Minister Naď presents commemorative medals to the “PTP men” of the Technical Auxiliary Battalions (PTP) persecuted by the communist regime

In today's ceremony held at the Commemorative Plaque dedicated to the members of the Technical Auxiliary Battalions (PTP) in Košice's Main Street, Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď took a moment to remember the thorny lives and paths of the “PTP men”. Labelled as “politically unreliable” by Czechoslovakia's communist regime, these citizens were used as forced labour in 1950-1954, mostly for dangerous, heavy load work.

Speaking at the ceremony, Jaroslav Naď said: “Thousands of young men were the victims of the hideous machinery of political violence, and their families were affected too. The military forced labour camps trampled on so many destinies – the communist totalitarian regime crippled them physically and mentally, taking away not only their hope for a dignified and peaceful future, but often their lives. May their indomitability and perseverance be a lifelong inspiration for us.”

To mark this occasion, Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď presented several surviving members of the PTPs with the Slovak Minister of Defence Commemorative Medal.

Though demonstrably persecutionist in nature since their establishment, the Technical Auxiliary Battalions were military working units of the Czechoslovak People's Army. Instead of undertaking initial military training as part of compulsory conscription, the “PTP men” were treated as the opponents of the ruling regime and were forced to work in coal mines, stone quarries, building sites, forests, etc.

In stark contrast to the principles of humanism and democracy, the military forced labour camps violated basic human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Some 60,000 men passed through the PTP camps. It was not until Czechoslovakia's political and societal change in 1989 that they were free to speak openly about the injustices perpetrated against them and to share their personal memories of what took place.

The Commemorative Plaque dedicated to the members of the Technical Auxiliary Battalions (PTP) was unveiled five years ago.