I’m one of those people that has difficulty writing anything negative about Vaclav Havel, and not only for his defiance in the darkest days of the communist regime and his heroic role during the Velvet Revolution. I’ve lived here in Prague for a long time and both during his presidency and after, you can almost always count on Havel saying and doing the right thing: from supporting dissidents worldwide and civic activists at home to critiquing the excesses of Czech-style capitalism and acting as an effective foil to his long-time rival, Vaclav Klaus.
But I think this time Havel has made a mistake. In case you missed it (from the newssite Czech Position):
President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia, in Prague to attend the three-day Forum 2000 conference, on Monday awarded former Czech president Václav Havel his country’s highest state honor — the Order of Saint George. Accepting the award in the Georgian embassy, Havel said he hoped Georgia would return to the country’s official borders soon without bloodshed.
According to the Czech News Agency (ČTK), Havel called for Georgia to be given open access to all EU institutions and the right to decide its choose its defense allegiance without outside pressure. This was a clear call for Georgia to be allowed to join NATO and for Russia not to pressure the former Soviet state to do otherwise.
Clearly, Havel is one of Georgia’s biggest, high-level boosters, and this was an opportunity to thank him.
“We are all sons of Vaclav Havel,” Saakashvili said at the award ceremony, according to Rustavi 2, a Georgian channel. “For anybody who grew up on the other side of the iron curtain and dreamt of freedom or democracy, for activists and reformist leaders all over the world and especially in our region, I think his name resonates more than anyone else’s. The end of the Soviet Union was not the end of history; it was the beginning of history for all of us. Thanks to you and many others, Vaclav, we were allowed to leave the cold museum.”
Should Havel, however, have accepted such an award or even put himself into position to be offered such an award? Let’s put aside for now, the long-running criticism of Saakashvili’s centralization of power and neutering of the opposition. We can even chalk up to bad judgment that he was one of the first to congratulate Lukashenka for his victory in the deeply flawed elections of last December (Saakashvili’s view was: any enemy of Russia is a friend of mine).
But does everyone already forget his government’s overwhelming use of force against unarmed demonstrators in 2007? Human Rights Watch published a 102-page report at the time and concluded:
“Our research clearly shows that the Georgian government crossed the line when police chased and beat peaceful demonstrators, and threatened and intimidated journalists,” said Holly Cartner, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The November 7 police operations were not legitimate means of policing. They have done serious damage to Georgia’s reputation as a champion of human rights.”
Besides all the nasty violence used against protestors, special forces troops also raided the Imedi television station and shut it down, forcing journalists to lie on the ground with pistols to their heads.
And it isn’t as if Saakashvili and the government suddenly learned their lessons and no longer do this sort of thing, as HRW has continued to document:
“I am writing to express our profound concern about the growing number of physical attacks on opposition activists and peaceful demonstrators who have been engaging in the protests that began in Tbilisi on April 9,” wrote Holly Cartner, executive director of the Europe and Central Asia division in the spring of 2009. “Based on reports by the ombudsman’s office and the Public Advocacy NGO Coalition, and a number of Human Rights Watch interviews with victims, we are concerned that the attacks appear to be a concerted effort to intimidate the demonstrators and prevent them from exercising their right to freedom of assembly.”
And this from earlier this year:
“Even if the Tbilisi demonstration was unauthorized, nothing can justify the beating of largely peaceful demonstrators,” said Rachel Denber, Europe and Central Asia deputy director at Human Rights Watch. “Police responsible for beating protesters should be held to account.”
Police pursued fleeing demonstrators, kicking and beating many, using rubber truncheons. In one case, they chased down demonstrators who had taken shelter in a nearby cinema, detaining them and kicking and beating many as they exited. One journalist who was briefly detained reported to local media that he had seen a large number of injured protesters at the Tbilisi main police station, some requiring medical assistance.
All of that should have been enough to possibly negate an invitation for Saakashvili to Forum 2000 and certainly for Havel to accept such an award, unless he would have been willing to offer some constructive criticism. Instead, Havel offered only praise, and with it his moral authority, something especially meaningful to Saakashvili. In contrast, the support of realists in North America and Western Europe is fully transparent: They are solely concerned with Georgia’s role in the region as a counterweight to Russia and will let the Georgian president off with minor rebukes as long as he stays the course. One would expect more of Vaclav Havel.
Photo by Martin Kozák from Wikimedia Commons.
November 22nd, 2012
5 Comments at "Vaclav Havel’s Error in Judgment"
As the former CEO of Imedi television, I was one of those who had a gun placed to his head the night of November 7, 2007. I continue to be amazed at the way the United States continues to warm up to Saakishvili. It is very obvious that he does not have the good of the Georgian people as his most important value………rather the good for himself!
With Putin now suggesting a “eurozone” made of up the former Soviet Union Counties………..Saakishvili will continue to enjoy his “position” among Western Leaders and those of Europe as well.
Regards,
Lewis Robertson
Peaceful protests? Really? Protestors killing a police officer, attacking bystanders with truncheons. That isn’t a peaceful demonstration by any standards.
I think in your very long and not well justified article here you are forgetting that Georgia is not a EU MEMBER and they still have many thing to learn and do. I am a UK citizen and all the above issues blaming Georgian Government could be raised even in UK and anywhere in Europe. The way Police handling protest actions and how monopolized is the some of the Europe’s core country Media and power is. You are forgetting that even Baltic countries and other eastern European countries who are members of EU are abusing human rights when it comes to the demonstration and democracy. Having Berlusconi as a PM in Italy and France been one of the corrupted courtiers after Italy I think Georgia looks a model of the current changes in Caucasus, where Armenia is still leaving a life of USSR and totally corrupted and poor country and Azerbaijan does not even needs or wants to make any change in relations to Human Right and Democracy. I think you are not aware of the situation on the ground in any of the ex USSR countries and you are forgetting that what Georgia has Achieve in last 7 years was something nobody ever hoped for. Would you achieve the result they have now with 100% Democratic approach ??? Answer is NO. So Georgia has done some amazing move towards civilized world/society and maybe still has a long way to go but if it is a subject to comparison to some of the EU member countries, it is well ahead of Italy in terms of Corruption reduction and Freedom of Speech (where opposition has its own TV stations)
SO I do not agree with you in any way and you are taking some of the issues here which are not relevant to the issue of granting st, George Order to the person who iniciated and helped Georgia with its current reforms.
There are many grey areas in Georgian politics and Saakashvili’s judgement – let alone some of what it has precipitated – is highly questionable. The loss of territory resulting from his misjudgement is the most obvious example, but it is easily arguable that he was goaded into his actions in that instance at least. All this Havel has to consider when accepting the award.
I doubt that Havel is greatly concerned with awards and his acceptance of this one should be seen in that context. The article says “Havel offered only praise”. If so, it should have quoted some examples – I see no ‘praise’. Likewise, I see only references to Georgia rather than Saakashvili. As quoted, he expresses his aspirations for the return of territory (which he obviously regards as illegally occupied, however the occupation came about) and Georgia’s right to determine its future without outside interference. He thus has had to weigh an opportunity to express support for Georgia against accepting an award from someone about whom he probably has considerable doubts. And, in passing, it is worth mentioning that Havel can threaten to return an award with damning effect.
Were Havel to sup with the Devil, I would expect him to use the requisite long spoon. There is no evidence in this article that he has acted otherwise. If he has, it should be set out more clearly.
Before making conclusions and writing articles about Georgian internal politics, inform yourself better. Saakashvili is on of the world level leaders, what he has achieved so far in such short period, take in consideration all the circumstances where Georgia is. It’s easy to criticize and read reports, but another is reality which is in Georgia. You better visit Georgia and see with your eyes.
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