Letter to Obama from Czech Republic: we want Democracy!

Dear Mr. President,
We have enthusiastically welcomed the policy statements of your administration in the international arena: to move in favor of complete nuclear disarmament is surely an undeniable priority of these times. The direction that you are taking in your policies is creating the basis for a peaceful and nonviolent resolution to current conflicts and is awakening in people around the world a great hope for peace.

This is why we are writing to you in good faith over a question that concerns the Czech Republic. Seventy percent of Czech citizens are against the building of a US radar base as part of the Missile Defense project, known in Europe as the Space Shield. Twenty-four separate referenda have taken place in the communities most directly affected by the possible installation of the radar base and more than 95 percent of the population declared themselves opposed to the project.

In May 2008, two young humanists in Prague went on a hunger strike to protest against the undemocratic decisions taken by the Czech government, which in turn unleashed a wave of support and solidarity across the world. Since then, the chain of hunger strikes has continued: every day a public personality fasts for a day. Scientists, academics, actors and actresses, directors, sportsmen and women, members of parliament from different political parties, including the Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament, have all taken part. A broad coalition of Mayors opposed to the radar has been formed, 13 of the 14 regional Presidents support the protest, and almost half of our MPs are against the building of the radar.

Nevertheless, an agreement has been signed between the US and Czech Governments, an agreement that has been ratified by the Czech Senate and which the Chamber of Deputies is now discussing.

We call on you to respect the will of the majority of citizens of the Czech Republic and to renounce the installation of the radar. We know that before proceeding to realize this project, you will want to consult with your allies. But it would be even more important to bear in mind the will of the people, those invisible people who today have no decision-making power, no space in the media, and are always subject to the consequences of the choices that are taken by politicians and yet are felt on the ground.

We also, like you, see a great example in Martin Luther King and in these two and a half years of protest we have often taken inspiration from his nonviolent struggle. And in a nonviolent way we will continue with strength and decision to oppose the participation of our nation in “star wars”.

We request you to stop the National Missile Defense plan, not only in the Czech Republic, but around the world. We consider it to be:
 a useless project, given that it is not possible to build a weapons system that is capable of giving a high enough probability of destroying a ballistic missile before it lands;
 a dangerous project, that will inevitably lead to all states which possess nuclear missiles to increase their arsenals and powers of destruction, in such a way that there is a guaranteed certainty of inflicting relevant damage to an enemy even in the case that some of the missiles are destroyed before reaching their target;
 a project that is dividing Europe. The Space Shield affects the security of the whole of Europe, but the previous US administration signed bilateral agreements only with the governments of two countries, the Czech Republic and Poland. Ratification processes have started without informing either the European Parliament or NATO allies and the European Parliament has never even discussed the question. In fact this project sets Europe against Russia in military and commercial terms;
 a project that aims towards the militarization of space, creating the prospect, even by accident, of a nuclear catastrophe.

The problem of security is a very important theme, but it could be resolved simply with collaboration between the USA, the European Union and Russia. A project that truly aims towards international security cannot be a purely military one.

We send our most heart-felt wishes that your actions may correspond to the hopes that your election gave to the whole world.

With our warmest greetings,
Prague, April 2, 2009
Jan Tamáš – Spokesperson of the Nonviolence Movement (145 000 signatures against the Radar)
Jan Neoral – On behalf of 56 Mayors of the League of Mayors against the Radar
Giorgio Schultze – Europe for Peace, Spokesperson for New Humanism
Petr Uhl – former dissident and Charter 77 signatory
Jiří Tutter – Greenpeace Czech Republic, Executive Director
Petr Pokorný – Researcher at Czech Academy of Science
Leoš Jeleček – Professor at Charles University
Josef Novotný – President of the Karlovy Vary Region
Jan Kavan – former President of the UN General Assembly
Aaron Tovish – Mayors for Peace, 2020 Vision Campaign, International Director
Bruce Gagnon - Global Network against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
Members of Czech Parliament:
Jiří Paroubek – former Prime Minister of the Czech Republic
Vojtěch Filip – Vice-President of the Czech Chamber of Deputies
Alena Gajdůšková – Vice-President of the Senate
Milan Štěch – Vice-President of the Senate, Chairman of the Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions
Vojtěch Adam – Member of the Czech Parliament
Vlasta Bohdalová – Member of the Czech Parliament
František Bublan – Member of the Czech Parliament
Anna Čurdová – Member of the Czech Parliament
Zdenka Dopitová – Member of the Czech Parliament
Vlasta Bohdalová – Member of the Czech Parliament
Kosta Dimitrov – Member of the Czech Parliament
Zuzka Bebarová-Rujbrová – Member of the Czech Parliament
Milan Bičík – Member of the Czech Parliament
Petr Braný – Member of the Czech Parliament
Alexander Černý – Member of the Czech Parliament
Jiří Dolejš – Member of the Czech Parliament
Václav Exner – Member of the Czech Parliament
Jiřina Fialová – Member of the Czech Parliament
Miroslav Grebeníček – Member of the Czech Parliament
Stanislav Grospič – Member of the Czech Parliament
Jan Hajda – Member of the Czech Parliament
Milada Halíková – Member of the Czech Parliament
Pavel Hojda – Member of the Czech Parliament
Kateřina Konečná – Member of the Czech Parliament
Vladimír Koníček – Member of the Czech Parliament
Pavel Kováčik – Member of the Czech Parliament
Karel Kratochvíle – Member of the Czech Parliament
Miroslav Krejča – Member of the Czech Parliament
Vladimíra Lesenská – Member of the Czech Parliament
Ivana Levá – Member of the Czech Parliament
Soňa Marková – Member of the Czech Parliament
Zdeněk Maršíček – Member of the Czech Parliament
Ladislav Mlčák – Member of the Czech Parliament
Ludmila Navrátilová – Member of the Czech Parliament
Ivan Ohlídal – Member of the Czech Parliament
Miroslav Opálka – Member of the Czech Parliament
Jiřina Rippelová – Member of the Czech Parliament
Václav Snopek – Member of the Czech Parliament
Josef Šenfeld – Member of the Czech Parliament
Karel Šidlo – Member of the Czech Parliament
Ladislav Šincl – Member of the Czech Parliament
Josef Vondruška – Member of the Czech Parliament
Miloslava Vostrá – Member of the Czech Parliament

Members of European, Belgian and German Parliaments:
Luisa Morgantini – Vice-President of the European Parliament
Vittorio Agnoletto – Member of the European Parliament
Giusto Catania – Member of the European Parliament
Giulietto Chiesa – Member of the European Parliament
Richard Falbr – Member of the European Parliament
Umberto Guidoni – Member of the European Parliament
Gisela Kallenbach – Member of the European Parliament
Jaromír Kohlíček – Member of the European Parliament
Jiří Maštálka – Member of the European Parliament
Roberto Musacchio – Member of the European Parliament
Miloslav Ransdorf – Member of the European Parliament
Tobias Pflüger – Member of the European Parliament
José Daras – Member of the Belgian Parliament
Josy Dubié – Member of the Belgian Parliament
Geert Lambert – Member of the Belgian Parliament
Philippe Mahoux – Member of the Belgian Parliament
Freya Piryns – Member of the Belgian Parliament
Myriam Vanlerberghe – Member of the Belgian Parliament
Brunhilde Irber – Member of the German Parliament