VZCZCXRO6401
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSL #0392 2351023
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 221023Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1930
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000392 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL CZ LO
SUBJECT: 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF 1968 INVASION SLIPS BY QUIETLY 
 
¶1. (SBU) The fortieth anniversary of the Warsaw Pact's August 
21, 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia was observed in small, 
lightly attended ceremonies around Slovakia. Czech President 
Vaclav Klaus attended a short wreath-laying ceremony near 
Comenius University in Bratislava with Slovak President 
Gasparovic, while Slovak PM Robert Fico spent the day in 
Prague with Czech PM Topolanek. (Besides highlighting the 
unity of Czechs and Slovaks, the exchange of presidents and 
PMs enabled Fico, a former Communist with Russophile 
tendencies, the opportunity to avoid most official domestic 
observances - and domestic media.) 
 
¶2. (SBU) Like recent official commemorations of the November 
1989 Velvet Revolution, which have been scaled back 
dramatically under the current Slovak government, the 
fortieth anniversary was observed with less pomp than, for 
example, the 37th anniversary during the last year of then-PM 
Dzurinda's center-right government. But while the government 
coalition members took a low-key approach to the observances, 
representatives of the three right-of-center opposition 
parties made a point of turning out in force. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Visiting the Czech Republic, Slovak PM Fico praised 
the slogan of the Prague Spring, "Socialism with a human 
face," speculating that if 1968 had ended as it began, Czechs 
and Slovaks might have attained a standard of living as high 
as Austria's by now. Fico declared himself in strong 
agreement with the tradition of Alexandre Dubcek, the 
ethnic-Slovak leader of the Czechoslovak Communist Party in 
1968, who advocated a liberalization process within the 
Communist system. 
 
¶4. (U) Ambassador Obsitnik visited the site of the official 
commemoration, Safarikovo Square, where the all-news channel 
TA3 was staging live broadcasts throughout the day. During an 
interview with TA3, the Ambassador recalled his anger upon 
hearing news of Soviet tanks invading Czechoslovakia, but 
also said he felt proud of those who had resisted the Soviet 
invasion.  The Ambassador said Russia's attack on Georgia is 
evidence that such events can still happen today.  "We must 
never forget that such tragedies are still possible, and that 
we can prevent them only if we remain vigilant and active in 
support of democratic values and human rights," the 
Ambassador said. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Media coverage of the anniversary was light in 
comparison to past years. Only one of the major Slovak 
dailies (Sme) covered the anniversary as its lead story, and 
only the above-mentioned TA3 broadcasts devoted time to the 
observances outside of normal news hours.  TA3 also hosted an 
exhibit of photographs from the days just after the invasion. 
 When Poloffs visited in the early afternoon, about a dozen 
people were viewing the pictures, mostly middle-aged Slovaks 
stopping by in their daily rounds. 
 
¶6. (U) One of the most telling signs of the new perspective 
on 1968 was the sudden appearance on August 20th of red 
foodprints around downtown Bratislava.  On them was printed 
"Invasion. 21.8."  The prints led invariably to shops where 
one learned that the Apple i-Phone was to go on sale at 
midnight on August 21. Poloff was unable to find anyone who 
thought the advertisement could be considered in poor taste, 
although he was able to find a handful of 20-somethings who 
did not recognize the reference to 1968. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Comment: With the fastest-growing economy in the EU 
and Euro adoption only a few months away, it is not 
surprising to find Slovaks more focused on their relatively 
happy present than on the sad events of 40 years ago.  It may 
also be that 1968 is becoming a date in ancient history for 
many Slovaks, who now learn about it in school and perhaps 
hear about it from grandparents.  Certainly the current 
government has no incentive to remind anyone of what happened 
then.  And while some columnists--as well as the 
Ambassador--cited clear parallels between 1968 and the recent 
Russian invasion of Georgia, few of the official speakers 
made the obvious linkages.  End comment. 
 
OBSITNIK