US embassy cable - 05MINSK1433

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 MINSK 001433 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, ECON, BO 
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY REPORT - November 25, 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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2. New Life Church's Building is NOT a Cow Barn 
 
On November 17, the New Life Church filed its third 
application for registration at the address of the 
former cow barn.  This time, however, the church 
received a new "technical passport" (registration 
document) reclassifying the cow barn as a "building 
specializing in religious purposes."  This allows the 
church to legally conduct services in the building. 
Separately, the New Life Church announced it would work 
in conjunction with the "Day of Solidarity" organizers, 
offering convocations on the 16th of every month for 
those persecuted by the GOB. 
 
3. Belarus is an "Enemy of the Internet" 
 
On November 16, Reporters Without Borders labeled 
Belarus an "enemy of the Internet" because of government 
attempts to control people's access to the web.  The GOB 
can easily control web page content via the state 
telecommunications monopoly Internet access provider, 
RUP Beltelecom.  On November 21, independent press 
reported the GOB bought equipment from China to monitor 
internet traffic. 
 
4. Police Seize 700 Opposition Bulletins 
 
On November 11 in Svetlogorsk, police seized from local 
youth activist Vadim Bogdan 700 opposition bulletins 
advertising the November 16 "Day of Solidarity".  Police 
charged him with illegally using public transport to 
bring the bulletins from Minsk to Svetlogorsk, where 30 
people participated in the day of solidarity. 
 
5. GOB Will Not Block Foreign TV 
 
On November 17, Lukashenko criticized foreign television 
programs for their violent content, but announced he 
would not block their broadcast.  In turn, he praised 
Belarusian television channels for their truthful 
coverage and lauded Belarusian TV reporters as "decent, 
honest, and truthful," but lacking professionalism. 
Lukashenko also promised to continue to regulate the 
media sector, but in a civilized manner. 
 
6. Restricted Travel 
 
Belarusian border guards detained Union of Belarusian 
Poles (UBP) activists Andrei Pochubot and Meczyslav 
Yaskiewicz for three hours at the border as they 
returned from Poland on November 19.  The UBP activists 
were returning from a visit with Polish Prime Minister 
Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz when the guards confiscated 
their passports, claiming passports' exit stamps had 
been annulled.  On November 23, border guards prevented 
UBP activists Angelica Arechwa, Andrei Lisowski, and 
Inessa Todryk from crossing the border into Poland.  The 
guards allegedly doubted the authenticity of the 
issuer's signature in the UBP activists' passports.  The 
activists were to travel in Warsaw to speak with a UN 
special rapporteur on Belarus. 
 
7. Former UBP Head Questioned 
 
On November 22, Grodno investigator Dmitry Labotsky 
questioned former UBP head Angelica Boris as a witness 
in connection with the alleged misuse of UBP funds. 
Since the case's reopening in January, Boris has been 
questioned 50 times.  In a press statement, Boris 
claimed authorities are accusing her of misusing funds, 
stealing, and organizing a teachers' conference with 
sponsors' money.  According to Boris, the investigators 
are using interrogations to put psychological pressure 
on her and her supporters. 
 
8. Newspaper Appeals Registration 
 
On November 18, editor of the satirical newspaper 
Navinki, Pavel Konovalchik, appealed to the Supreme 
Economic Court against the Ministry of Information's 
(MoI) decision to annul its registration.  Deputy 
Minister of the MoI Liliya Ananich annulled Navinki's 
registration on October 24 for failing to publish an 
issue within the last 12 months.  Konovalchik admitted 
 
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his newspaper did not appear for 11 months, however the 
MoI also counted the three months when the newspaper was 
suspended by the MoI in August 2004. 
 
9. Activist Fined for Leaflets 
 
A Gomel district judge on November 21 fined opposition 
activist Maria Bogdanovich USD 95 for distributing 
leaflets on November 7 without the printer's name and 
address.  Bogdanovich plans to appeal the ruling because 
of her doubt about the judge's impartiality.  The 
leaflets, according to Bogdanovich, were designed to 
attract public attention to sharp increases in utility 
and maintenance service rates. 
 
10. Narodnaya Volya Loses, Again 
 
Judge Nelli Orlovskaya of the Minsk City Economic Court 
threw out Narodnaya Volya's (NV) lawsuit on November 21 
against its former distributor Minoblsoyuzpechat, a 
subsidiary of Belsoyuzpechat, for abruptly annulling its 
distribution contract with NV.  NV intends to appeal. 
 
11. Milinkevich's Unsuccessful Meeting 
 
Presidential hopeful Aleksandr Milinkevich arrived in 
Bobruisk on November 24 to meet with local activists and 
residents, hold a press conference, and answer 
residents' questions on a hot line.  However, two hours 
before the scheduled events, authorities disconnected 
the electricity and phone connections in the apartment 
where the hot line was to take place.  Bobruisk painters 
and theater actors, with whom Milinkevich was to meet, 
were prohibited from speaking to him. 
 
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Civil Society 
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12. Number of HIV Cases Approaches 7,000 
 
On November 17, the National Center for Public Health 
announced that 6,867 Belarusians have been diagnosed 
with HIV.  Gomel region has the highest rate of 
infection, with 3,821 reported cases.  Intravenous drug 
use accounted for 67.6 percent of the cases.  Deputy 
Minister of Health Mikhail Rimzha predicted the HIV 
infection rate would decrease within the next two years. 
 
13. A New Writers' Union 
 
The Union of Belarusian Writers (UBW) is planning to 
expel 53 members, including detective novel writer and 
MP Nikolai Cherginets, for attending a founding 
conference for a pro-government writers' union. 
Cherginets and his supporters created the new Union of 
Writers of Belarus (UWB), to which Cherginets was 
unanimously elected as the chair, after Cherginets 
stepped down as UBW's chair in disagreement over the 
union's alleged "nationalistic" stance.  Lately, the 
state media has accused the 582-member UBW of practicing 
politics and not literature while Cherginets accused the 
union of not recognizing President Lukashenko or GOB 
symbols and using the nationalist red-and-white flag to 
"cause pressure" within the union.  The Belarusian 
Confederation of Artistic Unions and Cultural 
Foundations fear the creation of the pro-government UWB 
would bring greater government harassment to the UBW and 
its eventual closure. 
 
14. Symphonies in the Villages 
 
Director of the Belarusian State Philharmonic Society 
Aleksandr Grabar on November 15 confirmed GOB plans to 
establish 215 philharmonic halls in villages under the 
2005-2010 rural revival program.  Grabar stated that the 
main difficulty in the project was that villagers were 
not yet able to "understand" symphony.  However, the 
concert halls, which would be set up at village houses 
of culture, could also be used for other activities. 
 
15. Regional Officials Punished 
 
On November 21, the chair of the Mogilev Regional 
Executive Committee Boris Batura recommended the 
dismissal of the region's top official in charge of the 
state retail network for poor performance.  The decision 
came following President Lukashenko's visit to the 
region and his criticism of local authorities' inability 
to improve living standards.  Batura issued reprimands 
to four deputy chairpersons of the Mogilev Regional 
 
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Executive Committee and other district-level officials. 
He also demanded district government heads hear 
complaints and requests from citizens at least once a 
week. 
 
16. More Riot Police 
 
OMON (riot police) regiment commander Yuri Podobed 
reported on November 22 that the country's 350-men 
strong OMON force would increase to 500 men.  The move 
is to increase security at public events, such as 
football and hockey matches and concerts.  According to 
Podobed, who is on an EU visa ban list for crushing 
demonstrations, claimed that 30 percent of OMON troops 
have university degrees and over 50 percent were college 
students.  Only one in ten applicants pass the OMON 
entrance tests. 
 
17. Lukashenko Will Not Take Money 
 
On November 24, President Lukashenko told Parliament 
that the West was ready to offer him and his family 
safety and money if he did not run in the 2006 
elections.  The president stated that he rejects such 
offers.  Chairman of the upper house Gennady Novitsky 
expressed his concern about the West's political 
pressure, including its "unprecedented" attacks on 
Belarus' "independent" policy.  Therefore, the GOB's 
task is to consistently advance national interests, 
spread objective information, and "show up" double 
standards.  In a November 23 press conference, however, 
Lukashenko stated that he welcomes the positive 
direction Western governments are taking in recognizing 
that he will win the elections. 
 
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Election 
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18. www.milinkevich.org 
 
On November 16, opposition presidential candidate 
Aleksandr Milinkevich launched his website, 
www.milinkevich.org.  On the first day, the Belarusian 
language web page - Russian and English versions will be 
launched soon - had 1,200 hits.  The site contains 
biographic and campaign information, interviews and 
articles, a photo gallery and documents on the National 
Congress of Democratic Forces. 
 
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Economics 
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19. Less Beer Produced 
 
The deputy head of the state food processing company 
Belgospischeprom, Aleksei Rubets, announced on November 
16 that production targets for beer would be reduced 
from 72 million deciliters to 49 million deciliters. 
The decision came after 2005 beer exports fell 51 
percent to 665,000 deciliters, although the 2006-2010 
state plan expects 12 million deciliters of beer in 
exports in 2006.  Less than ten percent met first-class 
requirements.  The five-year program envisages doubled 
beer production by 2010, costing the state USD 139 
million in investment. 
 
20. Temporary Tariffs? 
 
The Council of Ministers signed resolution no. 1263 on 
November 17, which raised import duties on various 
consumer goods for nine months in order to protect 
domestic producers.  Import duties on paints and 
varnishes increased from five to 15 percent of their 
customs value, drills and vacuum cleaners from 15 to 50 
percent, electric tea kettles from 15 to 20 percent, and 
lighting equipment from 20 to 30 percent. 
 
21. Tax Arrears Increase 
 
The Ministry of Taxes and Duties reported on November 18 
that tax arrears increased 42 percent to USD 155 million 
in 2005.  Unpaid VAT, excise tax, and sales tax (33, 26, 
and 14 percent respectively) accounted for most of the 
arrears.  Delayed tax payments dropped 14 percent to USD 
109 million.  Tax revenues totaled USD 11.6 billion. 
 
22. Construction Companies Under State Control 
 
On November 22, PM Sergei Sidorsky insisted the GOB 
 
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redistribute the construction market in the government's 
favor.  According to Sidorsky, 20 percent of all 
facilities are built under state control while the 
remaining 80 percent is carried out by private 
companies.  Sidorsky suggested, "turning the pyramid 
upside down," granting the state 80 percent control and 
private companies only 20 percent.  President Lukashenko 
will hold a meeting on December 20 to discuss this 
issue. 
 
23. Average Salary Increases 
 
The Minister of Economy Nikolai Zaichenko announced on 
November 22 that the average salary rose to USD 233 per 
month, up from USD 211 in January-October.  The biggest 
salaries were in the petrochemical industry and the 
lowest in agriculture.  Seven percent of companies in 
Belarus offer salaries below USD 100.  According to 
Zaichenko, average December salaries in the healthcare, 
education, culture, and science spheres should total USD 
236, 226, 226, and 333 respectively.  The highest 
salaries remain in the oil refining industry, where 
workers earn USD 539 per month. 
 
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Quote of the Week 
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24. Lukashenko, at a four-hour November 17 speech to 
university students: 
 
"We should not crave the European community, abandoning 
our national culture, traditions, and state structure. 
We are situated in the center of Europe, and will be 
able to establish the European living standards on our 
own.  As true Europeans, we will not bend our neck.... 
Even the avowed enemies of Belarus, the IMF and the 
World Bank, have to admit that Belarus has chosen the 
right way of development." 
 
KROL