Not long ago we wrote about a documentary movie ‘Lessons of Belarusian Language”. Back then, it was unavailable to viewers; however, thanks to comments from our readers we are happy to write that this movie is available on line! below is a recap of a blog and the movie itself.

Radio Svaboda reports that First Polish TV channel in conjunction with Everest movie Production Company recently finished working on a documentary movie “Lessons of Belarusian Language. Youth against Lukashenka”. It was directed by Miroslav Dembinsky and it was already premiered in Riga and Vilnius. The movie tells about now closed Belarusian Humanitarian Lyceum and its students who actively participated in the “Denim Revolution” during the presidential elections that took place in Belarus last March.

Mr. Dembinsky says that while events that took place in March play a significant role in the movie another goal of filmmakers was to show Belarus in the dramatic moment from a perspective of youth. The director hopes that this movie will show how students were getting prepared for such decisive moment for their country, how they were attempting to spread the word and wake up Belarusian masses prior to the Presidential elections.

Mr. Dembinsky also said that at this moment the studio already made deals with TV companies of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Croatia to show the movie. It also plans to offer this movie to 74 largest TV channels in Europe and the United States of America. In the near future, Mr. Dembinsky is planning to make another movie about Belarusian Rock.

Belarus has marked the 20th anniversary of Chernobyl catastrophe. 10,000 thousands of Belarusians took to the streets of Minsk for a traditional Charnobylski Shlyakh (The Path of Chernobyl). This year the rally was held under the motto “Freedom. Truth. Justice”. The Belarusians protested not only against the official policy of hushing up the aftermaths of the catastrophe, but raised their voice against the dictatorship that has deprived them of the free choice and a right to elect a new president. The rally was completely peaceful, however after it unknown people in mufti seized the leader of the Belarusian Popular Front Party Vintsuk Vyachorka. Previously the United Civil party leader Anatol Lyabedzka disappeared. Youth leaders Yauhen Afnagel and Alyaksei Shydlouski, dozens of opposition activists in provinces have been detained preventively.

The rally has started in several places of the capital today. The democratic forces have planned to start the march on October Square in Minsk and to march to the Academy of Science and hold a meeting there. However the city authorities have banned this route and offered the participants of the rally to gather by the Academy of Science to follow to a remote square of Bangalore and hold a meeting there. As a result of this ban announced only a week before the protest, many participants planned to gather on October Square.

At 5 p.m. October Square of Minsk was encircled by special barriers. All entrances of metro stations were cordoned off by policemen in mufti and riot policemen, big stores by the square were closed. It was impossible to approach the square, and participants of the protest started to gather by Yanka Kupala Park. The leader of the Belarusian opposition Alyaksandr Milinkevich came there. He said that to bring people to the Academy of Science and prevent arrests was his moral obligation.

However, a truck came nearer to the people peacefully standing by the park. Via megaphones policemen started to urge people to disband, as the “rally on October Square was unsanctioned”. The participants of the rally started for the Academy of Science along Frantsysk Skaryna (Independence) Avenue in an organized column.

The demonstration under national flags moved along the avenue accompanied by armoured trucks. Policemen via megaphone were threatening the “participants of the unsanctioned protest” by criminal liability. However the number of people was growing all the time. People were scanning “Long live Belarus!”, “Freedom!” Protesters had white-red-white and jeans ribbons, blue kerchiefs, badges “For Freedom!”

Thousands of people have been waiting for the demonstration by the Academy of Science. The column headed by Alyaksandr Milinkevich was welcomed with applaud. People scanned: “Milinkevich!” Demonstrators were holding streamers with slogans: “For Freedom!”, “Belarus has two disasters: Chernobyl and Lukashenka”, “Radiation and dictatorship are killing us”, “Stop dictatorship!”

By the Academy of Science a meeting started. Well-known politicians, scientists, public leaders, liquidators of the nuclear power station accident addressed the listeners. They spoke about the real scale of the catastrophe’s aftermaths. Participants of the meeting demanded the authorities to say the truth about the aftermaths of the disaster, to relocate people from contaminated areas, to provide affected by Chernobyl disaster with medicines and treatment, to return allowances to liquidators, to stop growing crops and producing of foodstuffs in contaminated areas, to lift restrictions for humanitarian aid from abroad for Chernobyl sufferers, to stop compulsory job assignment of university graduates to contaminated regions.

All speakers noted that these problems are impossible to solve under the current regime. “20 year ago Chernobyl power station catastrophe has taken place. 10 years ago a political Chernobyl has taken place. When the legally elected parliament was disbanded, people relying on violence and not on the law came to power,” the head of Alyaksandr Milinkevich’s headquarters Syarhei Kalyakin said.

Participants of the rally “Charnobylski Shlyakh” have unanimously voted for holding a public trial over Alyaksandr Lukashenka. It is known that the United Civil Party has proposed this initiative. A deputy chairman of the United Civil Party Ludmila Hraznova at today’s meeting by the Academy of science reminded of victims of Lukashenka’s regime: abducted and assassinated opposition leaders, a journalist D. Zavadski, political prisoners, thousands of people beaten up and arrested during peaceful protests. The meeting continues.

The speech of Alyaksandr Milinkevich, the leader of the Belarusian opposition, was in the final part of the meeting. He had urged the Belarusian citizens to join the people’s liberation movement “For Freedom!” and said that the dictatorship of Alyaksandr Lukashenka is sure to collapse in the two years. “We have taken part in the presidential elections in order to wake people up, to convey truth to them. If we stay united, we shall bring down the dictatorship that had deprived the Belarusian nation the right for choice, and robbed the chance to elect a president of our country in a legal way. We can win if we stay united. I call upon everybody to join the people’s liberation movement “For Freedom!” The truth is on our side, and the truth is the strongest weapon. The whole democratic world is at our side. We won’t wait five years. We will be able to defeat the dictatorship in the two years immediately ahead,” Alyaksandr Milinkevich said.

After the meeting by the Academy of Science participants of the Charnobylski Shlyakh headed for Bangalore Square to Chernobyl chapel to honour the victims of the catastrophe. The number of demonstrators have grown considerably and reached 10,000. A meeting was held near the chapel as well. Alyaksandr Milinkevich addressed the meeting again. He said that the Belarusians are to continue peaceful protests until the overthrow of dictatorship and victory of democracy.

The next democratic forces’ rally is planned on May 1. Representatives of pro-democracy movement are set to come out for cancellation of the contract system, which, according to many comments, seriously derogates from workers’ rights.

www.charter97.org

For people unfamiliar with history of Bielarus, it might seem that since day one, Soviet communists tried to suppress ideas of national revival in this country. In the way, they are right; the ideology of communism could not co-exist peacefully with ideas of nationalism, not in the same boat at least. Numerous examples of the Red Terror nourished by communists are well researched and documented. However, they did not always follow unmerciful and bloody policies prescribed by doctrines of communism. At some point in time, communists did consider and even strived to revive nationalistic sentiments on the territories under their rule.

At the Seventh Party Congress in March 1919, an idea was promoted to

“…use national questions as a vital factor of revolutionary dynamics in exploding and breaking up the socialists’ society.”

In the words of Nickolas Vackar

“…both Lenin and Pilsudski considered Belarusian national self-determination as a revolutionary dynamic and an expedient”.

Today, we know that by playing with idea of national revival, Communists strived to promote “World revolution”, to turn local population against Whites and as U.M. Ihnatouski, a historian and political activist of that time noted, “to Bolshevize the Belarusian masses.”

But all these said with historical hindsight in mind. Back than, not many could fully predict what would be born from a hotbed of the October Revolution. Ideas of revival so “open-heartedly” sponsored by Bolsheviks felt like a wind of change for many who cared about true cultural revitalization in Belarus. Yes, some of them understood hidden agendas behind Bolshevik’s promises but, at the same time many hoped that Bolshevism won’t last forever. And most importantly, a territory proclaimed as Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic was recognized as an official state equal in rights with other members of the USSR. The grounds of the future Belarusian state were laid down and even expanded by Bolsheviks who returned Mogilev, Vitebsk, Gomel and Rechica districts to BSSR, boosting its population from 1,5 million to 5 million. Having sharply defined borders and recognized nationhood, appealed to many Belarusian nationalists even though the Bolsheviks system of government was imposed on them. And they were eager to jump into an action…

Thus, starting in the early twenties, Belarussification rapidly took off in BSSR. Usievalad Ihnatouski, now a commissar of education, argued that:

“Belarusian culture is the culture of the working masses of Belarusians. It is a culture of the significant majority of these masses…We have to develop and strengthen the courts, administration, and organs of the economy and government, where use of Belarusian and familiarity with Belarusian culture and every-day life would agree with the needs of the majority of Bielarus’s working masses.”

His words supplemented plans of communists and all of sudden, Belarusian language was set as the official language of the Republic while Belarusian nationality announced predominant. The motions about “younger brothers of Russians”, “North-western district” and “inseparable cultural ties” were gone with a wind. An unthinkable happened; the Russian language was nearly totally banned from use in schools, offices and courts. N. Vakar mentions that people who spoke mixed dialects were denounced as “Muscovites”. It seems to me that had Alexander Lukashenka, a current President of Belarus, lived back in the yearly twenties, he would be denounced as the “Muscovite of all the times”. Well…anyway, granted that they show adherence to Bolshevism, Belarusian leaders were given a “go-ahead” signal to revive nationalistic sentiments among population.

While, Belarusification stumbled a bit in some rural areas of Belarus, the cities and towns were grasped by it. An Institute of Belarusian Culture was founded in Minsk in 1921. Later it became the Belarusian Academy of Science with seven departments and eight committees dedicated to research in fields such as archeology, history, folklore, language. The next followed Belarus State University, State Publishing Office, National Theater, Agricultural academy, School of Medicine, Veterinarian Institute, teachers colleges, museums and so on and forth.

In 1925, there were 4000 elementary and 261 secondary schools attended by 350,000 children. All subjects were taught in Belarusian language and Russian language was giving a status of the foreign language just like German, Polish or French. The numbers are stunning because I can recall only one “all-Belarusian” secondary school in Belarus since this Republic gained its Independence in yearly 1990’s. In my own school, all but Belarusian Language and Literature classes were taught in Russian, even history of Belarus…

In 1928, there were four Belarusian institutions of higher education, six worker’s colleges, thirty technical schools, thirty-four trade schools and 277 eight-year public schools. While some historians question quality of education at these institutions, many note that youth responded with enthusiasm for learning various subjects in Belarusian language. And it might be considered as a big break through for Belarusian nationalism.

Although Russian communists controlled Armed Forces (98.3 per cent of man-power was non-Belarusians) and law enforcement units, they rigorously participated in denouncing everything Russian-like from Bielarus. As it was mentioned before, new legislation required state employees to be fluent in Belarusian and scientific terms or words of Russian origin were replaced by western synonyms. The history books were rewritten in a manner that would appeal to Belarusian nationalists and steps were made to promote an idea that Belarusians had never had any cultural or historical ties with Russia or Russians!

The success of Belarusification was stunning and Soviet government in Moscow nourished another idea: “The Mongol Project”. The idea was to ignite Belarusian uprising in Poland, dismiss Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic from the Soviet Union and start a war with Poland for Western districts of Belarus which were under Polish rule at that time. At the end, Soviets intended to create Belarusian Socialist Democratic Republic under protection of the Soviet Union, just like Mongol Republic, hence the name of the project. The idea had never been realized but it spurred Belarusification in even greater temps.

Economically, BSSR was getting better as a result of the new economic policy promoted by Lenin. While many things were nationalized, the private sector developed productive trade with the cities. In general, it was much better than ever before and hopes for brighter future were flying high among middle and lower classes. At the same time, radio stations were built in Minsk and Gomel, new buildings were built along with 171 power plants. Industrial output, although not as successful as agricultural industry, surpassed the pre-war level by 230 per cent in 1928. Electric light became a less or more common commodity in rural areas where not long ago it would be an unthinkable luxury. At the same time, collective farming did not do well. Only 0.7 per cent of the arable land belonged to collective farms in 1925.

However, with all said and done, it would be naïve to assume that a process of Belarusification did not see its share of violence and excesses. After all, life under the Soviets could not be separated from political surveillance and censorship. A detailed post regarding Red Terror and Soviet purges will be posted a bit later, however, let me mention some of them here:
In 1921, Soviet authorities deported to the Northern Russia inhabitants of Belarusian villages Zafrantcuskaya greblya, Repishcha, Ganutava, Semkava Slabada. Residents of these villages were suspected in collaborating with anti-Bolshevik guerrilla group called “Green Oak”. These were the first mass deportations on the territory of the BSSR.
In 1922, Soviet secret police executed 1691 priests, 1962 monks and 3447 nuns. About 15 000 people serving different religious sects and cults were executed without any, even symbolical, court hearings. And here, we are talking about Belarus alone!
Reflecting on the changes, Janka Kupala was equally critical of Polish and Soviet policies in his play “Tuteshni” (Common Folk). Jakub Kolas denounced Moscow treachery in Riga. And many other writers and intellectuals demanded freedom for all classes, not only workers or peasants.

To be continued…

In the end of the WWI, patriotically inspired Belarusian parties convened the All-Belarusian Congress in Meinsk. There were 1, 915 delegates from local governments, social, political and military organizations. According to some historians, there were almost all possible fractions and parties of that time: Mensheviks, Bolsheviks, and Social-Christians and so on and forth. An atmosphere was predominately anti-communist and most delegates shared this feeling.
Although communists who were in charge of White Russia dispersed the convention, the Congress managed to proclaim Belarus a democratic republic while refusing to recognize any other authority on its territory, meaning Bolsheviks. And at the same time, Western media dispatched news cable:

London, December 28:

The establishment of a republic in White Russia has been announced, according to Petrograd advises. A Rada, or legislative body, for the territory has been assembled at Minsk, at which place a degree will be issued proclaiming the independence of the new state.
(The Russians are divided into Great Russians, Little Russians (Ukrainians) and White Russians. According to the latest available statistics, the White Russians number about 5 million, the bulk of them living in Lithuania.)

New York Times, Dec.28, 1917

It always fascinated me to browse through archives of all kinds. First of all, there is a feeling that you hold a piece of history in your hands. Second of all, there is a chance to stumble upon something interesting and forgotten by public. Exactly same thing happened to me when I was searching “Foreign Affairs” magazine archives. I was not looking for any specific but rather general information: White Russia. Among many results, one caught my eye. It was an article titled “The recent Russian census” and it was dated back in January 1928.

What was so interesting about? Numbers? Yes and No. Of course, numbers are useful facts but there was one more thing about the article. It was the way the communists conducted the second census in the history of Russia.

The census was carried out in the last half of December 1926, except some remote areas such as Siberia. The census was conducted on a large scale with 150,000 enumerators employed for this purpose. The total cost was place at about 14,000,000 rubles or 7,000,000 dollars (figures as of 1928).
The questionnaire comprised 15 questions: name, sex, age, race, language, birthplace, marital status, literacy, physical conditions, soundness of mind, unemployment, occupation, source of income etc. Noteworthy is absence of religion from the questionnaire.

The biggest concern was around question number four: race. Finally it was decided that this issue should be addressed from ethnographic rather that politico-cultural standpoint. Inquiry was to be made as to “Narodnast” (people)—which is defined as “a group of persons unified and differentiated from other such groups by certain common biological characteristics and by a common language,” whereas Nationality (Nationalnost) is considered as “narodnost plus culture plus state organization”.

Interestingly, on the Ukrainian cards, the “Nationality” was placed before “Narodnast” and in the Transcaucasus three words: “Tribe, Narodnast, and Nationality” appear on the census sheets.

Interesting approach, isn’t it? But what is really fascinating is that in Ukraine, White Russia and western provinces of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic there were special instructions. They stated that if a person claimed to be Russian, he was to be further asked to which of the three peoples (Narodnast): — Great Russian, Ukrainian or White Russian – he considered himself to belong. As a result of this census, there were about 4,4 million White Russians in the Soviet Union in 1928.

Another blow was delivered to Lukashenka from Canada. This country stopped significant portion of its diplomatic relationships with Belarus. This move is explained as a protest against actions taken by Belarusian authorities during the presidential elections that took place last week. Earlier, Canada condemned brutal suppression of peaceful demonstrations by Belarusian authorities.

For some reason, Alexander Lukashenka postponed a ceremony of inauguration earlier scheduled on March 31. Why did he do that is not clear and no official explanation was offered. But it seems pretty strange because for the past 8 days Lukashenka has not been seen on TV screens or public. Official Belarusian mass media do not offer any reports about Lukashenka’s whereabouts. Yep, it is like he disappeared and nobody knows where and when he will resurface. Russian radio station “Echo of Moscow” discussed this topic and according to it, the last time when journalists saw Lukashenka he looked pretty bad. Among many things they stressed that Lukashenka looked tired and “disoriented in times in space”.

Oleg Volchek, a close friend of Alexander Kozulin, said that Kozulin has not been charged by Belarusian authorities yet. According to Volchek, Igor Rynkevich, an attorney for Kozulin will meet with his Kozulin who is being held in a jail in Zhodino today. Volchek also confirmed that Kozulin was beaten up by police, has multiple injuries yet his spirits are high.

In Rogachev, a town in Gomel district, in a course of election campaign was administratively charged family of Zhelinskikh. Head of a family and public activist for Alexander Milinkevich, Victor zhelinsky planned to observe election at one voting site in Rogachev. On March 18, he got a phone call inviting him for an accreditation as an official observer. When he was stepping out of his house, a passing by man threw a bottle of beer in a direction of Zhelinsky and immediately accused him of knocking out a bottle from his hands. Momentarily police was there and arrested Zhilinsky for cursing in a public place and put him behind the bars for 7 days with administrative charges. His wife Svetlana and daughter Ekaterina went to Minsk on March 19 to join protesters at the October Square. They were arrested on March 24 during a raid on the Camp-town. Svetlana got 7 days of an administrative arrest while charges and verdict against Ekaterina are not know yet.

A former President, Vaclav Gavel and many other Czech politicians went to the Belarusian embassy in Czech Republic to present officials with a petition. Vaclav Gavel was not allowed on a territory of the Embassy and nobody from officials bothered to come down and talk with him. A clerk from the Embassy advised Gavel to put the petition into a box for correspondence and that’s what Vaclav Gavel did.

In St-Petersburg, a group of Russian liberals and anarchists organized a graffiti-attack on Belarusian Consulate. They did so in support of people who protested against Lukashenka’s regime in Belarus. Some graffiti read: Freedom to political prisoners, Shame, “Lukashenka is Nation’s Butcher”

In the special detention center in Akrestsin Street one could see the only almost happy man: after three days a Minsk dweller found his family! Since March 25 he was looking for his wife and two sons.

The elder son, Dzmitry Paulenka, was arrested on March 24 during the disbanding of a tent camp on October Square in Minsk. The parents were calling to all police departments, hospitals, and detention centers of Minsk. They haven’t given information about Dzmitry’s whereabouts. On the next day mother, Tatsyana Paulenka and her younger son, Alyaxandr, took some food, warms clothes, and went to the pre-trial detention center in Akrestsin Street. They heard that that all political prisoners are taken to that detention center.

Last time Paulenka heard the voice of his wife on March 25 in the afternoon. She only told that she is arrested right near the prison walls together with younger son…

For three days policemen refused to answer, where Tatsyana, Dzmitry and Alyaxandr Paulenki were kept. The man stricken with grief was ignored by policemen, judges, guards of detention centers. They refused to obey the law and provide information, or simply held the man who cannot find all his family.

As it turned out only today, the three members of the Paulenka family are in prison. Tatsyana is sentenced to 15 days of arrest, Dzmitry – to 15 days of arrest, and Alyaksandr – to 10 days of arrest.

9 district courts of Minsk have been trying the detained participants of the protest on October Square and of the demonstration on March 25. 293 persons were sentenced to an administrative arrest. But relatives and friends of the detainees still do not have information about them. The administration of detention centers refuse to tell the names of prisoners. Since 5 a.m. people are standing in queues near the doors of the special detention center in Akrestsin Street and of other detention centers, in an attempt to deliver them food and warm clothes. The situation is monstrous: parents do not know exactly, where their children are. 5 days have passed since their arrest.

charter97.org

Kiev, Ukraine.
Yesterday, group of supporters of Belarussian movement for freedom, gathered near Belarussian Embassy in Kiev. Within the bounds of meeting, ‘elections of president Lukashenko’ took place.
Everybody were able to vote for Lukashenko by putting into ballot-box as many voting-papers as he or she wanted.

Voting-papers were created by the best-of-the-best from Belarussian Central Election Committee(BCEC).
“We have had formal reasons to cancel registration of those candidates. However we’ve decided to give our electives opportunity to use their right to choose”, – said chairman of BCEC, Lidia Ermoshina.
(here is an example of voting-paper)

Writtings oppose to checkboxes says following
(checked one): I support regime of Alyaksandr Lukashenko
(second one): Please arrest my entire family
Afterwards, total votes were counted.

Wow! 183% for A. Lukashenko!

There was poll watcher from СIS(Сommonwealth of Independant States). Let us hear what he has to say:
“We believe that elections was transparent, liberal and legitimate”

“Ad honorem” elections concert of belarussian pop music was given near Belarussian Embassy.

Man with video camera walked out of the embassy towards us. He looked like home video amauter. We tried to take a picture of him, but he was turning away and trying to sneak and talk to police. Policemens were just smiling. Looks like the guy get countries mixed up

After voting we headed to Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

Near ministry we read demand to announce Lukashenko as “persona non grata” in Ukraine, and to sound position of Ukraine regarding recent events firmly. Ballot-boxes were left at the front doors, so ministry empoyees will have a chance to vote as well.

After solemn signing of national anthem of Ukraine, all participants went home with firm intention to gather again.

Author: Samuel Smith. Originally posted here(in russian)

…and it is not over yet! Belarusians are taking their protest against Lukashenka’s regime on the streets of Minsk. It is a sign that a word Freedom lives and breathes there! Even though, Lukashenka got 90% percent or so, those are not real numbers. These numbers were generated by his regime but these numbers could not generate a popular support for the dictator. In matter of fact, nothing will ever create any support for this man and his rotten regime.

Prior to the elections we all had a hope. You know, hope is an interesting thing. How many times do we find ourselves in a situation when each single fiber in our bodies screams: “No way”? Yet a weird thing inside of our heads whispers, “Maybe…”

Maybe, on March 19, Belarusians will get together and say their loud “No” to the Police State.

Maybe, officers from riot police will get their conscience back.

Maybe, Lukashenka will get scared if thousands of people will gather in front of his headquarters.

Maybe, he realizes that he will never leave this earth in peace…Maybe, he will run to hide in some distant swamp.

And it seems that some of these “Maybe wishes” are happening right now in Belarus against all odds or predictions. I do not want to run ahead of time but whole world saw that belarusians are freedom loving people. Thousands of them are camping in the center of Minsk, our capital, and demand what is long overdue there-Freedom.

Freedom to explore their history

Freedom to speak without censorship

Freedom to revive their rich cultural heritage

Freedom to live the way they want to live

And these people are not alone in their desire to live in the independent and democratic Republic of Belarus. People all over the world showed their solidarity with them. Poland, Germany, Russia, UK, Belgium…just name it! Trying to contribute to such a noble cause, we, Belarusians who live in the United States of America, jumped into an action as well. We did not number thousands, but we did showed up and said our NO to lukashenka’s regime. We did so because it is our duty and honor to be with our people in this decisive moment for our country. We did so because we are Freedom Loving People! Zhive Belarus!

Hey, hello everybody and sorry for not posting for such a long time… Will do better next week but for now, let me tell about recent events in Belarus.

As you might now, Belarus is going through some hard times and tries to get rid of Luka. I am sorry, president Lukashenka. And we should actually say, former president because if elections are fair, he would have been on his way to North Korea already asking for Political Asylum…But, as many reported from Belarus, counting was faked and results fabricated. In one instance, one Belarusian citizen claimed that his father, who disappeared 10 years ago, voted today! Man, is not it a miracle? Seriously, there should be a concern that Lukashenka gets some extra votes from people who are no longer with us.

This is just the beginning of a story. Students’ dormitories were closed and students sent back to their homes right before elections . Thus, authorities tried to solve a potential problem with protests: Less people — Less protests. Brilliant!

The Lukashenka’s KGB worked hard, really hard and uncovered many “evil plots” against Belarus organized by…Whom? Dishonest Belarussians! I think, even Stalin would have fliped a few times in his coffin looking at all this. We will post “plot-fantasies” with details later. But as of now, I can assure you that many of them would make a decent Hollywood-style action.

But, one thing really made us feel better when we found these pictures. They come from Belarus and from people who did not give up on freedom yet. By the way, these people will never give up on it, even though Lukashenka’s regime may try to scare them from getting together by using artificial snow while imitating snow blizzard! Honestly, authorities blew fake snow from roofs of buildings to make protestants, who numbered more than 40 thousands leave! It is pathetic and sad. I would even say, totally moronic-like. And ineffective…All we can say: Thank You, All!

You can find more photos on www.charter97.org. It took us a while to open up their web pages yesturday. For some reason, (most probable blocked by Belarusain authoritities) it is not easy to access their web site. But keep trying, it is worth it! Zhive Belarus!

16:30, 11/03/2006

Today in Belarus opponents of Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s regime abduct people. Unknown representatives of law-enforcing agencies in mufti seize people in the streets, without producing any documents, and take them to police departments, and then in courts, where obedient judges pass sentences on wrongful charges. For instance, yesterday in Minsk Zubr activists Alyaksei Lyaukovich, Paval Yukhnevich and Maxim Vinyarski were seized. Yesterday another activist of resistance movement, an underage Barysau dweller Anton Akulich was seized in Minsk. Unknown people seized him in the center of Minsk, packed in a car, red Peugeot, and taken in unknown direction. There is no information about his whereabouts. Today the international community practically does not react to the events. For many years habitual statements are made, and they are of no effect.

Other oppositionists are detained according to the same scenario. The leader of the Belarusian Popular Party, an electioneering agent of the single democratic candidate for presidency Vintsuk Vyachorka, and six other activists of the headquarters of Alyaksandr Milinkevich were seized on March 8 right after the meeting of the candidate with voters. Later it was informed that oppositionists were detained by riot policemen. For six hours nobody knew the whereabouts of the candidate’s agent. The mobile phone of V. Vyachorka didn’t answer. Later, at the trial, were he was taken on the next day, it was found out that the mobile phone of the BPF leader was confiscated, his arms were twisted, he was threatened bodily harm.

The candidate for presidency Alyaksandr Kazulin and his supporters were beaten up by SWAT policemen on March 2. Only the commander, charged with abductions and assassinations of people, Dzmitry Paulichenka, was in uniform. In his full dress lieutenant colonel Paulichenka was beating and kicking Kazulin, while his officers were beating well-known politicians and journalists.

The same people staged a nasty fistfight in front of the police department of Kastrychnitski district of Minsk. They were seizing people peacefully standing by the police department, who had come to support Kazulin. The nose of the “Komsomolskaya Pravda in Belarus” reporter Aleh Ulevich was fractured for an attempt to picture this total lawlessness. They were shooting at the car of Kazulin team for trying to videotape their criminal acts.

The deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the 12th convocation Syarhei Antonchyk was apprehended right in front of his house, when he wanted to accompany his son to his office. An elderly man with heart troubles was detained by riot policemen in plainclothes, who had not presented their IDs and were clothes in black. In the court Antonchyk and his son were charged with insubordination to policemen’s demands. Only in the court Syarhei Antonchyk and his son found out that the scoundrels that acted like bandits were policemen.

Zubr resistance movement coordinator Aleh Myatselitsa was arrested on the Day of Solidarity on February 16 by unknown people in black. Youth leader was sentences to 15 days of arrest for “petty hooliganism”, though he was simply standing on Skaryna Avenue in Minsk with a burning candle in memory of repressed Belarusians. After 15 days of arrest he was transported from the remand prison by the KGB officers and leadership of Byalynichy police department. In Byalynichy these people with shoulder straps and documents of law-enforcing agencies’ officers, acted like gangsters. In front of Byalynichy police department a provocation against Myatselitsa was staged by them. When he was taken out of the police car, two drunken men came up to him and suddenly intentionally fell down. Then they cynically said that Aleh had beaten them up. People who witnessed that were indignant; they tried to defend Aleh Myatselitsa. Then the guys in plainclothes had to reveal the service they represented. Provocators were officers of the KGB.

In Kalinkavichy (Homel region) On March 9 two activists of the headquarters of Alyaksandr Milinkevich, Dzyanis Rabinka and Alyaksei Manevich, were sentenced to 15 days of arrest for alleged swearing. Not far from the house of the activists unknown people started flinging snowballs into them. They cursed, and two men in plainclothes approached them. They have not presented their credentials, but said they are law-enforcing agencies representatives. In a patrol car activists were taken to the police department.

Such cases are plentiful. Now these bandits in black are seizing people right in the streets, in the face of witnesses. They brutally beat up a presidential candidate, oppositionists and journalists in front of TV cameras. They kill. And they commit these appalling crimes with impunity, as the dictators’ regime of Alyaksandr Lukashenka stands behind them.

The Charter’97 addresses all international human rights organizations and journalists and asks to direct attention to the total lawlessness in the center of Europe! Show solidarity with the Belarusians. Make your governments to react expeditiously and effectively to criminal actions of Lukashenka’s regime, that has launched a terror against his own nation.

Original source Charter’97