The Guardian 22 February, 2006
Appeal for solidarity
with Czech communist youth
An international campaign of solidarity with the Communist Youth Union of the Czech Republic [KSM] is under way in order to protest the arbitrary attacks by the Czech Government and the threat that the organisation will be banned on March 4, this year.
The World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY), a large number of youth organisations, political parties, trade unions and many mass organisations and movements, national and European MPs, as well as many well known intellectuals from many countries have responded to the appeal of the comrades of the KSM. Many of them have sent strong protests to Czech Embassies and authorities.
The campaign of solidarity with the KSM is part of the struggle against the anti-communist drive in Europe. The international mobilisation against the anti-communist motion of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe was successful last month in preventing the implementation of a resolution attempting to criminalise the ideology of communism and equating it with Nazi fascism.
Guardian readers with access to the internet can endorse and distribute a petition which is being circulated in solidarity with the KSM. The petition can be endorsed on line at http://4ksm.kke.gr/.
All signatures will be delivered to the Czech authorities, the European Parliament and to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Alternatively, letters may be sent to the addresses below.
The comrades of the KSM will be grateful to receive a copy of your protests:
international@ksm.cz
Fax: ++ 420 222 897 426
Copy of Petition
Solidarity With The Communist Youth Union — KSM
We, the undersigned, vehemently protest the arbitrary judicial actions taken by the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic aiming to repeal the "civic association" status of the Communist Youth Union — KSM.
These actions, rooted on political and ideological discrimination, can only be considered as part of an unjust , anti-democratic and anti-communist campaign, that seeks to restrict the freedom of association and expression of the Czech Republic’s people and, in particular, of its youth.
The initiatives against KSM are an inadmissible form of political and ideological manipulation which, in targeting the Communists attempt once again to criminalise communist ideology and any social action demanding implementation of the legitimate aspirations of the youth regarding peace, education, work, solidarity, a clean environment and progressive culture for all.
The attempt to coerce the KSM into changing its ideological base, or have its activity banned represents, just a short time before the parliamentary elections, a new and serious attack as well as against the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia, a Party that is the third most influential in the country’s Parliament.
In effect these measures directly undermine a full range of liberties and democratic guarantees for the people of the Czech Republic.
This new action by the Czech government aims to give new impetus to the various discriminations targeting already the communists and whitewashing the crimes carried out by the supporters of fascist and Nazi ideology and policy.
We express our full solidarity with the Communist Youth Union — KSM , with the communists and other progressive minded people of the Czech Republic in their fight in defence of elementary democratic rights and liberties.
We demand the immediate end to the attacks and direct steps to restore basic democratic liberties for the Czech youth and the free action of the Communist Youth Union — KSM.J
Home Office of the Czech Republic
Ministerstvo vnitra oddeleni volebni a sdruzovani
Namesti Hrdinu 3,
140 21 Praha 4
Czech Republic
Fax:++ 420 974 816 872or
Embassy Czech Republic
8 Culgoa Circuit
O’Malley ACT 2606
Tel : 02 6290 1386
Fax : 02 6290 0006