US embassy cable - 05MINSK1013

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MINSK 001013 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, ECON, BO 
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY REPORT - August 24, 2005 
 
 
1.  The following are brief items of interest compiled 
by Embassy Minsk over the past week. 
 
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Human Rights 
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Authorities Annul Two Weekly Papers' Registration 
 
2. On August 22, Minsk authorities deregistered Denpress 
(i.e. the company that produces the independent weekly 
Den) after alleging the company had not operated for six 
months.  Company Head Nikolay Markevich plans to fight 
the decision by claiming that Denpress did publish an 
edition of Den on May 26 but that authorities seized the 
print run of just under 2,000 copies 40km from the 
Russian border.  Authorities claimed the May 26 edition 
did not count, since it did not reach subscribers. 
 
3. On August 24, Minsk authorities also deregistered 
Press-Service, publisher of the independent weekly 
Kuryer iz Borisova, stating that its Charter lacked 
several clauses required by media law.  The court's 
decision surprised the staff since the paper had 
operated without problems for three years. 
 
Prominent World Leaders Condemn Lukashenko's Practices 
 
4. On August 20, a number of prominent world figures signed 
an open letter condemning Lukashenko's crackdown on 
democracy and independent organizations, including religious 
establishments, NGOs, political parties and the non-state 
press.  The letter called on the EU, U.S. and other 
democratic countries to form a common strategy to support 
democracy building within Belarus.  Signatories to the 
letter include former Czech Republic president Vaclav Havel, 
former Irish president Mary Robinson, former Archbishop 
Desmond Tutu of South Africa, and financier George Soros. 
 
Journalist Harassed by KGB after Trip Abroad 
 
5. Upon his return from a familiarization trip to the 
Czech Republic, KGB officers on August 17 interrogated 
freelance journalist and NGO activist Aleksandr Rautenko 
about the purpose of his trip.  Rautenko traveled to 
Prague representing a coalition of Svetlogorsk-based 
NGOs addressing education, cultural and social security 
issues.  The NGOs plan to protest the interrogation on 
the grounds that foreign travel is a constitutional 
right. 
 
Websites Blocked 
 
6. Following the August 15 KGB raid on Trety Put (Third 
Way) students, unknown "Belarusian patriots" hacked into 
the United Civic Party's (UCP's) website to alter its 
home page.  In addition, the websites for Malady Front, 
Human Rights Alliance and the Belarusian Association of 
Journalists were hacked and shut down. 
 
Polish Editor Banned from Leaving Belarus 
 
7. On August 19, the Belarusian court prohibited 
"Magazyn Polski" Editor-in-Chief, and Union of 
Belarusian Poles (UBP) spokesman, Andrzej Poczobut from 
leaving Belarus.  The court ruled that Poczobut did not 
pay a BYR 5.1 million [USD 2,372] fine that he received 
after participating in an unauthorized protest.  Mr. 
Poczobut said that he intended to pay the fine, but "was 
arrested and not physically able to pay anything." 
 
Authorities Liquidated Evangelical Reformed Church 
 
8. On August 22, Minsk city court de-registered the 
Belarusian Evangelical Reformed Union Church for lack of a 
legal address.  [Note: this is a common method the GOB uses 
to close NGOs, media outlets, parties and churches.] 
Lacking adequate funds to secure a proper location, Church 
leader Leonid Lipen had refused to re-register the church as 
required by law, and demands the government return the 
denomination's churches and historical buildings. 
 
Skrebets Formally Charged 
 
9. On August 23, authorities formally charged former 
Respublika MP Sergey Skrebets for defrauding Belarusbank of 
more than USD 500,000 in loans while he was the director 
general of the BelBabyevsky Trading House in 2001.  Skrebets 
denies the accusation, stating that the Trading House 
received the loans after he had already resigned from the 
company. 
 
MINSK 00001013  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
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Civil Society 
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Buy Belarusian, Read Belarusian 
 
10. Effective July 18, the Belarusian Council of Ministries 
created a list of foreign-produced items that can no longer 
be purchased with government funds.  The list of items -- 
including books, canned goods, and other goods -- is for 
official use and has not been shared with the public. 
Libraries, which rely entirely on government funding to 
purchase books, have already started to feel the effects of 
this decree since most of their books are printed in other 
CIS countries.  The Ministry of Culture has sent a letter to 
the Ministries of Finance and Economy requesting guidance on 
how to handle the impending information gap. 
 
Domestic Adoptions Increase 
 
11. On August 23, Minister of Education Aleksandr Radkov 
reported to President Lukashenko that domestic adoptions 
have increased 11% over the past year.  This result has 
been part of a serious initiative to ensure that 
Belarusian families adopt Belarusian children.  While 
the MOE claims adoptions of Belarusian children by 
foreigners are still possible, the new process 
introduced this year is very difficult.  No foreign 
adoptions have taken place under the new rule. 
Lukashenko has stated publicly that his goal is to 
completely eliminate foreign adoptions. 
 
Love and Marriage 
 
12. According to the Ministry of Statistics and 
Analysis, the number of marriages in Belarus has risen 
almost 20% since last year, whereas the number of 
divorces has not slowed at all.  Pre- and ante-nuptial 
agreements have become popular addendums to marriage 
ceremonies. 
 
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Economics 
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Salaries Up 
 
13. The Ministry of Finance reports that June's mean 
monthly salary, BYR 476,400 [USD 222], was up 21.9% over 
last year.  Nurses and agricultural workers received the 
lowest average monthly salaries, BYR 244,700 and 246,300 
[USD 105 and USD 115 respectively].  Oil sector workers 
faired the best with an average monthly wage of BYR 
993,700 [USD 462]. 
 
Largest EU Project in Belarus in Jeopardy 
 
14. Delays in issuing proper licenses to contractors 
could jeopardize the progress of the EU funded 
construction of cargo terminal Kozlovichi-2 on the 
Polish-Belarusian border.  This cargo terminal would 
double processing capacity at that border crossing.  The 
European Commission has already transferred funds to 
Belarus to cover construction through the end of the 
year, but if the bureaucracy continues to create delays, 
the EC may halt subsequent funding. 
 
EU Takes Steps to Suspend Trade Benefits for Belarus 
 
15. On August 22 the European Commission initiated the 
process to suspend EU Generalized System of Preferences 
(GSP) for Belarus unless the GOB brings its labor 
legislation and the country's commitments into 
compliance with international norms within the next 14 
months.  If Belarus fails to comply, estimates of the 
cost to the GOB range from EUR 100-280 million annually. 
Belarus believes it could respond to the EU decision, 
however, by redirecting its exports to America or Asia. 
 
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Anti-U.S. 
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Math Textbook Teaches Anti-Western Equations 
 
16. The Ministry of Education recently published a new 
edition of a popular mathematical textbook.  This textbook, 
which is used in junior high academic competitions, contains 
sample "mathematical" equations such as "US + NATO = WAR" 
and "NATO + GO HOME = PEACE." 
 
MINSK 00001013  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
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Belarusian Bilateral Relations 
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Outgoing Ukrainian Ambassador Offered New Employment in 
Belarus 
 
17. On August 19, Ukrainian Ambassador to Belarus Petro 
Shapoval departed Belarus. Two days before his 
departure, President Lukashenko invited Ambassador 
Shapoval to return to Belarus, where Lukashenko would 
find him employment. 
 
Border Incident Settled 
 
18. On August 17, the last of the detained Ukrainian 
mushroom and berry gatherers returned home.  Belarusian 
police had arrested nineteen Ukrainians who had 
illegally crossed the border into Belarus to gather 
fruits and vegetables.  Questions about whether they 
entered Belarus deliberately or at Belarusian police 
gunpoint arose, but the ensuing investigation proved 
that the Ukrainians entered Belarus unintentionally. 
 
Belarusian & Venezuelan Legislatures Pledge Cooperation 
 
19. Following his meeting with Venezuelan National 
Assembly Member Saul Ortega last month at the World 
Youth Festival in Venezuela, MP and head of the 
Belarusian Republican Youth Movement Mikhail Orda 
announced that the legislatures of Venezuela and Belarus 
have agreed to work together to promote bilateral 
political, economic and cultural contacts. 
 
Neighbors Discuss Policy to Belarus 
 
20. On August 19, vice speaker of Lithuania's Seimas 
Ceslovas Jursenas announced that in September, the NATO 
Parliamentary Assembly will discuss the condition of 
Belarus' ethnic minorities.  Jursenas also asked the 
European Commission to address the GOB's attempts to 
control the leadership of the Union of Belarusian Poles 
(UBP).  He called on neighboring countries to make known 
their views on the UBP conflict.  Polish Prime Minister 
Marek Belka suggested that Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and 
Ukraine coordinate policies regarding Belarus. 
 
Belarusian Auto Plant to Open Office in Cuba 
 
21. Responding to Cuba's growing interest in Belarusian 
automobiles, Mogilev Automobile Plant (MoAZ) announced 
its plans to open a representative office in Cuba.  MoAZ 
has already signed a contract with Cuba to produce 42 
mine dump trucks.  MoAZ and the GOC have also discussed 
opening a service center and spare parts warehouse. 
 
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Quote of the Week 
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22. On August 19, President Lukashenko congratulated the 
farmers of the Grodno region on collecting 1 million 
tons of grain: 
 
"One million tons are a real victory, but I expect you 
to gather 500,000 tons more... I will suspend the labor 
discipline decree for ten minutes and propose a toast to 
the Grodno Region farmers." 
 
PHLIPOT