US embassy cable - 05MINSK992

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MINSK 000992 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
KIEV FOR USAID 
DEPT PLEASE PASS TO USAID/E&E/DGST PETER GRAVES 
DEPT ALSO FOR EUR/ACE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, SOCI, BO 
SUBJECT: Few Protest German Radio Plans 
 
Ref: 04 Minsk 1820 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: Deutsche Welle recently won a bid to broadcast 30 
minutes of radio news to Belarus daily.  However, their 
announcement proved controversial because DW plans to broadcast in 
the Russian language.  Belarus' nationalist opposition protested 
loudly in local and international press, but when it came time to 
demonstrate in Minsk, few participated.  In truth, most Belarusians 
speak Russian as a matter of course, and most embassy contacts 
stress the need for at least half of foreign broadcasting into 
Belarus to be in Russian.  End summary. 
 
 
Tempest in a Chashka 
-------------------- 
 
2. (U) On August 4 Deutsche Welle (DW) announced it won a contract 
with the European Commission to provide 30 minutes of daily radio 
broadcasting to Belarus.  Under the Euro 138,000 annual contract, 
Deutsche Welle's Russian Service will produce half an hour of 
Belarus-themed information daily for three years.  DW expects to 
start this broadcasting in September. 
 
3. (SBU) A number of prominent (and not so prominent) Belarusian 
opposition figures immediately criticized Deutsche Welle, Germany, 
and the European Commission, because DW plans to broadcast in the 
Russian language.  Vintsuk Vyachorka, head of the Belarusian 
Popular Front (BPF) opposition party, stated in an open letter to 
DW, "Belarusians and Belarusian speaking persons have a right to 
listen to news in their own language.  Minsk infringes on this 
right every day, and has in fact removed Belarusian from state 
television and radio broadcasting.  Today the EU has joined this 
policy."  Ivonka Survilla, president of the Canada-based Belarusian 
National Republic's Rada complained, "It seems that German 
Chancellor Gerhard Schroder, like his Russian `friend' Vladimir 
Putin, does not see the Belarusians as a separate nation."  Other 
opposition leaders, such as the self-exiled nationalist Zenon 
Poznyak, former head of state Stanislav Shushkevich, and head of 
the Belarusian Language Society (BLS) Ales Trusow issued similar 
statements condemning broadcasts in Russian.  On the other hand, 
leaders of the non-nationalist opposition, such as United Civic 
Party leader Anatoly Lebedko and former chairman of the upper house 
of parliament Aleksandr Voitovich welcomed the DW broadcasts, 
saying independent radio in any language is better than nothing. 
 
 
A Half-Hearted Protest 
---------------------- 
 
4. (U) A group of Belarusian students, with the support of the 
Belarusian Language Society, announced they would hold a series of 
demonstrations August 22 to 26 against DW's Russian broadcasts. 
Poloffs observed the August 22 "event."  Despite receiving 
permission for the protest from Minsk City authorities, only six 
demonstrators and three journalists appeared, 20 minutes late. 
They held up one banner, with text too small to read from more than 
three feet away, and gave brief interviews to the journalists.  No 
passers-by even seemed to notice the demonstration.  Because this 
was an authorized protest, there was no BKGB presence. 
 
 
Most Speak Russian 
------------------ 
 
5. (U) A November 2004 IISEPS opinion poll found that 81 percent of 
Belarusians speak Russian at home, while 20.8 percent speak 
Belarusian (reftel).  In February the Partnership NGO conducted a 
street poll, asking 1,820 people across Belarus about their 
language use.  They found 45 percent of respondents claimed 
Belarusian as their mother tongue, 39 percent named Russian, and 15 
percent said both.  This poll found regional differences as well, 
with 65 percent in Grodno Oblast (western Belarus) claiming 
Belarusian as their mother tongue, compared to 30 percent in Gomel 
Oblast (eastern Belarus).  However, Partnership noted that the 
overwhelming majority of all respondents answered the poll 
questions in Russian.  Partnership's leader, Nikolay Astreyka, 
commented, "While still regarding Belarusian as their mother 
tongue, a majority speak Russian in their day-to-day life." 
 
6. (SBU) Based on anecdotal evidence, Post agrees that most 
Belarusians speak Russian in their daily life, even if they 
appreciate hearing Belarusian.  Emboffs rarely hear Belarusian on 
the street or in shops.  When the POL Section hired a new LES 
 
MINSK 00000992  002 OF 002 
 
 
assistant, Poloffs interviewed 12 highly educated Belarusians, only 
three of whom could speak Belarusian.  However, local contacts 
(even in chance encounters, such as with cab drivers) frequently 
comment to Emboffs how happy they are that Ambassador routinely 
speaks Belarusian at public events.  When he does, he always 
receives thunderous applause. 
 
7. (SBU) Comment: The furor over Deutsche Welle's Russian-language 
broadcasting highlights the divisions within the opposition.  The 
non-nationalist opposition (UCP, PCB, most Social-Democrats) is 
opposed to Lukashenko, and is not afraid of seeking help from 
Russia.  The nationalist opposition (mainly the BPF) is usually 
opposed to Lukashenko, particularly because of his Russification of 
government, society and the press.  However, the nationalist groups 
stress independence from Russia at all costs, and sometimes even 
praise Lukashenko for his recent opposition to union with Russia. 
These nationalist groups will oppose any attempts to broadcast in 
Russian, even while acknowledging the urgent need for independent 
sources of information.  As this Deutsche Welle example has shown, 
these groups are able to make a loud fuss in local and 
international press.  Nonetheless, Post believes most Belarusians 
to be either Russophones or more pragmatic, and will welcome 
independent media, regardless of the language.  Indeed, most 
interlocutors stress to Post the need for broadcasting in both 
languages; Russian to reach the masses, and Belarusian to please 
the nationalists and help foster a Belarusian national identity. 
The most important element of alternative external broadcasting is 
that the programs be developed by Belarusians, regardless of 
language.  As one contact stated, "It was nice hearing 18th century 
Belarusian poems on Radio Racija, but it hurt the opposition's 
chances to attract support." 
 
 
PHLIPOT