Letter of czech mayors and nonviolent movement to Obama

[While I wish they'd write to the US Senate and remind it of its duty to approve or reject all treaties, this is the right message and well-intentioned. -DS]

22.11.2008

Dear President-elect Obama:

Please accept our congratulations on your victory in the United States presidential election.

We address this appeal to you due to our concern for the preservation of the democratic process in the Czech Republic and for the security of the European community.

As you know, the Bush government and the Czech government have agreed to place the military radar base of the US National Missile Defense (NMD) system on Czech territory. Two thirds of the Czech citizenry do not, in the long term, agree with the arrangement. Despite thier opposition, the Czech government has signed agreements with the United States that are due to be ratified shortly by the Parliament. The current deputieswere elected before there was any public discussion about the project, however, and the involvement of the Czech Republic in the NMD system was not on any Czech parliamentary election platform.

The plan to place elements of this system in the heart of Europe is causing tension between USA and Russia, as well as between USA and the European Union, and will lead to a new expansion of the arms race. We are concerned that due to this advanced system, Europe will become the main battlefield in a potential international conflict and that the Czech Republic would be, due to the radar, the target of a first attack. The matter is made even more sensitive by the fact that after the fall of communism in 1989, the Czech people vowed that a foreign army would never again be stationed on their territory.

We kindly ask you to reassess the attitude of the US government towards the placement of NMD elements in Europe and to put a stop to this very dangerous and unstable project. We hope that the change so strongly symbolized by your victory will turn into reality, that the new American leadership can move us all in the direction of a world without wars and violence, and that the tendency towards the escalation of arms and military aggression will be replaced instead by investment into areas that contribute to real human development.

We entreat you as the president of a country that has long symbolized democracy to respect the will of the Czech citizens, who are being deprived of their democratic rights by their own government.

Yours faithfully,

Jan Tamás, spokesperson of Non-violence Movement
Dana Feminová, spokesperson of Europe for Peace
League Mayors against radar:
Jan Neoral, Trokavec mayor
Josef Řihák, Příbram mayor
Jitka Říhová, Láz mayor
Josef Hála, Jince mayor
Josef Vondrášek, Rožmitál pod Třemšínem mayor
Václav Hudec, Štítov mayor
Miroslav Leitermann, Nepomuk mayor
Ladislav Turek, Bohutín mayor
Josef Karas, Obecnice mayor
Stanislav Sláma, Drahlín mayor
Josef Škvára, Sádek mayor
Jan Kohout, Křešín mayor
Jiří Prokeš, Hluboš mayor
Radek Walter, Tochovice mayor
Václav Koubík, Hůrky mayor
Lubomír Fiala , Vísky mayor
Libor Štorkán, Felbabka mayor
Josef Hrubý, Zaječov mayor
Jiří Chvojka, Chaloupky mayor
Ladislav Stelšovský, Podluhy mayor
Bohumír Vítek, Volenice mayor
Karel Daniel, Vševidy mayor
Karel Dražan, Bezděkov mayor
Daniel Synek, Sedlice mayor
Pavel Hutr, Věšín mayor
Tomáš Čížek, Chrást mayor
Karel Palivec, Předmíř mayor
Stanislav Kramosil, Hvožďany mayor
Zdeněk Vrbka, Bratkovice mayor
Miloslav Suchý, Skořice mayor
Josef Stehlík, Vranovice mayor

In support
Giulietto Chiesa - EMP
Anna Curdova – deputy czech parliament