BRATISLAVA, 14th September—The Human Rights Torch Relay, lit in Athens on 9th August, arrived today to Slovakia's capital. At the Main Square in the heart of Bratislava, the Torch was delivered by the torch carrier of Austria.
In the official ceremony, the first speaker, vice-chancellor of the Comenius University in Bratislava, Peter Osusky, compared the forthcoming Olympic Games in China with those of Berlin in 1936, "which also served as a camouflage for the regime, which showed [itself to be] one of the worst ever."
Mr. Osusky, a member of the Slovak Olympic Committee, presented his critical views as an ordinary citizen. He spoke about innocent people suffering in China, including Roman Catholics and Falun Gong practitioners—emphasising "especially" Falun Gong who are used in organ harvesting. He compared the situation to movie The Silence of the Lambs .
After spotting the flag of Taiwan among those supporting the Relay, Mr. Osusky criticized the attitude of politicians not supporting the basic international rights of Taiwan, calling it an "unbelievable hunch before the will of the totalitarian regime" and another double standard in the contemporary world.
Eduard Chmelár, peace activist and publicist welcomed the Global Relay and felt close to the "noble idea" behind it. He urged "Let's [not] allow the enthusiasm of sport fans to be no more than a backdrop for the regime which... uses the most brutal means to silence freedom-loving people." He described the Chinese government's support and responsibility for the Darfur Genocide, which has claimed 200 000 lives, "shameful." "I join the voices which challenge China to fulfil its international obligations. Olympics games are not only about medals, fun and profits. The Olympic Games have their own ideals. Without fulfilling these, they are useless."
Peter Tatar, chairman of the Civic Conservative Party, mentioned that the economic progress in China happens at the expense of its citizens not having any freedom. He showed his appreciation that this event could take place in Slovakia, wishing that the message of the Torch Relay will reach not only China, but the whole world.
Chairman of the Green Party, Pavel Petrik, expressed his support for the Torch Relay, saying that: "I am confident that the Olympics ideal has nothing in common with human rights violations."
Mons. Frantisek Tondra, Slovak Bishop and chairman of the Slovak Bishops Convention said that he joins all the participants and sympatizers of the "Human Rights Torch" and supports all other events aimed at removing the suffering of innocent victims in China. He affirmed that religious and civic freedom are in the same category, and cannot be separated from one another. "I wish the Relay success, and that the Olympics games in China fulfil their true purpose."
After reading support statements from various well-known Slovakian figures, the runners started out with the Torch on their 10 km long run to the memorial of the victims of Communism, called the "Gates of Freedom", situated near the castle Devin, on the juncture of the rivers Dunaj and Morava. During the Communists' rule in the years 1948-1989, several hundred people were shot or killed with mines and electric wire, attempting to escape from the "Iron Curtain" into Austria.
After the short speech denouncing the crimes of Communism, the torch was passed to the representative of Switzerland, which is the next of the 37 countries where the Relay will go.
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