that some of the views can not be expressed in contemporary Russia. Russia is a great country. And I think that people of Russia would and could hear a lot of interesting things for themselves.
At the "Forum 2000" and Madeleine Albright made a very important point: "We need to ensure that the government respects the right of the people, including the right to peaceful and orderly rise up against injustice".
And one more detail of a history - during one of the discussions in Prague: President Vaclav Havel, for his 10 years in the City vetoed only 25 laws. In this series the highlight was to veto controversial law on television, because of which a quiet Christmas Prague in winter 2000 saw mass protests in defense of press freedom. And people in the Czech Republic were heard.
The situation in Rusiia is paradoxical: since Putin won a new election, the society began to vibrant political debate, the debate around the case of «PussiRiot». In parallel, there are continuous and steadily growing repressions, which are not a random. They reflect the line of Putin and his administration to eliminate opposition police methods. And both for the media and journalists situation becomes existential.
You can not predict what the outcome of the current situation: Russia has a freedom of speech for the educated class, but is not going to go anywhere from the politically effective "Putin machine", which is dedicated to the destruction of the idea of free political competition and structural policy reform - has forecast Alexander Morozov.
That's the difference between being in perpetual crisis of European democracy as imperfect but striving to embody the ideas of Vaclav Havel and successful development of the model of Vladimir Putin of the Russian autocracy. Mikhail Sokolov
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