Survey of the most important Czech massmedias on Tibet issue from Saturday, March the 9th till Tuesday, March the 12th.

(About previous publicity we informed of Friday, the 8th of March)

SATURDAY, 9th OF MARCH:

Newspapers:

LIDOVE NOVINY, page 7: Article written by J.Masek, editor of foreign department of this daily, titled "Freedom For Tibet" and begun by: "Mayors of more than 550 cities will fly the Tibetan flag on their city-halls on the 10th of March. Among cities as Rome, Brussels, Liverpool and Sarajevo will be represented also Hradec Kralove, Horni Plana, Litomerice and Prague 3." The author continues by explaining the importance of 10th of March, reminds the circumstaces and consequences of Lhasa insurrection in 1959 as well as the massive tranfers of Chinese population into Tibet. Notes that recent Chinese interference on the choice of Panchen Lama is just the last example of the real aims of People s Republic of China. Concludes that powerful states prefer economical interests to the respecting of human rights in Tibet.

LIDOVE NOVINY, page 3: Small note informes that the vice-chaiman of Left Block Josef Hajek considers the fact that Hradec Kralove will fly the Tibetan flag to be a hard interference into internal affairs of China.

SVOBODNE SLOVO, page 4: Headline "The Mayor of Hradec Kralove Considers the Support of Tibet To Be a Moral Duty". This report informs that Hradec Kralove joined the campagne "Freedom for Tibet", initiated by Transnational Radical Party and supported by more than 310 (? - OC) mostly European mayors. It says that in spite of the fact that this city decided to join this campagne several month ago, last week it was again on the program of the City Council, because the Chinese Embassy asked the Council to change its decision. The Council, however, insisted on its previous decision. "It is the decision of the City Authority, which does not have to be in absolute harmony with the governmantal line of foreign policy, which seems to be rather more tolerant to the way how China applyes human rights than the members of City Council of Hradec Kralove are", said the Lord Mayor Martin Dvorak. "I think that we owe this morally to all the nations where the human rights are violate

d", he add.

MLADA FRONTA DNES, 4th page: Headline "European Cities Will Remember The Tibetan Insurrection". Article informes about the demonstration in Prague prepared for Monday and continues by: "The representatives of Transnational Radical Party, which participates in this action, informed that 24 european cities in total will fly the Tibetan flag as the remebrance of the anniversary of Tibetan isurrection. In Czech Republic it will be Hradec Kralove, Litomerice, Horni Plana and Prague 3. Olomouc after the consultation with Zlin, Brno, Opava and Ostrava will not join this campagne".

(Czech Coordinating Committee for 10th of March have immediatelly sent to the Editor-in-chief of MF DNES the request to publish the press correction - OC.)

SUDAY, 10th of MARCH:

Television:

In the main news programme at 7.30 p.m. of the Czech state television there was broadcasted about 5 minutes long shot. It started by informations about the international campagne "Flag for Tibet" illustrating it by a shot from Hradec Kralove and Prague 3, while the Mayors put the Tibetan flag on their city-halls. Then there was broadcasted a shot from the demonstration in Brussels, and informations about the international campagne "Freedom for Tibet". The Transnational Radical Party was named in it several times as the initiator of these initiatives.

MONDAY, 11th of MARCH:

Newspapers:

MF DNES, 3th page: Headline "The City Halls Flyed the Tibetan Flag In Spite Of Protests Of Chiese Diplomats". Report - followed by a big snap (18 X 9cm) of Tibetan flag on the city-hall of Prague 3 - informes about the international action in which more that 5 hundred cities flyes the Tibetan flags on their City Halls and which is organized by Transnational Radical Party. Reports about the protests of Cinese Embassy to the Council of Hradec Kralove and Prague 3 against their participation in this campagne. Repeats the statement of the head of press department of Czech Foreign Ministry, Mr. Boruvka, who said that the Ministry will not enter this argument and that Czech Republic is for indivisible China.

MF DNES, page 9: Headline "The Dalai Lama Protested Against Further Represion in Tibet". This report - followed by a snap illustrating the coronation of a boy choosen by Chinese to the Panchen Lama - cites the message of The Dalai Lama on the occasion of the 37th anniversary of Tibetan insurrection. Informes also about the situation of Tibetans after the year 1951 and repeats that the requests of the Dalai Lama to get the large autonomy did not get any result from the Chinese Authorities. Report brings again the informations about the results of "Flag for Tibet" campagne.

ZEMSKE NOVINY, page 2: Headline "The Tibetan Flags Hangs On The Czech Cities In Spite of Hard Protests Of Chinese Embassy. The report - also followed by a large snap of Tibetan flag on the City Hall of Hradec Kralove - informes about the intenational campagne for the 10th of March, organized by Transnational Radical Party, and about the protests of Chinese Embassy against support of this action from the site of Czech Cities.

LIDOVE NOVINY, page 5

SVOBODNE SLOVO, page 4

both daily newpapers published similar reports as forementioned in the previous one - Zemske noviny.

LIDOVE NOVINY, page 6: Title "Tibetan Uprising". Text: "About 4.000 people from all over Europe marched yesterday through Brussels to the building of European Parliament to remember the 37th anniversary of Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule".

Television:

In the main news programme at 7.30p.m. of the Czech state television there was broadcasted a long shot from the demonstration in front of the Chinese Embassy in Prague. It was said that this action was held to support the worlwide campagne for Tibet s freedom.

In the commentary programme at 9 p.m. devoted every day to the main events was broadcasted again the shot from the demonstration in Prague together with the survey of the history of Tibet after 1950. Viliam Buchert, one of the prominent journalist, was invited to comment and analyze the situation. He said that the international campagne and all supportive actions for the improving the situation of Tibetans are very important and can bring good results. He added that to be on the side of those who suffer is the duty of everyone and that no economical arguments can be used for neglecting the violation of human rights anywhere. "It is clear that those commercial and industrial companies, which are able to compete are respected in China while no political appeacement can help those companies who are not able to compete in the market", he said.

TUESDAY, 12th MARCH:

Newspapers:

MF DNES, page 2: Headline "Hundreds Of People Requested The Freedom For Tibet". Report - followed by a big snap of demonstrators with Tibetan flag - informes about yesterday s demonstration in front of Chinese Embassy in Prague. Stanislav Penc from HOST is cited:"We are sure that by organizing such actions we will succeed to convince our politicians to adopt the resolution condemning the occupation of Tibet and violations of human rights in China".

MF DNES, page 12: Article titled "Tibet Deserves Support, China Cooperation" written by Viliam Buchert. The author analyses the situation of Tibet and explains why it makes sense to support Tibetans. "To criticise that Tibetan flags fly on several places in Czech Republic is wrong, because this fact does not endanger Czech national interests"..."The market with China after 1989 decreased not because of our political activities, but because of unability of companies"..."Claiming that political activities lead to damaging economical relationship are not true".

LIDOVE NOVINY, page 3: Title "The Mayor Answers The Criticism Of Leftists". Report publishes the anwer of Mayor of Hradec Kralove to the criticism of Josef Hajek (Left Block), who stated that the fact that Hradec Kralove will fly the Tibetan flag is a hard interference into internal affairs of China. "Mr. Hajek has because of his party s origin (Communist Party) hard difficulties to understand what the competence of the authority means. The times when cities could do only what the party decided are already over", said the Mayor of Hradec Kralove Martin Dvorak.

SVOBODNE SLOVO, page 3: Snap with the informations from the yesterdays demonstration in Prague.

ZEMSKE NOVINY, page 2: Headline "The Chinese Embassy Considers The Tibetan Flags On Cityhalls To Be a Interference". Report informs about the campagne of Mayors, protests against it from the side of Chinese Authorities, attitude of Czech Foreign Ministry and the demonstration in Prague.