Adam Černý on Václav Havel, Russia and China

The three-day period of official mourning for the late former president Václav Havel begins today in the Czech Republic. While condolences have been coming in from around the world, not a word has been heard from China and Russia has merely sent a  telegram. Standing up for human rights clearly has its price, columnist Adam Černý writes in the business paper Hospodářské noviny: "Small states have always had a hard time standing their ground vis-á-vis big ones, policy experts tell us. For the Czech Republic that means: criticism of human rights policy in Russia and China has cost us valuable trade deals. But experience tells us that those who refrain from expressing criticism can't expect to benefit from their reserve. ... Certainly, China's and Russia's behaviour can't be misconstrued. For the Czech Republic, however, it's clear: refraining from criticising human rights violations in the future would contradict our values and run counter to our interests."

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