Tsai Ing-Wen's Prague visit: Symbol of Taiwan's defiance against communism

Lack of prudence might be a blow to the task of building an assertive political strategy vis-à-vis China, which applies even more when we have been aware of the blatantly implemented coercive policies of China continue to challenge own Western interests.

- PAVEL FISCHER

C PRAGUE Taiwan's Former President Tsai Ing-Wen's visit to Prague on 13 October was an important milestone.

It was her first visit since leaving her country's supreme constitutional office that she had been democratically elected in by the Taiwanese for two consecutive terms. And it was an opportunity for her to convey Taiwan's determination and resilience in resisting communist authoritarianism represented by its robust neighbour.

Her message was more than understood around the world. And even more so by the citizens of the first overseas country she visited. As the Czechs profoundly experienced two totalitarian systems in their daily lives throughout the 20th century first a six-year suppression during the Nazi occupation of the country following the signature of the perfidious 1938 Munich Agreement, and later a much longer 40-year communist yoke that was one of the consequences of the 1945 Yalta Agreement, it is easy for them to draw parallels when there is a government driven by Communist ideology, as is the case in the People's Republic of China.

Mrs Tsai Ing-Wen took part in the debates at the Forum 2000 conference. This conference was founded by the late President Vaclav Havel, a true leader of the struggle for freedom, dignity, and universally acknowledged human rights, who, even from behind prison bars, did not stop challenging the regime based on daily lies, manipulations, as well as a brutal persecution of anybody who opposed the system in any way. His struggle prevailed and allowed him and his fellows to put an end to the communist regime in his country, attaining such social and political change without employing any violence.