I left Czechoslovakia in 1969 exactly one year after the invasion by Soviet Union. I was part of low profile dissident group and I know how the members of more prominent dissident groups such as Charter 77 were treated. Although I did not know Vavlav Havel personally, I was well informed about activities and ideology of that group of intellectuals by my friend who was in close contact with them. I got great admiration for them achieving major ideological reversal without the bloodshed and later on, splitting Czechoslovakia to two independent countries – Czech Republic and Slovak Republic again without any bloodshed. Personally I do have reservations about decision not to prosecute former communists for crimes they inflicted on large part of population. Funny enough almost all of prominent communists are now wealthy and prominent capitalists. It shows how deep the political conviction and ideology goes.
I’m Aussie and had been for long time. This is just reflection on my past life. Just word of warning. Never assume that what had happened in 1968 in Czechoslovakia can never ever happen in Australia. Without right political, economical and military alliances we may woke up one morning with tanks of some foreign power rolling thru the streets of our towns .
Anyhow RIP Vaclav Havel you deserve your place in the history of the nation.
