US embassy cable - 05MINSK1381

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MINSK 001381 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, ECON, BO 
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY REPORT - November 10, 2005 
 
 
1.  The following are brief items of interest compiled 
by Embassy Minsk over the past week. 
 
------------ 
Human Rights 
------------ 
 
2.  Den Newspaper Sees Its Final Day 
 
On November 4, the Minsk City Economic Court upheld the 
decision to annul Denpress' registration for failure to 
operate for six months without informing the tax 
authorities of the reason.  Since a publication cannot 
be produced without a registered publisher, the court 
has effectively closed the newspaper Den. 
 
3.  Police Seize 72 Copies of Opposition Weekly 
 
On November 8, police seized 72 copies of the opposition 
Belarusian Party of Communists' weekly, "Tovarishch." 
The papers contained an insert protesting utility rate 
increases.  The police stated that although the paper is 
registered, distribution with an inserted flier is 
illegal. 
 
4.  Incorrect Filing Leads to Dismissal of Abuse 
Complaint 
 
On November 3, a Minsk court rejected youth opposition 
activist Nikita Sasim's claim that he was severely 
beaten by policemen during a September 16 demonstration 
because the claim was filed with the wrong agency. 
After Sasim landed in the hospital with a head injury 
from OMON riot policeman, Sasim filed a complaint with 
the Minsk Central District Police Department, who 
refused to launch an investigation.  Sasim complained to 
the Minsk Central District Court, who said that Sasim 
should have filed the complaint with OMON directly. 
 
5.  More Travel Restrictions 
 
On November 3 and 4, Belarusian border guards prevented 
Union of Belarusian Poles (UBP) activist Anzhelika 
Orekhova from traveling to Poland.  The border guards 
stated they doubted the authenticity of the foreign 
travel stamp in her passport.  Orekhova maintained that 
the stamp was valid since it had not reached its 
expiration date. 
 
6.  National Labor Union Forced To Re-register on Local 
Level 
 
On November 4, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) announced 
the national Free Trade Union of Metalworkers (FTUM) did 
not have enough members to meet the requirement for 
operation on the national level.  After conducting an 
inspection, the MoJ claimed the FTUM had only 217 
members; FTUM insisted that it had 542.  The MoJ 
recommended liquidation for the national organization 
and re-registration of the trade union as a local 
organization. 
 
7.  Destructive Sects Have No Official Place in Belarus 
 
On November 9, Committee on Religious and National 
Affairs (CRNA) Chairman Stanislav Buko announced 
authorities would not register destructive religious 
sects banned by law.  He affirmed there are no such 
sects operating currently in Belarus, but people who 
participating in activities possessing characteristics 
of such sects are closely monitored. 
 
------------- 
Civil Society 
------------- 
 
8.  Belarus to Increase Police Force by 50% 
 
On November 3, the Ministry of the Interior (MoI) 
announced plans to increase the size of the district 
police force by 50% before September 2006 in order to 
curb the increasing crime rate in rural areas.  The MoI 
will focus its hiring efforts on young law and 
vocational school graduates.  The proposed deadline for 
the hiring increase falls two months after the July 
presidential elections. 
 
9.  Moonshine is a Biological Weapon, Said MoI 
 
On November 9, the Ministry of the Interior announced 
the Belarusian police consider moonshine production to 
 
MINSK 00001381  002 OF 002 
 
 
be a kind of bioterrorism since the producers often use 
poisonous ingredients in production.  In response, the 
police have opened a hotline enabling people to inform 
the police of illegal alcohol production or trade.  Last 
year, 700 people died from toxins in moonshine. 
 
--------- 
Economics 
--------- 
 
10. Cost of Heat to Rise 
 
On November 9, the Ministry of Housing announced as of 
November 1, utility prices will rise approximately 44 
percent from last year's rates.  For a two-room 
apartment, utility costs will rise from BYR 70,000 [USD 
32] to BYR 101,000 [USD 47].  The amount households 
currently pay only covers 46 percent of the actual 
utility and maintenance costs. 
 
------------------- 
Bilateral Relations 
------------------- 
 
11. Newly Returned Polish Ambassador Resigns 
 
On November 7, the Polish Ambassador to Belarus Tadesz 
Pawlak handed in his resignation.  A spokeswoman from the 
Polish Embassy stated the decision to resign was personal, 
but noted that criticism of his performance in the Polish 
press might have prompted the resignation. 
 
------------------ 
Quotes of the Week 
------------------ 
 
12. On November 3, Lukashenko commented on Belarus' 
excessive alcohol problem and promised to increase 
efforts to counter alcoholism in Belarus: 
 
"Those who drink alcohol every day, don't vote for me. 
I don't want to be your friend.... You are ruining the 
nation....  A person will not have normal children if he 
drinks alcohol at least every other day....  Someone 
gets drunk, accidentally conceives a child and you 
Lukashenko has to raise that child.  We have 35,000 such 
children in the country." 
 
13. On November 4, Lukashenko spoke with certainty about 
the inevitability of his re-election in the 2006 
presidential elections: 
 
"The point is not that you may not [re]elect me; you 
won't avoid electing me." 
 
KROL