[This issue of Peking Review is from massline.org. Massline.org has kindly given us permission to to place these documents on the MIA. We made only some formatting changes to make them congruent with our style sheets.]
[This article is reprinted from Peking Review, Vol. 11, #43, Oct. 25,
1968, pp. 8-10. Thanks are due to the WWW.WENGEWANG.ORG
web site for some of the work done for this posting.]
THE Soviet revisionist renegade clique has recently forced the Czechoslovak revisionist clique to sign the Soviet-Czechoslovak treaty—a traitorous treaty concerning the “terms for the temporary stationing of Soviet troops on the territory of Czechoslovakia.” This is a vain attempt on the part of the Moscow revisionists to “legalize” their long-term military occupation of Czechoslovakia and to create a legal pretext for their permanent occupation of Czechoslovakia by armed force and their enslavement of the Czechoslovak people. This is another dirty deal the Soviet revisionist clique has made with the Czechoslovak revisionists at a time when it finds itself frustrated in its attempts to subjugate the Czechoslovak people by the use of hundreds of thousands of troops following its armed occupation of the country last August. This has further revealed the diabolical face of social-imperialism and the feeble, paper-tiger nature characteristic of the Soviet revisionist renegade clique.
In the first half of October, the Soviet revisionist clique twice summoned Dubcek, Cernik and other Czechoslovak revisionist chieftains to Moscow where the two sides held “negotiations” on the conclusion of the treaty which subsequently was signed in Prague on October 16. The organs concerned in both countries adopted a high-speed “streamlined method of work” to hasten the completion of all procedures for ratifying the treaty on October 18. Notes were exchanged on the same night, and it was declared that the treaty went into effect immediately.
The Soviet revisionist clique had declared again and again that it was the “abnormal” situation in Czechoslovakia that had called for its occupation of that country by armed force. Besides, an “agreement” reached between the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia during their first round of talks in Moscow at the end of August clearly stated that the occupation troops of the Soviet revisionists would withdraw from Czechoslovak territory when the situation there returned to normal. The recent treaty signed in Prague also stated that it was concluded in accordance with the agreement reached in Moscow. But, instead of making any reference to the question of withdrawing their troops from Czechoslovakia “as the situation returns to normal,” the Soviet revisionists brought up the question of “ensuring the security” of the so-called “socialist community” under their control “against the increasing revanchist strivings of the West German militarist forces” as a pretext for their occupation troops hanging on in Czechoslovakia. The treaty contains a phrase about the “temporary” stationing of Soviet troops, but this is camouflage. It does not define how long “temporary” means. Nor does it indicate when the “security” of what the Soviet revisionists call the “socialist community” no longer needs “defending.” Instead, the traitorous treaty stipulates that it shall remain in force as long as the Soviet revisionists’ troops are stationed on Czechoslovak territory. This means in fact that the military occupation of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet revisionists’ troops will be indefinitely prolonged.
The treaty provides that the Soviet revisionists’ occupation troops, persons serving with them and wives and children and other close relatives of Soviet military personnel can travel freely in Czechoslovakia by any means of transportation and can stay in the country for any length of time without passports and visas and that they are exempt from customs and border inspections. Czechoslovakia has to designate areas to be put at the disposal of Soviet troops. The Czechoslovak authorities have no right to intervene in criminal cases involving the Soviet revisionists’ servicemen in these areas. According to these provisions, the Soviet revisionist aggressor troops can run wild and do what they please on the ground and in the air space of Czechoslovakia, just as the U.S. imperialists ride roughshod in south Vietnam.
The treaty also stipulates that no Czechoslovakian is allowed to resist the Soviet revisionist troops’ fascist occupation. Whoever opposes the Soviet aggressor troops will “bear the same responsibility” as that for opposing the armed forces of Czechoslovakia and will be ruthlessly suppressed. The Czechoslovak authorities have the responsibility to “compensate” for “damage” caused by Czechoslovakians to Soviet troops and their families in “actions” against the Soviet revisionist aggressor troops.
The treaty unscrupulously tramples on Czechoslovak sovereignty and reduces the country to a virtual vassalage of Soviet revisionist social-imperialism. Yet in the treaty the Soviet revisionists shamelessly quibble that they do not “violate the sovereignty” of Czechoslovakia. The Soviet revisionists have put Czechoslovakia under long-term military occupation, committing all kinds of evil, suppressing the people and taking a direct part in the domestic affairs of the country. Still in the treaty they talk nonsense about “non-interference” in the “internal affairs” of Czechoslovakia. What difference is there between these gangster acts of the Soviet revisionists and those of Japanese imperialism which, while committing barbarous aggression against China, glibly talked about “goodwill,” “co-operation” and “co-prosperity” in those days?
This treaty cooked up by the Soviet revisionists has not only further revealed the diabolic features of the Soviet revisionists as social-imperialists, but has also more clearly shown up their feebleness as paper tigers.
When the Soviet revisionists openly hurled their troops into Czechoslovakia on August 20, they believed they could manipulate things as they pleased. Contrary to their expectations, their aggression drove the Czechoslovak people to resistance. It met with opposition from the Soviet people and condemnation by the revolutionary people the world over. Like rats scurrying across the street with everyone yelling “Kill them!” the Soviet revisionist clique, as never before, landed itself in isolation, and utter confusion reigned within the revisionist bloc. In order to “stabilize” the situation in Czechoslovakia rapidly, the Soviet revisionist renegade clique forced the Czechoslovak revisionist renegade clique at bayonet point into a dirty deal in Moscow in late August and dished up a “Communique on the Soviet-Czechoslovak Talks.” In this transaction, the Soviet revisionists connived at the Dubcek clique’s remaining in power in exchange for controlling the Czechoslovak revisionists. This move was aimed at swiftly stamping out the Czechoslovak people’s heroic struggle and patching up the disintegrating revisionist bloc.
But this manoeuvre of the Soviet revisionists again fell through. The release of the “communique on the talks” immediately aroused the Czechoslovak people to still greater indignation. In defiance of repression by the Soviet revisionists’ troops, the broad masses of the revolutionary people courageously carried out various forms of struggle. Demonstrations were held in different parts of Czechoslovakia against the Soviet revisionists’ military occupation, and there were even armed attacks on the aggressor troops. The people refused to provide the Soviet revisionists’ troops with food. Workers refused to build an exhibition hall for the Soviet revisionists and hotel staffs stayed away because the Soviet troops had moved into their hotels. Many took the solemn oath: “Liberty or death.”
Threatened by the bayonets of the Soviet revisionists, the Czechoslovak revisionist clique went further in its shameless betrayal of the Czechoslovak people. It meticulously carried out the “communique on the talks” and repeatedly urged the Czechoslovak people to yield to the Soviet revisionists. At the same time, under strong pressure from the Czechoslovak people’s resistance and in order to maintain its own ruling position, the Czechoslovak revisionist clique put up some resistance to certain dictates of the Soviet revisionists. Though they made use of it, the Soviet revisionists did not feel too sure of the Dubcek clique. Therefore, they racked their brains to rig up a new cast of more obedient puppets. The struggle in this regard, open and secret, between the Soviet and Czechoslovak revisionists has never ceased for a minute.
All facts indicate that this treaty concluded between the Soviet and Czechoslovak revisionists is meant to meet the needs of U.S.-Soviet collusion in redividing the world and intensifying their global counter-revolutionary collaboration. Recently, the Soviet revisionists have made many more important sell-outs to U.S. imperialism in exchange for U.S. acquiescence in their acts of aggression in Czechoslovakia. A large number of diplomatic officials have been sent to the Western countries by the Soviet revisionists, who humbly reassured U.S. imperialism that they had no intention of making any change in the spheres of influence about which there was previous understanding between them. They repeatedly gave their word to U.S. imperialism that they would continue their policy of “coexistence” with it. In regard to Vietnam and the Middle East, the Soviet revisionists have time and again won the praise of U.S. imperialism for services actively rendered. In a recent report on the Vietnam-U.S. “Paris talks,” UPI disclosed that U.S. officials “were optimistic that an agreement could be achieved in the near future.” The report said that their optimism stemmed from the fact that the Soviet Union “has played a part” in this respect. In another report, the same news agency revealed that “with the active encouragement of the Soviet Union,” “important progress might be made” on the Middle East issue. In order to curry favour with U.S. imperialism, the Soviet revisionists have recently made another deal with it over the Berlin question. The New York Times disclosed that Soviet revisionist Foreign Minister Gromyko had obsequiously assured U.S. Secretary of State Rusk that “there would be no East European threat” to West Berlin.
Our great leader Chairman Mao has pointed out: “It is only through repeated education by positive and negative examples and through comparisons and contrasts that revolutionary parties and the revolutionary people can temper themselves, become mature and make sure of victory.” Instead of saving the Soviet revisionists from their plight, the traitorous treaty which the Czechoslovak revisionists were forced to sign with the Soviet revisionists will only serve as another excellent negative example in educating the Czechoslovak people, like those steps taken one after another by the Soviet revisionists after their armed occupation of Czechoslovakia. This treaty, which has once again fanned the flames of fury among the Czechoslovak people, is playing its part in rousing them to further resistance against Soviet revisionism.
It was reported that as soon as the treaty was signed, the revolutionary masses in one area of Czechoslovakia alone issued hundreds of protest letters. Quite a lot of people have seen through the deception of what the Soviet revisionists call the “temporary stationing” of Soviet troops. They pointed out that it is nothing but long-term Soviet military occupation. The treaty is simply aimed at “legalizing” the Soviet revisionist occupation, they said. When the news of the treaty ratification by the Czechoslovak National Assembly was disclosed, some 1,000 people massed outside the National Assembly building shouted wrathfully: “Shame! Shame!” Some people said: “We have been sold out and betrayed once more.” They condemned the Czechoslovak revisionist clique for “capitulating to and collaborating with the enemy.” The angry masses held demonstrations. Some workers commented: “Pressured by the Soviet revisionists, the revisionist Dubcek clique has betrayed the Czechoslovak people. We have seen their true features clearly. We workers want revolution. We will certainly re-take political power and hold it in our own hands again.” “Comrade Mao Tse-tung long ago told us that at present revisionism is the major danger and facts have fully proved that Comrade Mao Tse-tung’s prediction is brilliant and correct.” The Czechoslovak people, who have a glorious revolutionary tradition, will surely heighten their awakening, wipe out such pests as the Soviet and Czechoslovak revisionists and rebuild a new, socialist Czechoslovakia.
(Hsinhua news commentary, Oct. 21.)
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