US embassy cable - 05MINSK1387

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MINSK 001387 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/15 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, BO 
SUBJECT: Free Press Cut from State Distribution Network 
 
Ref:  Minsk 1193 
 
Classified by Ambassador George Krol for Reasons 1.4 (B,D) 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: On November 4 and 11, Belarusian state 
postal service provider RUP Belpochta announced it would 
remove four independent newspapers from the list of 
periodicals available for subscription in 2006.  On 
November 9, the Ministry of Information issued a warning to 
the editor of "Zhoda" for defaming Lukashenko.  In response 
to the GOB's actions, the newspapers are considering 
distributing their publications for free, publishing on the 
Internet, or establishing "underground" operations as in 
Soviet times.  End summary. 
 
Sorry, You are Not on the List 
------------------------------ 
 
2. (SBU) During the past week, the Belarus state postal 
service provider RUP Belpochta officially informed four 
independent newspapers - "Narodnaya Volya" (NV), 
"Salidarnasts," "Zhoda," and "Regionalnaya Gazeta" - that 
their publications will not be included in the list of 
periodicals available for subscription in 2006.  Belpochta 
has made a similar comment unofficially to "Borisovskiye 
Novosti."  Since Belpochta has a monopoly on the 
distribution of subscription media, this announcement will 
likely severely cripple the newspapers ability to reach 
readers. 
 
3. (U) On November 10, Poloff met with NV Deputy Editor 
Svetlana Kalinkina, Salidarnasts Editor-in-Chief Aleksandr 
Starikevicha, and Zhoda Editor-in-Chief Aleksei Korol to 
discuss Belpochta's decision.  In separate letters to the 
respective editors, Belpochta explained in detail its 
reasoning for excluding the newspapers on the state 
subscription list, which included minor technical 
violations by each of the papers.  Belpochta also included 
in the letters to Salidarnasts and Zhoda that "each 
economic entity has the right to be guided by economic 
expediency in its commercial activities." 
 
4. (SBU) The newspaper representatives considered 
Belpochta's actions to be a form of government repression 
of independent media before the election.  Belpochta's 
action follows the October 1 decision of Belsoyuzpechat Q 
the state monopoly controlling kiosks and newsstands in 
Belarus Q to end its contract with NV because of alleged 
violations of media law (reftel).  [Note: Belsoyuzpechat 
has ended its contracts with Zhoda and Borisovskiye 
Novosti; Solidarnasts' contract is still valid, but 
Solidarnasts expects Belsoyuzpechat will terminate it 
shortly. End Note.] 
 
Zhoda Gets a Double Whammie 
--------------------------- 
 
5. (U) On November 11, Zhoda received an official warning 
from the Ministry of Information for printing materials 
that defamed President Lukashenko.  The warning also 
mentioned the USD 2600 fines Zhoda's two editors-in-chief 
received in September for allegedly disseminating false 
information.  Payment of the fines is due November 15. 
[Note: Such a serious warning in conjunction with the 
previous fine could provide sufficient "legal" 
justification for the closing of the newspaper. End note.] 
These fines followed a March police raid on Zhoda's office 
in response to an anonymous complaint about Zhoda's alleged 
"subversive" activity.  The police seized Zhoda's computers 
after finding portraits of Lukashenko on the walls, which 
had been altered to ridicule the president. 
 
The Newspapers Next Steps 
------------------------- 
 
6. (C) Both NV and Zhoda have filed suits against 
Belpochta, but neither newspaper expects to win its case. 
The majority of the newspapers do not consider setting up 
an independent distribution network as a viable option 
since it would require licensing from the GOB, which will 
almost certainly be denied.  Instead, they are 
contemplating changing the focus of their enterprises from 
"commercial" to "political" by distributing copies of their 
papers for free.  NV Q the paper with the largest 
circulation - proposed setting up 20 distribution centers 
around the country and asking volunteers to put copies of 
the paper in mailboxes and hand them out on the street 
 
MINSK 00001387  002 OF 002 
 
 
without charge.  Since the papers are registered, this 
action would be entirely legal under Belarusian law. 
Kalinkina said NV was exploring funding for this initiative 
and hopes to launch it by January 1, 2006.  The other 
editors mentioned pursuing similar courses of action, but 
on smaller scales.  If free distribution via volunteers is 
not successful, the newspapers mentioned creating websites 
and publishing on the Internet.  If all else fails, 
Solidarnasts mentioned "working underground" as independent 
newspapers did before the 1917 revolution and during Soviet 
times to ensure that people have access to independent 
media. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
7. (C) The GOB has taken bold steps to limit further 
Belarusian citizens' access to independent media and 
tighten its control over free press.  The "economic entity" 
Belpochta claimed it was "guided by economic expediency" in 
its decision-making; however, the three simultaneous 
notifications on November 4 and an additional notification 
one week later suggest the decision to weaken the 
newspapers' distribution capabilities was a coordinated 
effort from on high.  Zhoda's warning and the exclusion of 
the four independent newspapers from the subscription list 
are just the latest in a series of actions by the GOB 
efforts to stamp out state media.  The trend will almost 
certainly continue and will most likely increase in the 
lead up to the 2006 presidential elections. 
 
KROL