US embassy cable - 05MINSK757

UNCLAS MINSK 000757 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, ECON, BO 
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY REPORT - July 6, 2005 
 
1.  The following are brief items of interest compiled 
by Embassy Minsk over the past week. 
 
 
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Political Developments 
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2.  Restricted Political Parties 
 
On June 29, the Belarusian Parliament amended a law 
further restricting political parties by prohibiting 
membership to youth under the age of 18, to more than 
one political party, and to legal entities.  The law 
would require all parties to open chapters in Minsk and 
in at least half of Belarus' regions within six months. 
It also prohibits parties from accepting donations from 
foreign nationals, states, organizations and stateless 
persons, anonymous donors, legal minors, religious 
organizations, and legal entities less than 12 months 
old.  Only the Supreme Court - upon request from the 
Ministry of Justice - can suspend a party's activities 
if it is advocating a violent revolution or spreading 
war, social, ethnic, religious, and/or racial 
propaganda.  After a registration suspension, the party 
has six months to correct its mistakes.  According to 
Aleksandr Svirid, member of the Parliament's Human 
Rights, National Relations, and the Media Committee, the 
new law would decrease the number of local parties and 
encourage the formation of larger parties with well- 
developed structures. 
 
3.  Russian Communist Support 
 
At the July 1 pan-Slavic conference in Minsk, Russian 
communist leader Gennady Zuganov pledged his support for 
Lukashenko in the upcoming presidential election. 
Zuganov praised Belarus' progress and advised Lukashenko 
to use it as a "trump card" in the election campaign. 
In addition, Zuganov lambasted the U.S. for sticking its 
"tentacles" not only in Belarus, but also in the 
Baltics, Caucasus, and Central Asia and warned that U.S. 
aggression would face resistance similar to what the 
Slavic people showed Hitler in 1945.  Lukashenko thanked 
Zuganov for his support.  "You are well-known in Belarus 
for your principled and courageous stance.  You have 
never betrayed the Belarusian people and you have never 
called into question or criticized the actions of our 
government."  Lukashenko stressed that Belarus follows 
policies consistent with the communist party platform 
and they have proved effective. 
 
4.  Statkevich Supporters for Milinkevich 
 
On July 2, 46 former Nikolai Statkevich supporters voted 
for Aleksandr Milinkevich as the single opposition 
candidate, whereas 11 voted for Anatoly Lebedko, leader 
of the United Civic Party (UCP).  Statkevich, leader of 
the Belarusian Social-Democratic Party (Narodnaya 
Hramada), withdrew his candidacy following his May 31 
conviction for participating in the October referendum 
protests. 
 
5.  Dead-beat Parents 
 
Parliament introduced a bill on June 30 requiring 
parents, who have renounced or been relieved of all or 
most parental rights to their children, to reimburse the 
state for the total amount of child-raising expenses for 
their abandoned children, even if it takes their entire 
lifetime to do so.  The bill will not apply to parents 
who are invalids or deemed incapable to work.  Parents 
who fail to compensate the state could be sentenced to 
three years in jail.  According to the Ministry of 
Justice, each abandoned child costs the state USD 650 
per year.  In January, Belarus had 32,000 orphans 
(including those whose parents are alive). 
 
 
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Human Rights 
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6.  Police Detain NGO Members 
 
Minsk police detained regional coordinators of the NGO 
Partnerstva on July 1.  A group of police officers, 
BKGB, traffic police, and OMON, stationed at Minsk exit 
roads, arrested Stanislav Shalamav, Oleg Pashkevich, and 
Inna Apanasenka and seized 74,000 informational 
bulletins on the upcoming presidential election and 
candidates of pro-democratic forces.  Police took the 
detainees to the police department and provided written 
explanations for the arrest, but did not record the 
seizure of the bulletins.  Police later sealed the 
garage of one of the detainees where the last remaining 
print run of the bulletin was stored.  The 
representatives were later released. 
 
7.  Artist Arrested 
 
Police arrested artist Ales Pushkin on July 4 when he 
attempted to display his portraits of Belarusian 
nationalists on the steps of the National Fine Art 
Museum.  Pushkin stated his actions were a protest 
against the museum administration's refusal to display 
paintings and tributes to Belarusian patriots. 
Pushkin's display included portraits of pastor Vintsent 
Godlevsky, Colonel Ivan Shanko, and young underground 
fighter Rostislav Lapitsky; all of whom fought for 
Belarus' liberation from the Nazis and Bolsheviks during 
WWII.  The police released the artist following an 
identity check. 
 
8.  Historian Fired 
 
On July 2, the History Institute of the Belarusian 
National Academy of Sciences cancelled the employment 
contract of Gennady Saganovich, senior research 
assistant and author of popular-science and school texts 
on Belarusian history.  Officially, the university fired 
Saganovich for unexcused absenteeism.  Saganovich 
explained he was absent from work because he went to 
Poland to research relations between the Grand Duchy of 
Lithuania and the Teutonic Order.  However, Saganovich 
added that the unauthorized trip was also a quiet 
protest against the university administration's new 
policies.  "They banned me from making trips to the 
'enemy' West, but I consider it absurd to restrict 
researchers, especially since such trips are financed by 
researchers themselves or their sponsors."  Saganovich 
first found out about his dismissal in May after the 
Moscow-based magazine Rodina published his article in 
which he explained how Belarus' official academic 
circles no longer welcome literature on wars between 
Belarus (then called the Grand Duchy of Lithuania) and 
Muscovy in the 16th and 17th centuries.  Following the 
article, Saganovich was evicted from his office. 
 
9.  Narodnaya Volya Pays 
 
On June 29, independent newspaper Narodnaya Volya 
settled out of court a libel suit filed by potash giant 
Belaruskaly whose workers denied signing a statement in 
support of opposition leader Aleksander Kozulin's 
opposition movement.  Belaruskaly representatives agreed 
to pay a litigation fee while the newspaper promised to 
publish an apology before July 15.  The hearing began on 
June 23 and was to resume on June 29, but the sides 
reached a settlement shortly before the court was to 
hear the case. 
 
10.  Asylum Seeker 
 
On June 30, opposition activist for Malady Front, Yanis 
Chuchman, applied for political asylum in Belgium. 
Chuchman, who chaired Malady Front's Vitebsk branch, had 
been detained several times by police and BKGB officers. 
According to the leader of Malady Front, Pavel 
Severinets, Chuchman had every reason to leave the 
country. In 2005, Chuchman was arrested for 
participating in a protest and for distribution of 
printed material without the publisher's information. 
 
11.  Activist Detained 
 
Police in Kalinkavichy arrested human rights activist of 
the Viasna center in Mozyr, Vladimir Tselepun, on June 
29.  The arrest occurred soon after deputy chairman of 
the regional branch of the UCP Vladimir Katsora returned 
a repaired private computer to Tselepun.  Police 
officers claimed the computer had been stolen, but 
instead of identifying the computer's owner, 
investigators searched the contents of Tselepun's 
private files on the hard drive. 
 
 
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Economics 
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12.  Privatization Belarusian-style 
 
During a July 2 interview with Russian TV channel 
Tsentr, Lukashenko admitted he believed in 
 
SIPDIS 
privatization, but thought that the state should 
exercise rigid control over the process.  "We do not 
protest against privatization, but it should be a 
strictly regulated process involving lots of paperwork 
and all privatization acts should be signed by the 
president in person."  Lukashenko stated that employees 
of an enterprise should initiate privatization, it 
should be cash privatization only, and all enterprises 
should be privatized at their actual market value.  He 
noted that this was an obstacle in the joint Russia- 
Belarus gas transport enterprise with Beltransgaz, when 
GAZPROM offered USD 600 million to purchase a refinery 
that the GOB valued at USD 5 billion. 
 
 
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Military 
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13.  Draft Dodging Games 
 
On June 30, the Parliament adopted a law stipulating the 
punishment for conscripts who dodge the military draft 
and reserve service.  According to the Ministry of 
Defense, the new law increases combat readiness because 
it punishes those who skip their reserve duties just as 
severely as those who dodge the draft.  Current law 
gives five years in jail for dodging the draft or two 
years in jail for not showing up on duty.  However, the 
statute of limitations is eight weeks, meaning if the 
draft dodger is not caught within two months, he cannot 
be prosecuted.  Around 12,000 people annually dodge the 
draft in Belarus. 
 
14.  Combat Ready? 
 
During his July 5 speech to the graduates at the 
Military Academy, Lukashenko stated that Belarus is 
increasing the combat potential of its armed forces. 
"The main aim is to create a modern army, the combat 
power of which would be determined by a high level of 
technical equipment, mobility, high morale, the good 
training of personnel, and the ability to oppose any 
threats and challenges."  Lukashenko believes the 
inspection results prove that the government has chosen 
the right path to army reform. 
 
15.  Missiles to Russia 
 
Two Belarusian air defense regiments flew to Russia's 
Chita province on June 29 to participate in a tactical 
exercise involving S-200 long-range missile launches. 
The Polotsk-based 377th Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile 
Regiment and the 835th Cadre Air Defense Missile 
Regiment of the Northwestern Operational and Tactical 
Command (NOTC) participated at the Telemba training 
ground. 
 
 
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Miscellaneous 
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16.  No More Models 
 
On July 5, the Ministry of Education (MoE) announced 
that none of Belarus' modeling schools were successfully 
re-licensed by the July 1 deadline.  In accordance with 
the president's decree cracking down on human 
trafficking, all modeling agencies were to be re- 
accredited.  However, according to the MoE, the schools 
did not have the necessary resource base, properly 
trained personnel, or literature on the basics of the 
profession.  According to the MoE, modeling agencies 
should employ experts with higher pedagogical, medical, 
or sports education who are capable of teaching cultural 
sciences and fine arts on a high level.  The MoE plans 
to soften the licensing requirements, but vowed agencies 
would still have to do their utmost to meet the 
requirements listed in the president's decree.  On July 
5, owner of a fashion studio Sergei Nagorny informed 
reporters that following a meeting with officials at the 
Presidential Administration, the MoE decided to extend 
the deadline until this fall, but the requirements would 
not change. 
 
17.  Rampant Beavers 
Scientists on July 6 announced that Belarus' increasing 
beaver population has become a real public threat. 
According to official figures from the National Academy 
of Sciences of Belarus, the beaver population grew to 
45,000 compared to 15,000 in 1995.  The beavers' dams, 
tunnels, and canal constructions have flooded thousands 
of hectares of woods, swampland, and farmland and has 
ruined the habitats of other large mammals, such as deer 
and buffalo.  Beavers' natural enemies are wolves, fox, 
and mink - all of which has been hunted to near 
extinction in Belarus.  Male beavers now grow to over 20 
kilos and are losing their fear of man.  Belarus' first 
recorded beaver attack on a human took place in Grodno 
in 2003.  The Academy recommended forest rangers trap 
and kill at least 3,000 beavers per year to control the 
animal's population.  The need for pelts, beaver meat, 
and beaver urine (supposedly valuable in medicine) would 
give Belarus additional income. 
 
 
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Independence Day 
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18. Lukashenko Praises His Own Policies 
 
On July 1-3, Belarus celebrated 61 years of independence 
from Nazi occupation.  Festivities included concerts, 
dances, and exhibitions throughout Minsk.  On July 1, 
Lukashenko, speaking to an audience of veterans, 
government officials and diplomats at Minsk's "Palace of 
the Republic," praised the heroic feats of Red Army 
soldiers during WWII and assured that the government is 
doing everything possible to make veterans' lives 
better.  The president spoke of Belarus' goals for the 
future, but most importantly, the need to preserve 
Belarus' independence and stability.  In order to 
accomplish this, Lukashenko highlighted the GOB's 
efforts to develop the economy through modernization, 
increased production, and market competitiveness.  He 
explained Belarus' efforts to strengthen and expand the 
military, including greater financial support and weapon 
upgrades and praised Belarus' political path to greater 
influence in the international arena.  Lukashenko 
stressed Belarus' commitments to increase international 
partnerships not just with other countries, but also 
with the EU and UN.  Belarus respects these 
organizations and would like to work closely with them. 
However, Belarus would not allow any country (the U.S.) 
to maliciously use these organizations against the 
country.  Lukashenko explained Belarus' strong 
socialistic policy that centers on the needs of the 
average citizen, such as health, educational, and 
spiritual development and efforts to improve the 
standard of living through economic reform.  According 
to the president, the many examples of success prove 
that Belarus is on the right path. 
 
Praising the veterans for what they did for the country, 
Lukashenko stressed how important it is for the 
government to protect the future of Belarus, namely, the 
youth.  The youth needs to stay in their motherland, but 
must be encouraged through achievement and success. 
According to the president, the GOB has created all 
necessary conditions for the talented, intelligent, and 
energetic youth to stay.  The government takes great 
efforts to develop self-esteem, health, easily 
accessible education, employment, and living space for 
young Belarusians. 
 
19. The Festivities 
 
Throughout the holiday weekend, over two million people 
attended concerts, festivals, and dances throughout 
Minsk.  The city center on the night of July 3 was 
filled with almost 400,000 celebrants, mostly youth.  It 
was the largest crowd seen in Minsk in years, but there 
were no overt political manifestations among them. 
Lukashenko led WWII veterans in a parade up the newly 
renamed Independence Street (formerly Skaryna Avenue). 
Lukashenko's sons, wearing military uniforms, 
accompanied their father as they walked through downtown 
Minsk.  The city crawled with people of all ages and 
alcohol was scarce, as Lukashenko had prohibited sales 
throughout the weekend.  The OMON police firmly, but 
politely removed any persons who appeared drunk or 
started to "horse-play." 
 
 
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Quote of the Week 
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20.  During an interview with the Russian television channel 
TV-Tsentr on July 2, Lukashenko ruled out the possibility of 
a revolution in Belarus because there was no basis for it. 
He claimed that only certain groups would try to cause an 
uprising: 
 
"There will not be any revolution because only the dropouts 
would rebel, but dropouts will be dealt with in a special 
way.  The opposition is aware of this, and so there will be 
no revolution here." 
 
KROL