Hong Kong Free Press, 1 April 2016
A former Czech opposition party leader hung two Tibetan flags on the window of the Chamber of Deputies in Prague, later called the Chinese president Xi Jinping “a dictator who allows mass executions” during Xi’s visit on Tuesday, the Czech News Agency (CTK) reported on Tuesday.
The former foreign minister, Karl Schwarzenberg, who took part in the action, told CTK that the demonstration was in opposition to a dictator who allows mass executions and who has introduced a cult of his own personality and imposed strict censorship.
“I have never come across such servility as I can see now,” Schwarzenberg said, “Even Hacha never invited Hitler here.”
Schwarzenberg was referencing the President of Czechoslovakia under the Nazi occupation, Emil Hacha.
On the first day of Xi’s arrival, the Chinese leader was greeted by rows of supporters as well as demonstrators.
Anna Vošalíková, founder of NGO the Forum 2000 Foundation, told Radio Prague there had been more negative than positive reactions to Xi’s visit. The NGO aimed to draw attention to human rights abuses by opening an Information Centre for Democracy and Human Rights in China during Xi’s time in Prague.
The current Czech President Miloš Zeman told CCTV that Xi’s visit is “a restart” after a “very bad relationship” between China and the previous Czech government over claims of human rights abuses.
During Xi’s two-day visit, the heads of the two governments signed a strategic partnership treaty. Zeman expects that China will invest 95 billion korunas (HK$30.9bn) in the Czech Republic this year, CTK reported.
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