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Belarus Updates, 2000
INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS BELARUS UPDATE Edited by Victor Cole Vol. 3, No. 42 October 2000 IN THIS ISSUE: - Pre-Election Political Harassment Intensifies - Europe's Last Police State Gets Ready For Vote - University Administrations: Vote or Be Expelled - IHF Blasts Belarusian Polls As Manipulated - US: OSCE Is Right Not To Observe Elections In Belarus - Regime Blasts U.S. Statement On Legislative Ballot - Russia Slams U.S. For Denouncing Belarusian Poll - Opposition Starts Preparations For Next Year Presidential Election - Belarusian Population Is Worse off Than In Soviet Era --HUMAN RIGHTS AND OPPOSITION NEWS MILOSEVIC TODAY, LUKASHENKO TOMORROW! On October 7-8, about 7,000 people protested across Belarusian provinces against the upcoming election farce, suggesting that their country would follow Yugoslavia in an upheaval to oust its illegitimate leader. Many protests were held without official permission but remained peaceful throughout. The organizers of the rallies aimed at raising political awareness of the population outside the capital. Demonstrators chanted democratic slogans and carried white-red-white flags, which became a symbol of opposition to the Lukashenko regime. The most numerous picket was held in Grodno, where about 2,000 opposition activists marched through the streets, chanting a slogan "Milosevic today, Lukashenko tomorrow!" referring to Slobodan Milosevic's recent abrupt departure from power amid a popular uprising. Police escorted the march, staged without official permission, but did not interfere. The local TV systematically warned the audience, that the action was prohibited and threatened the people with the possible administrative charges. The police stopped a similar rally in Baranovichi, Brest Region. A meeting with voters in Pinsk, Brest Region, was disrupted by a "sudden power outage." About 1,500 people attended a rally organized by the democratic opposition in Brest. Trying to prevent the gathering, the city authorities canceled all public transportation to the place of gathering. During the protests, 11 opposition activists were arrested. (Charter 97- Viasna Human Rights Center- BPF Adradzhenne press service, October 9) CHRONICLE OF MASS DETENTIONS, FINES, AND HARASSMENT OF OPPOSITION On October 4, the Centralny District Court of Mogilev fined Valery Sivukho, chair of the local branch of the United Civic Party, Aleksey Gubko and Nikolai Uzhov, both UCP members, two minimal wages (about $5) each, for an alleged "violation of the electoral legislation" under Art. 167, para 3 of the Belarusian Administrative Code, reported Viasna Human Rights Center. The activists were arrested for passing out a special issue of Rabochy, independent trade union newspaper, containing calls to boycott this fall's parliamentary election. On October 6, Andrei Lapanovich and Dmitry Tisina were detained by the Soligorsk police while passing out "Boycott 2000" leaflets. The activists were taken to the police station and charged with "violation of the electoral legislation" under Art. 167, para 3 of the Belarusian Administrative Code, reported Viasna Human Rights Center. The police confiscated 2,500 leaflets and 500 copies of Prava na Volyu [Right To Freedom], opposition bulletin. After spending about three hours in detention, the activists were released. On October 7, several members of the Russian National Unity, a Russian nationalistic movement, which has found a warm reception in Belarus, threw stones into the windows of the BPF Adradzhenne headquarters in Zhodino, Minsk Region, and threatened Alexsey Lapitski, head of the branch, with physical reprisal, reported BPF press service. Next day, during a meeting with voters, held by local democratic opposition, the RNU members hit with a stone one of the speakers and attacked Lapitski's son. Police standing nearby did nothing to assist the victims or to apprehend the assailants, as if welcoming such extremist manifestations. Flying into a rage, the RNU members put on fire the opposition leaflets and spread them around. They severely beat the photographer, who tried to film them, and smashed his camera. Also on October 7, members of the BPF Adradzhenne rallied in downtown Mogilev under a slogan "No to Electoral Farce!" During the action, police detained Sergei Gurkin and Andrei Kachurovsky. The activists were forcefully transported to the police station and charged with "violation of the electoral legislation" under Art. 167, para 3 of the Belarusian Administrative Code, reported BPF press service. Next day, law-enforcers cordoned off the BPF headquarters and searched all people, who were leaving the office. The police tried to arrest Vitally Makarenko, one of the key organizers of the meeting with voters that took place that day. Nikolai Snitko, another local BPF activist, was arrested after the gathering, while carrying home a sound equipment. He was summoned to appear in the police station for "explanations." On October 7, Nikolai Ivasin, member of the Mogilev branch of the BPF Adradzhenne, was detained while passing out the invitations to an opposition rally, scheduled for next day. The activist was taken to the police station and charged with administrative offence. On October 8, Anatoly Loban, Vasily Baranov, both members of the Soligorsk branch of the BPF Adradzhenne, and Petr Golos, activist of the local branch of the United Civic Party, were detained by the police while distributing "Boycott 2000" leaflets. They were taken to the nearest police station, where a protocol was filed against them for "violation of the electoral legislation" under Art. 167, para 3 of the Belarusian Administrative Code, reported BPF press service. The activists are to stand trial. Seven BPF Adradzhenne activists were arrested by the police in Vitebsk for collecting signatures in support of the four requirements established by the OSCE for a free and democratic vote in the country. Alexander Prokhorenko, Marat Volkov, Sergei Smirnov, Andrei Savchenko, Sergei Dolgi, Sergei Grod, and Sergei Vasenko were brought to the Oktyabrsky Internal Affairs Directorate, where they spent about two hours. The law-enforcers told the boys that they will receive a summons to appear in court by mail. On October 8, Stanislav Sudnik, chair of the Lida branch of the BPF Adradzhenne, Oleg Sudar, chair of the Lida branch of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party, Victor Avgustin and Pavel Anatko, both BPF members, were detained after holding a meeting with voters, reported BPF press service. At the police station, the activists were warned that their activities are illegal and punishable under Art. 167, para 3 of the Belarusian Administrative Code. This time no protocols were filed. On the same day, Grigory Varasevich was detained in Brest while distributing Nasha Svaboda and Prava na Volyu [Right To Freedom], independent newspapers. The activist was taken to the Moskovsky District Internal Affairs Directorate, but refused to provide the policemen with any information and demanded a representative of the Viasna Human Rights Center. To his own surprise, the activist was released with no protocol filed against him. On October 9, Valentin Merdinov, activist of the Bobruisk branch of the BPF Adradzhenne, was arrested while passing out "Boycott 2000" leaflets. He was taken to the police station, where a protocol was filed against him. On the same day, the Molodechno police detained pensioner Tadeush Shustitsky for distributing the opposition printed materials. The activist was charged with administrative offence and is to stand trial. On October 11, Victor Andreev and Yury Sanko, both organizers of the October 8 rally in Baranovichi, Brest Region, were charged with staging an unsanctioned picket under Art. 167, para 1 of the Belarusian Administrative Code, reported Charter 97. On the same day, Andrei Sinakov, Ales Sadovsky and Yan Roslik were arrested for picketing the headquarters of the Belarusian KGB in Minsk. The place of the picket was chosen as a test: at the recent session of the Minsk City Council, Mikhail Sazonov, Lukashenko's aide, pledged that the authorities would no longer persecute people for advocating the boycott of the October 15 vote. The activists were taken to the Leninski District Internal Affairs Directorate and charged with administrative offence. The police confiscated a few dozen copies of a special issue of Rabochy, which calls to boycott the election. (Viasna Human Rights Center- BPF press service, October 6-10) On October 11, Sergei Shinkevich and Marina Sinitsyna were detained near the Academy of Science metro station in Minsk, where they held a meeting with voters, reported BPF press service. The activists were brought to the Pervomaisky District Internal Affairs Directorate, where the policemen wrote down their names. On October 11, Vladimir Kishkurny and Andrei Sinyakov were detained in Minsk while passing out a special issue of Rabochy. The boys were taken to the Frunzensky District Internal Affairs Directorate, where they spent about three hours. No protocols were filed against them. The same day Kishkurny was arrested again and, along with Nikolai Sadovsky, taken to the Leninski District Internal Affairs Directorate. The activists were charged with "violation of the electoral legislation" under Art. 167, para 3 of the Belarusian Administrative Code and will stand trial soon. On October 11, Sergei Shenderov, chair of the Bobruisk branch of the BPF Adradzhenne, was summoned to the Leninski District Internal Affairs Directorate and charged with staging an unsanctioned picket under Art. 167, para 1 of the Belarusian Administrative Code, reported BPF press service. On October 12, Boris Hamaida and Vladimir Pleschenko, both members of the Vitebsk branch of the Conservative Christian Party (CCP) led by Zyanon Paznyak, were fined a total of 300 minimal wages (about $700) for "violation of the electoral legislation" under Art. 167, para 3 of the Belarusian Administrative Code, reported Charter 97. Dmitry Pimenov, another CCP leader, was reprimanded for the same offence. Protesting the sentence, Pleschenko and Hamaida went to distribute "Boycott 2000." The law-enforcers attempted to arrest them but only caught Hamaida, who was taken to a police department and received one more protocol. Vladimir Pleschenko managed to flee. (Charter 97- Viasna Human Rights Center- BPF Adradzhenne press service, October 4-12) OPPOSITION TO STEP UP ELECTION PROTESTS On October 9, Vintsuk Vyachorka, chair of the BPF Adradzhenne, told journalists in Minsk that he is satisfied with the results of October 8 protests. The opposition leader said that the opposition political parties and local branches of NGOs are strengthening their influence in provinces and expressed the hope that the slogan "Milosevic Today, Lukashenko Tomorrow!" invented by the Grodno opposition members will soon be chanted throughout the country. The democratic opposition pledged to step up action to win popular support for a boycott of the October 15 parliamentary election. "Protests will continue and now we consider it a priority to wake people up in the provinces," Anatoly Lebedko, chair of the United Civic Party, told Belapan. "We will not win next year's presidential election without support from all Belarusian regions," the opposition leader said. (Belapan, October 9). EUROPE'S LAST POLICE STATE GETS READY FOR VOTE The Lukashenko regime took extreme measures to make sure that the population does the "right" thing on voting day and will elect a new rubber-stamp parliament, no exceptions allowed. Soldiers, spies, and Soviet-style public agitators were mobilized by Lukashenko to ensure Belarusians return a parliament supporting him, and do so quietly and in great numbers, reported BPF press service. State television, run by his loyal servant, Viktor Chikin, has launched an unabashed propaganda campaign extolling the patriotic virtues of voting, and labeling the opposition-proposed boycott as inspired by "fascists in America's pay." Nationwide, school children knocked on apartment doors to hand out flyers praising free and fair voting and the Lukashenko government. A 12-year-old girl told Deutsche Presse Agentur that she had been promised a higher grade in her math class for passing out the brochures. In some universities, professors substituted lectures on voters' responsibilities for normal course material. "Government-sponsored candidates will receive an overwhelming majority of the vote," Lukashenko predicted on October 12. (BPF press service- Deutsche Presse-Agentur, October 13) UNIVERSITY STUDENTS FORCED TO VOTE Fearing that the youth will boycott the October 15 election, the regime ordered the administrations of many Belarusian universities to "provide the students with opportunity to participate in the vote." On October 12, Galina Durkina, deputy dean of the information department of the Belarusian University of Culture, canceled the lecture on world literature, forcing all her students to cast their ballots at the polling stations for early voting, reported Viasna Human Rights Center. On the same day, Mikhail Platonov, dean at the Belarusian State Economic University, threatened forth year students that they would be expelled for a failure to show up at the polling stations. [Belapan reported on October 11 that leaders of the Malady Front, Maladaya Hramada, youth wing of the United Civic Party, the Association of Young Businessmen, the Alliance of Belarusian Students, the Belarusian Association of Young Politicians, and the Youth Christian Union, signed a joint statement, which says that the Belarusian youth refuses to participate in the October 15 vote and demands free and fair election.-Ed.] (Viasna , October 13) IHF BLASTS BELARUSIAN POLLS AS MANIPULATED On October 13, the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights called the October 15 parliamentary election in Belarus "one of the least democratic since the collapse of the Soviet Union," adding that the Central Commission for Elections and National Referenda has been packed with Lukashenko's followers. "Local observers are reporting that the election process in Belarus is completely manipulated and subverted by the state authorities," the organization said in a statement. "The election process appears to be one of the most compromised in the post-Soviet period in the OSCE region," it said. The election law allowed the authorities to "manipulate every aspect of the process," the IHF said, adding that "even this flawed law is being grossly violated." Election commissioners had "arbitrarily denied registration to over one half of the opposition candidates," the organization said. It pointed out that school children had been dismissed from their schools early and coerced into political activities in "a perverse lesson in democracy." In addition, "thousands of citizens are being pressured by various state institutions to pre-vote for the preferred candidates," it said. "What is going on in Belarus is not really an election, it is more like a nomination of persons by the state to serve on a hand-picked parliament," Aaron Rhodes, IHF's executive director told Agence France Presse. "Our organization has been saying for a number of months that there is no way that this will be a free and fair election," he said, adding that the IHF will send its observers to the country. (IHF- Agence France Presse- Belapan, October 13) LUKASHENKO OFFICIAL: ELECTION MEETS INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS On October 13, Lydia Yermoshina, chair of the Central Commission for Elections and National Referenda, dismissed the complaints, voiced by many international organizations, telling a press conference in Minsk that the Commission was doing its best to make the election meet international standards, reported Belapan. "We are doing all we can so that the election will meet European standards," she said, insisting that all candidates receive equal treatment. "I do not know anything about the authorities manipulating the elections. All the authorities have done is appeal to people to take part, and that is not a violation of the electoral law," Yermoshina said, calling her country a "flawed young democracy." Yermoshina "assured" the journalists that "there is no evidence of Belarusian citizens being put under pressure to vote early." She said that school children had been used to distribute the election materials, because the Commission was "short of money." "Under the current legislation, only four percent of voters had cast their ballots ahead of the October 15 first round," Yermoshina said. In rural areas, where many retired Belarusians live, government vehicles will carry ballot boxes to older voters otherwise unable or unwilling to participate in the election, she said. According to her, about 160 foreign observers from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Italy, Israel, Austria, India, Egypt, Iran, Latvia and almost all CIS countries will work in the country during the election. Since the OSCE and most countries refused to send observers to the election, Belarusian media is playing up other foreign visitors as proof of world approval. "The international community sends dignitaries to our election," the Belarusian State TV reported about October 12' arrival in Minsk of an obscure group of Israeli scientists. (Belapan, October 13) PARLIAMENTARY TROIKA ARRIVES IN MINSK On October 12, a parliamentary delegation representing the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assemblies of the OSCE and the Council of Europe arrived in Minsk. The delegation includes Adrian Severin, chair of the OSCE PA Ad Hoc Working Group on Belarus, Wolfgang Behrendt, COE PA' Political Affairs Committee Rapporteur on Belarus, Jan Marinus Wiersma, chair of the Belarus Sub-Committee of the Political Commission of the European Parliament. In the course of their stay, the parliamentarians will meet with the leadership of the country, representatives of the opposition political parties, human rights groups, research and analytical centers, as well as with the Coordinating Committee on Election Observation. The delegation will also visit polling stations. On October 16, there will be a joint statement of the Parliamentary Troika on the political situation in Belarus, which will take into consideration the assessments of the ODIHR technical assessment mission and the OSCE AMG. On October 16, the delegation will hold a press conference. "During his visit we want to assess the implementation of previous recommendations and general political climate in Belarus," Andrew Carpenter, spokesman for OSCE mission in Minsk told Reuters. Carpenter added that the mission arrival did not mean that the West recognized the process as democratic. "The presence of the Troika is a continuation of the involvement of Belarus into the European democratic process," he said. But Pavel Latushko, a spokesman for the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, told Reuters that the presence of the technical mission gave hope for international recognition of the parliament. "We hope for an objective estimate of the international observers and expect that a positive decision on Western recognition of the poll will be made," said Latushko. (OSCE, October 9- Reuters, October 12) U.S.: OSCE IS RIGHT NOT TO OBSERVE ELECTIONS IN BELARUS The United States believes that the OSCE made the right decision not to observe upcoming parliamentary elections in Belarus, since the government "failed to meet the minimum criteria" established by the OSCE in May, Josiah B. Rosenblatt, deputy chief of the U.S. Mission to the OSCE, said on October 12. Following is the text of his statement, delivered to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna: "The United States believes the OSCE made the right decision not to observe elections in Belarus based on the Belarusian Government's failure to meet the minimum criteria established by the OSCE Troika in May. We look forward to receiving a single, frank report by OSCE field experts on the elections in Belarus that speaks to the Government's record. We share the Chair's view as expressed in its letter dated October 6 to President Lukashenko that dialogue should continue after elections. However, we also believe the onus should and will remain upon the Government to demonstrate its commitment to democracy and human rights improvements not only with promises, but with concrete implementation." (USIA, October 12) REGIME BLASTS U.S. STATEMENT ON LEGISLATIVE BALLOT On October 7, Alexander Lukashenko, who was touring the country ahead of the parliamentary election, told residents of southern Belarus that there would be no Yugoslavia-like scenario in Belarus and vowed he would not tolerate Western "interference." The Belarusian leader, popular in rural regions and among the elderly, added that will seek re-election next year "if asked [sic] by voters." He dismissed Western complaints that the October 15 poll will be unfair, confessing to his compatriots that he wants it to produce a "professional and calm" legislature. The same day, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry denounced a statement by the U.S. State Department that Washington had no intention of recognizing the outcome of the October 15 vote (See Belarus Update Vol. 3, No. 41). "The statement, rude in form and inadequate in content, has nothing to do with a real struggle for democracy and exerts inexorable pressure on the Belarusian voters," the Ministry said. On October 12, speaking at the last session of his hand-picked parliament, Lukashenko said that the democratic opposition "failed to scare the authorities and only demonstrated its own weakness," reported Interfax. "Their enthusiasm has fizzled out, along with the eagerness of their Western sponsors to financially support it," the Belarusian leader said. "Still, I will not allow anyone to flout the law," he added. Lukashenko called the vote a "critical test" of his ruling. (Belapan, October 9). RUSSIA SLAMS U.S. FOR DENOUNCING BELARUSIAN POLL On October 10, Russia criticized the United States for denouncing an upcoming parliamentary election in Belarus, saying that Washington was guilty of gross interference in Belarus's internal affairs, reported Interfax. "The October 15 election will mark a new confirmation of the firm orientation of the Belarusian society and the country's leadership toward democracy," Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "In our opinion, all of the necessary conditions for carrying out a free and fair election in observance of internationally recognized democratic norms have been established in Belarus," the statement said. "One cannot but be surprised by statements of the official representatives of the United States, who even before the election are actually took place have denounced its results as not veritable," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. (Interfax, October 11) GOVERNMENT IN EXILE APPEALS TO BELARUSIANS TO BOYCOTT ELECTION Ivonka Survilla, chair of the Belarusian self-proclaimed government in exile, has called on Belarusians to boycott the October 15 parliamentary election. "Dear compatriots, boycott the October 15 election, because your vote will be regarded as support of the dictatorial regime," Survilla wrote in an appeal. "It is your chance to tell the Lukashenko administration that you have had enough of humiliation and lies and that you have the right to be free in your own country and to decide its future," he wrote. (Belapan, October 11) OPPOSITION STARTS PREPARATIONS FOR NEXT YEAR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION Belapan reported on October 9 that the Belarusian democratic opposition has established the Choice-2001 Committee to promote opposition candidates, who decide to run for the Belarusian presidency next year. In opinion of Vladimir Nistuk, a deputy of the 13th Supreme Soviet, the opposition is unlikely to agree on a single candidate in the 2001 presidential election. He said that it will be the Committee's role to assist opposition politicians in their efforts to run for the presidency. Among the founders of the committee are Gennady Grushevoi, president of the Children of Chernobyl Foundation; Vladimir Basharimov, leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party; Valery Shchukin, deputy of the 13th Supreme Soviet and the editor-in-chief of Narodnaya Volya, an opposition newspaper; Vasily Shlyndikov, deputy chair of the United Civic Party; Iosif Seredich, editor-in-chief of Narodnaya Volya, an independent newspaper; Vladimir Tarasov and Gennady Usukevich, both deputies of the 13th Supreme Soviet. Members of the committee have pledged not to run in the next year presidential election campaign. (Belapan, October 9) --AT HOME IN BELARUS- BELARUSIAN POPULATION IN WORSE MISERY THAN IN SOVIET ERA Pittance wages, widespread poverty, subsidized factories producing unwanted goods: the Belarusian economy has plunged even deeper into misery since Soviet times, wrote Agence France Presse. Ten percent of the working force earn less than $10 a month and 80 percent of the population live below the poverty line, according to official statistics. The poverty threshold is at a minimal level of about $20. By printing large amounts of money, the government managed to engineer a 10-percent growth rate in 1998, but the boom quickly fizzled out and prices spiraled. In 1999, the economy grew by three percent and the inflation rate soared to 350 percent. In industrial enterprises, output is officially on the rise, but the mountain of unsold stock is growing because the manufactured goods stay on the shop shelves. Despite the state support, agricultural production is shrinking (down 10 percent in 1999). This year, meat output dropped by 11 percent, milk by 10 percent and livestock became more scarce, down by five percent. About 85 percent of collective farms (kolkhozes) are loss-making, and the Belarusian agriculture is called "black hole." Many local and international experts believe that only a complete overhaul of the economic system and sweeping reforms can save Belarus. (Agence France Presse, October 13) ********************************************************************** The Belarus Update is a regular news bulletin of the Belarus Human Rights Support Project of the International League for Human Rights. The League, now in its 59th year, is New York-based human rights NGO in consultative status with the United Nations and ILO. The Belarus project was established to support Belarusian citizens in making their cases before the U.S. government and public and international fora and intergovernmental organizations regarding Alexander Lukashenko's wholesale assault on human rights and the rule of law in Belarus. For more information e-mail belarus@ilhr.org or call (212) 661-0480 or fax (212) 684-1696 or visit our web site at www.ilhr.org Back**