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Join the mailing list: info/subscribe/unsubscribe mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] . ====================================================================================== ====================== CP of Bohemia and Moravia,To the problems of the so called political extremism ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia http://www.kscm.cz , mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ====================================================================================== ======================== To the problems of the so called political extremism This document has been worked out by the expert group for security policy of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (CPBM). Official documents have been used for its elaboration, especially: Report on the problems of extremism on the territory of the Czech Republic in 1998 and 1999 submitted by the Government to the House of Deputies of the Parliament of the CR, Report on the situation in the area of public order on the territory of the CR in 1998 and 1999, Report on the activity of the Security and Information Service (SIS) in the period since January 1, 1996, to December 31, 1997, and since January 1, 1998, to December 31, 1999, and the medium-term conception of the Ministry of Interior for the years 2000 - 2003. The purpose of this document is to offer a critical view on the problems of "extremism" presented by the Government, namely and especially in the sphere of the security police practice and partially criminal-legal one. Thus the document does not analyse the issues connected with this term from the political and sociological views, etc. I. About "extremism" generally The term "extremism", as it is understood by the Government of the CR, Ministry of Interior of the CR and other state authorities of the CR and interpreted in the Report on the problems of extremism on the territory of the CR in 1999, is an incorrect, dubious, entirely and purposely political and ideological term. It does not appear in the legal system of the CR. It cannot be found in international agreements on human rights, especially in the International Pact of the United Nations on human rights and fundamental liberties but it does not appear either in the European Convention on human rights and liberties. This term is missing also in solid political and sociological works and publications. In the political literature in Western Europe and USA a considerable attention is paid to the existence, spreading and especially to an after-several-decades since the 2nd World War unexpectedly fast growth of different movements, called in aggregate - rightist extremism. Some political scientists question the term "extremism" and point to the fact that it can lead to excessive simplifications. Besides political sciences, a range of other social-scientific subjects is engaged in studies of political and social roots from which "extremism" rises, and possibilities how to confront it. Also a majority of political parties take more or less an unambiguous stand to these problems and activities of "extremists". Some authors point with growing worries to the fact that especially in the Federal Republic of Germany, Great Britain, France, and Italy but also with a comparable intensity in Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium and other places in Europe, but also in the USA, stimulation and spreading of fascist, neo-nazi and racist ideologies take place. Primarily then it is the case of a formation of fascist organisations and groups that propagate and apply in their activities racism, anti-Semitism or nationalism. With a growing migration of the population also xenophobia that lets off steam by a hostility and hatred towards foreigners, especially towards foreign manpower, gets through more and more expressively in the life of a number of European states. It would be however erroneous to believe that similar "moods" are spread only by extremist rightist groups. Nationalism, nationally motivated intolerance and tensions, opposition against immigration, a requirement to control and put limits to immigration, etc., are also a part of the political agenda and activity of European right-wing political parties. Their policy practically blends with the activities of rightist extremists, inspires and encourages their militant practice. The main result of the operation of extreme right wing is represented by a shift of some requirements forward and their enforcement by more aggressive, brutal methods. This connection is especially expressively manifested in the countries of Middle and Eastern Europe in the situation that developed after dissolution of the socialist community and collapse of the historically first attempt to constitute a socially just socialist regime. In the political conditions that developed in those countries, there exists an especially favourable milieu for anticommunism, penetrating not only through the activity of political parties but also through that of the bodies of the state and public administration, to become the leading ideology. This creates a nutrient medium for spreading of extreme rightist tendencies, for a penetration of fascist, neo-nazi, racist, anti-Semitic and xenophobia moods and elements into a political and social life. As to activation of extremism, its political and ideological roots, the situation in the CR is not an exception; it is rather a clear illustration of the state described above. The activity of extreme organisations and groups of a different orientation is manifested and develops also in the political life of the CR. Also on the Czech political scene, there operate organisations and groups of a prevailingly anarchist orientation that claim to be leftist. Activities are developed even by organisations that even claim to be communist. It applies also fully to them that they have nothing common with the fight of those who seek a really democratic, socially just political-economic system. The methods they use provide the state authorities with a pretext for to strengthen repressions and formation of bodies specially trained and equipped for to repress demonstrations that need not to be triggered always by organised extremists but by a worsening social situation. The Government in its resolution No 720/1999 to the problems of "extremism" legalises by its decision the activity of intelligence services and the Parliament of the CR when following and frightening critics of the actual political-economic system. This directive of the Government was found its reflection in the approved "Medium-term conception of the Ministry of Interior in 2000 - 2003". The Government introduces in the report on the problems of extremism a practice that is in contradiction with the article 5 of the Constitution of the Czech Republic that establishes a free competition for gaining political power in the state (by democratic constitutional means). Its evidently discriminates groups of citizens for their political conviction. It is also in contradiction with the Paper of fundamental rights and freedoms of the citizens, especially with the Chapter 1, article 3 guaranteeing rights and freedoms to all without distinguishing their political or other convictions, and with the Chapter II, articles 10, 17, 19, 20 on the protection of human decency, freedom of expression, right of gathering in associations, etc. Important is also the article 2, paragraph 3, saying explicitly that everybody may do what the law does not forbid, and nobody must be forced to do what the law does not impose. State authorities may do only what they are explicitly authorised to do by the law. Our criminal and administrative legislation does not know the term extremism. It is necessary to see the roots of the so-called extremist scene in the CR first of all in the deepening abyss between rich and poor and in the non-functionality of the system of political democracy. It is also a result of the change of cultural values, problem of the national identity and the process of the international integration. International migration and immigration raises xenophobia and anti-Semitism, a sense of menace in the people conscience. They are also seen as one of the causes of unemployment. Antagonism towards foreigners that we meet in a part of our society, cannot be narrowed only to relics of the past or relationship with former fascist movements. They have their actual causes - hatred towards foreigners is connected with real social-political problems, above all heavy social problems, they have their reflection among frustrated and disoriented individuals; it imposes an extremely rightist culture and rightist political slogans on them. That is why it cannot represent a primordial interest of the Police of the CR and intelligence services, efforts to create specialised bodies cannot be therefore supported. The Police of the CR have to focus to the protection of public order by legal means but also to the protection of foreigners who become easily victims of criminal activities and target of xenophobia and racist attacks. This practice of the Government of the CR, transferred into activities of intelligence services and Police of the CR appears as illegitimate and is close to a violation of the Constitution. It strengthens in its substance the police character of the state. As it was said above, since 1998 the Government of the CR submits to the House of Deputies of the PCR Reports on the problems of extremism on the territory of the CR in which it expresses the point of view of the ruling elite to this phenomenon, and measures how to confront a growing extremism in the CR, from the view how to maintain its positions and power. These "Reports ..." are extensive enough (the last report for 1999 had 90 pages and the same volume of annexes) and are in some parts prevailingly identical with the Reports on the situation in the area of public order submitted by the Ministry of Interior and with Annual reports on the activity of the Security Information Service. The Government declares that the Report is to be a background document for political decisions of the government. The Government agrees in the report that extremism is a political and not legal term, it cannot be confused with the terms such as for instance "terrorist", "criminal" etc. Some political scientists question the term extremism and warn that it can lead to excessive simplifications. It is especially the case of expert literature of Anglo-American provenience. Regardless of this observation the Government however affirms that for a report of this kind this term must be introduced and used. It therefore creates its own definition of extremism. Exact quotations of the most serious parts of the Report are mentioned in the annex to this document. II. Attitude of the CPBM to the problems of "extremism" The CPBM resolutely refuses any violation of the Constitution and legal order of the CR under any pretext. It is a defender of the legal state, consistent observation of laws, especially of the Constitution and Paper of fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens as of a part of the constitutional order of the CR. From this point of view it approaches also to the problems of "extremism". According to our opinion this phenomenon is a pathological phenomenon of the societies worldwide. It should be therefore studied by several disciplines, namely from the political, sociological, legal and other views. It is necessary to study especially the causes of this phenomenon and its individual aspects. It is not a purpose of this document to study legitimacy of this term itself but to express a critical view to the governmental approach to these problems. It is not possible to agree with the introduction of the term "extremism" in the criminal-legal and security-police practices. It is necessary to refuse a definition of "extremism" in a shape interpreted in the Report. It is, according to our opinion, a case of a slip that resulted in a negative impact on some groups of the citizens of the CR. The definition formulation is motivated unambiguously by political and ideological views. Identically the term "criminal acts with extremist implication" is dubious. Criminal law does not know this term, in addition criminal acts under this title mentioned in the Report are sufficiently qualified in the Criminal Code. Similar is the case of assignment mentioned in the Report for intelligence services and the PCR that has got also negative implications and discriminates some groups of citizens. It is declared in the Report that it is to serve political decisions of the government. A substance and a real sense of this political decisions-making is focused above all to covering and legalising from the legal view activities of police and intelligence bodies when monitoring and registering organisations, groups and their members or sympathisers that are earmarked by these authorities according to entirely gratuitous, subjectivist and from the legal view untenable "criteria" as extremist. These authorities in their procedure move quite evidently and from the view of the rights and freedoms of the citizens, especially freedom of expression, opinions, convictions, gathering and association, guaranteed by the Constitution and legal order, on the verge. Besides this, the reports on extremist activities have got also another serious political purpose. As it is mentioned explicitly in the report for 1999 (page 2), "the public has got up to now only the information that these organisations present "themselves about themselves", as they wish to be seen and to what role they place themselves. An objective information should be based on information how the state authorities "see" these associations and their activities". An example how the state authorities "see" activities of some associations, is the assessment of the goals of one organisation as "neo-Bolshevik" made by the SIS. The assessment of the "pan-Slavic movement" as extremist says, besides a number of other groundless constructions and affirmations from the workshop of SIS: Pan-Slavs oriented in a neo-Bolshevik way suppose that hand-in-hand with a renewal of the super power position of Russia communist regimes in former socialist states will be restored, or some analogy of a totalitarian (communist) regime will be formed (pages 21 - 22). This is one of the examples how the state authorities perfectly ignore what are real goals of the given movement, what information it presents to citizens about itself, and on the contrary how "objective", truthful and well-founded are the information they present to citizens but also to the Government and other state authorities. One of the examples of manipulation consists for instance in the note that relevant state authorities paid "attention also to the activities of the organisations that profess active return to a totalitarian regime before 1989 or to its more modern authoritative modification. Although the supporters of this trend do not commit openly a criminal activity, there however exist reasonable fears of their subversive activity consisting, among other, also in initiating social tensions in problematic regions" (page 3). From such a declaration there is only one step to a registration of all people that point to unbearable living conditions of the people who cannot find a job, that seek adoption of concrete measures for improving the situation in which these people are not by their own fault (i.e. the whole leftist political opposition), in the category of extremists who do not commit an open criminal activity but whose subversive activity is at least suspicious. The more that they dare to criticise and point to shortcomings of the existing political-economic system that not only admits such a situation but also directly provokes it by its nature. In the above mentioned document of the Government, submitted to the House of Deputies of the PCR (press 622), there is another example of a feckless view of the authors as far as a definition of extremism is concerned, and in the same time of their efforts to attain by this way a coverage for actions that represent a menace, intervention and violation of fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens. Description of what is meant by extremism, is "enriched" and completed in it by the explanation that its is an "established term for extremely critical, towards the democratic system hostile attitudes, opinions, ideologies that appear in the background of destructive elements. As destructive, undesirable or dangerous need to be considered such activities, intentions and phenomena whose effects are - directly or in a long-haul horizon - destructive for the existing political-economic system (democracy), i.e. that try to replace a democratic system by an antagonist system (totalitarian regime, dictatorship, anarchy)". We leave aside a craftiness and scientific depth of the "definition" that comes to the conclusion that "it is necessary to see as destructive such activities .. whose effect is destructive .". Owing to the fact how broadly and "flexibly" these documents delimit contents of extremism, it is an evident intent to discourage and rather frighten citizens from any critics of actual more and more untenable conditions in the economy and policy of the CR, from all that the relevant authorities could label as an extremist activity fearing not to be suspected of criminal activity. Nucleus of this delimitation of extremism consists in the fact that "its effects are destructive for the existing political-economic system (democracy)". Protection of this system becomes a decisive and determining argument for to reason and justify repressive procedures of the state authorities. This is an often-used manoeuvre of not only Czech right wing, today imposed even by the actual government. It consists in the efforts to identify the existing political-economic system with democracy and democratic system. In reality there is no sameness of these terms. It is an entirely and intentional mixing and mutual confusion of the form and substance. Democracy has got a number of different forms known from the history and will have many others undoubtedly in the future. On the contrary capitalism with its regularities that have an objective validity regardless of the fact in what stage of development they are, is always a substance of "the existing political-economic system". Concerning the CR, it is a system that even the president Havel called mafia system. It is the system that ultimately limits democracy to a possibility of a citizen to vote once four years but otherwise being completely excluded from decision-making on public matters. The system that enables that without any serious attempt of clarification - not speaking about a punishment of even the most shameful cases - billions representing the national wealth can be tunnelled, that citizens are excluded from work, deprived of a possibility of a decent living and human existence, being thus excluded from the society. Monitoring, repression and finally penalisation of differing opinions of the political opposition that refuses to consider "the existing political-economic system" as the top democracy, points to its shortcomings, criticises it, seeks its correction and a change of the system, is to legalise the protection of this system. This change is to be achieved not by a return to the past, not by threatening or destroying a democratic political regime but on the contrary by a realisation of such changes that would be in harmony with fundamental principles of democracy and strengthen the influence and guarantee the most possible participation of the citizens in decision-making and administration of public affairs in central as well as regional and local self-governing authorities. The opposition seeks changes that would ensure to all citizens a decent human existence that would rid them of a constant uncertainty and fear of unemployment, poverty, illness and old age. A logic continuation of this purposeful approach to extremism is then represented by efforts to construe a category of the "criminality with extremist implication", "extremist criminality, etc. Thus are introduced into criminal proceedings elements that can only complicate them, confuse a substance of criminal activity and extend proceedings themselves. This is even admitted in the report that states that "to prove this criminal activity (of the sympathisers of the rightist extreme scene) is more demanding and complicated and will not manage without expert opinions from political sciences, history, sociology and other scientific sectors" (page 30, note 55). It is not necessary to comment specially the value of the "expert opinions" from the area of mentioned social sciences from the view of proving in criminal proceedings. The height of this manipulation is represented by efforts to subordinate such criminal acts, as murder, grievous bodily injury, curtailment of personal freedom, blackmail and a number of other acts of this category (pages 4-5). Such attempts are completely untenable from the view of building a legal state. If the activity of any subject fulfils the facts of the case of a criminal act, it founds a duty of the authorities acting in criminal proceedings to investigate this activity by corresponding means, to document circumstances and conditions of its committing, to prosecute and punish the culprit in a way set up in the law. Even in respect to verbal criminal acts, such as propagation of fascism, neo-Nazism, anti-Semitism, defamation of the nation, race and political conviction, if the fulfilment of the facts of the case has been proved, proving whether the culprit is a sympathiser of an extremist group or not, cannot be authoritative for a decision on the guilt. It can only influence the level of the sentence. On the contrary the fact whether somebody is a sympathiser of the organisation that the state authorities earmark as extremist, is completely irrelevant for finding whether the facts of the case of the criminal act has been or has not been fulfilled. The report in general reflects a differentiated approach of the state authorities of the CR to the problems of extremism, to its rightist and leftist forms, as well as efforts to manipulate with the term extremism with evident political intents. This different approach distinguishes itself for instance by passivity being on the verge of inactivity of the police towards growing aggressiveness of rightist extremists and on numerous occasions even by providing police protection to provocations of neo-Nazis. An obvious lack of political will of police authorities to take action in some cases of brutal attacks of skinheads against Gypsies, is another characteristic manifestation. In addition there is a very sluggish and benevolent activity of other bodies acting in criminal proceedings when striking criminal activities committed by skinheads, fascists and neo-Nazis. It appears that the ruling right wing considers rightist extremism, including fascism and neo-Nazism, a threat to democracy, it does not however consider it as a threat for the existing political-economic system. The rightist extremism grows up on the contrary from the very substance of the actual capitalist system. As a result of it, the problem of rightist extremism cannot be solved within this system by methods and means of the police and secret services. There are much more causes of this situation. One the decisive consists in the total political climate in the CR and in the state apparatus governed and personally occupied by right forces, including authorities acting in criminal proceedings. This determines a lack of political will to take actions against rightist extremists and on the contrary efforts to legalise a use of state power means against critics and opponents of the existing political-economic system. From time to time appearing information on criminal activities of the policemen clarify at a certain measure causes of this situation, including reports that some policemen had been recently members of rightist extremist groups and that persons sympathising with skinheads and other rightist extremists continue to work within police bodies. These realities are observed and pointed to even by objective observers from abroad. Examples are again mentioned in the report itself containing a note on critical remarks of the programmes of British BBC and German public-legal TV ZDF of April 1999. These programmes incurring displeasure of our authorities very critically evaluated a different approach against rightist extremists and against participants of anarchist's actions (page 50). The programme of the ZDF station spoke even of the fact that training of neo-Nazis is carried out by professionals from police and military circles. The authors of the report could not unambiguously refuse this information. They marked them, like other information in both the programmes, only as "questionable". Owing to the term of the report development, a sharp critic of the police actions against participants of demonstrations and persons detained during the meeting of the IMF and WB in Prague that appeared in mass media of the CR and majority of European countries could not be reflected in it. It is obvious from the document as a whole that the hitherto procedure of the government in the problems of the so called extremism is dubious unambiguously from the political view, ideologically motivated and as a result leading up to a violation of the Constitution of the CR, the Paper of fundamental rights and freedoms and the laws. It is a rude intervention into fundamental rights and freedoms of some groups of citizens that it spuriously discriminates, earmarks and criminalizes. It is in substance the case of efforts of the government to "perpetuate" the existing political-economic social system that is seen as the only democratic and unchangeable one. Any attempt to deepen democracy and improve the political-economic system is seen as anti-systemic and extreme. One cannot agree in any case with this approach of the government. Conclusions and recommendations If we issue from the conclusions mentioned in the part II of this document, it appears as necessary to uphold by all legal means a change of the approach of the government in respect to the problems of "extremism". It is realistic to expect that these problems will be misused also in the pre-election period against left-oriented movements and organisations. That is why it would be appropriate to develop the problems of "extremism" from our point of view in the spheres of political science, sociology, etc. by pertinent expert groups of the CC CPBM; to assess further on a usefulness and suitability to use the offered opportunity of a dialogue of offended subjects with relevant governmental authorities, and then to publish in a suitable way the results of this dialogue. One cannot exclude even a possibility that offended subjects will seek a correction by judicial way. ANNEX This part contains quotations of substantial components of the Report on which are based actions of the government regarding these problems. Quoted parts of the Report are not "lifted out" of the context and are not commented in order to preserve a principle of objectivity. Quotations of the Report The term extremism comprises activities with - as a rule - an ideological motivation that get out of legal, constitutional norms, distinguish themselves by elements of intolerance and attack against democratic principles and social regime. It is an established term for extremely precarious, to a democratic system hostile attitudes transiting to activities that work, directly or in a long-haul impact - destructively for the existing democratic political-economic system, i.e. tries to replace a democratic system by an antagonistic one (totalitarian regime, dictatorship, anarchy). The Report thus issues from the united understanding of extremism as activities oriented against the constitutional regime and values protected by it. Under the term criminality with extremist implication is understood an action inspired by extremism that meets the facts of the case of a criminal act or infraction. In practice it is the most often the case of criminal acts committed in connection with extremism: = general threat = violence against a groups of citizens and an individual = defamation of the nation, race and conviction = encouragement of nationalist and racial hatred = riotous conduct = murder = curtailment of personal freedom = blackmail = curtailment of the religious freedom = violation of home freedom = violation of the freedom of gathering and associating = genocide = promotion and propagation of movements destined for the suppression of rights and freedoms of the citizens = persecution of the population Extremist scene on the territory of the Czech Republic in 1999 The Security Information Service implemented in a running way the task contained in the point 5 of the annex to the resolution of the government No 720/1999 - To develop in a running way a survey of individual extremist groupings operating on the territory of the CR, including assessment of a number of their members and sympathisers and to monitor interconnection of the Czech extremist scene with foreign subjects. The task has got a permanent character. General characteristics On the territory of the Czech Republic were represented in 1999, in the same way as in 1998, the following basic extremist directions: = rightist extremist, i.e. neo-Nazi, fascist and nationalist oriented groups = left oriented groups and organisations a.Anarchist-autonomous groups b.Neo-Bolshevik (it is a working term of the SIS) and pan-Slav groups or organisations ("Pan-Slavism" is in extremist context only a distraction term for the efforts to renew Russian hegemony in Middle Europe) Rightist extremist scene In 1999, activation was characteristic for the rightist extremist spectrum. Note: Further on only the organisations and grouping named in the Report will be mentioned. a.Neo-Nazi and fascist organisations and groupings = non-registered organisations Blood and Honour Division Bohemia (BaH DB) Some leading persons of this organisation try to be registered as civic association, e.g. Junge Nationaldemokraten, or as political parties, e.g. National Social Alliance = National Resistance In connection with neo-Nazi scene, it is necessary to mention also the existence of several individuals who have contacts with tops of the terrorist organisation Combat 18 in Great Britain. Information on the existence of a militant organisation Anti-Antifa and Legion of Honour that should be allegedly active in the environments of Zlín and organise there battle training of militant neo-Nazis, were not confirmed. = Movement of the National Unification This organisation has actually several tens of members and sympathisers. b.Organisations registered with the Ministry of Interior = Patriotic Front (PF) = National Alliance = Association for the Republic - Republican Party of Czechoslovakia and connected organisations Leftist extremist scene Anarchic-Autonomous scene = Czechoslovak Anarchistic Federation - not registered = Antifascist Action - not registered It equals fascism and the existing politico-economic system Other ultra-leftist groups cooperating with anarchist and autonomous associations These groups have got in some cases close relations with neo-Bolsheviks, Communist Union of Youth and Communist Youth of Czechoslovakia. = Socialist solidarity - registered association = Anarchist-Communist organisation Solidarity = "Workers´ Educational Club Future" = Socialist Organisation of the Working People Neo-Bolshevik and Pan-Slav groups or organisations The term neo-Bolshevism is in the given context used, based on background documents of the SIS, as a working term that defines in a suitable way all negative features of the Leninist interpretation of communism and in the same time grasps by the preposition neo- The changed situation in which this ideology is applied. = Party of Czechoslovak Communists (SČK) - change of the name KSČ made on March 3, 2000 = Communist Youth of Czechoslovakia - radical group - it has not a status of a registered association with the Ministry of Interior Pan-Slavism = International Slavic Committee = Slavic Committee of the CR Its parts are organisations with left oriented pan-Slavic programme - League of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia - Club of the Czech border area - Patriotic Association of Antifascists - Slavic Union and other Threats connected with extremist scene Actual and potential risk for 2000 is represented by a danger of an open manifestation of leftist extremists during the Annual session of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Prague, September 26 - 28, 2000 Ústřední výbor Komunistické strany Čech a Moravy, Politických vězňů 9, Praha 1,110 00 tel.(+420) (2) 22897111, fax (+420) (2) 22897207 e-mail: Kontaktujte nás/ Contact Address 2000 (C) PeTRiX *End* ------------------------------------------------- This Discussion List is the follow-up for the old stopnato @listbot.com that has been shut down ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9spWA Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: archive@jab.org T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
