Ivonka Survila: “As soon as Belarus will be in good hands, we’ll hand over authority” (Video)
9:46, — Politics
Changes in Belarus will take place by wish of the Belarusians themselves, believes the Chairperson of the Belarusian National Republic (BNR) Rada (Council) in exile.
Ivonka Survila answered this and other questions of Salidarnasts on the eve of Freedom Day.
- Mrs. Survila, where will you personally celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Belarusian national Republic?
- All over the world. I am invited and the time of festive events is coordinated to my capabilities. So I will celebrate in London, in New York… And undoubtedly in Prague, which I always visit with pleasure.
- But where will you have a festive meal for a holiday exactly on March 25?
- In France. I will go to my parent’s house, to my brother Lyonik Szymaniec. We’ll invite several Belarusians and will celebrate in a very festive way: with a flag, with a candle on the table, with memories about different events in our life related to March 25. We’ll sing hymns: “Come, We Shall March in Joint Endeavour”, “Oh Mighty God”. I am really fascinated by the latter. I lways cry when singing it.
- Do you share the opinion that the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic and independent Belarus would not exist without the Belarusian National Republic?
- I absolutely agree. The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic emerged only because the Belarusian National Republic existed. And undoubtedly, thanks to that, independence was announced in 1991. In my March address this year I say that the Belarusians would not exist without the BNR. We won’t exist on this land any more.
- To your mind, why the Belarusians failed to make use of the opportunity they had in 1991 to restore their free state?
- I discourse upon that in my book “The Road”. It is very painful for me that the Belarusian nation failed to use it. But there are many reasons for that. I think that the Soviet occupation lasted too long. And Moscow managed to change the minds of people in a way that they are absolutely ignorant of what independence is.
One of the reasons is fear which continues from the time of the Soviet Union. People feel they have a necessity to be secretive, they think this or that action can affect their families, they might lose job. I think it’s the most important thing. Besides, the Chernobyl disaster…It has undermined the Belarusian nation physically. People lost energy, which is necessary for struggle for abstract independence, which had been in fact unfamiliar to them. People who are weak physically, lose faith, they live from day to day just to survive.
And a very important role in this situation belongs to the young, as they have this energy and believe in the future.
- What is the contribution of the BNR Rada to the strategy of the European Union in its part relating Belarus?
- In fact, we started from the needs of awareness creation. It was the first thing we fought for. We wrote letters, met with the European Commission, with the European Parliament, with the European Council, so that to give the Belarusians a chance to solve their problems themselves as soon as possible, and not just listening Lukashenka’s propaganda. After that, undoubtedly, go all the things the Belarusian opposition struggles for. We support it everywhere we can, at each step, and in the framework of the European Union as well.
- Can the Belarusian government in exile influence changes inside Belarus and its relations with Europe, the US and other countries?
- Belarus will gain independence and freedom domestically. It cannot happen other way.
The only thing we can do is to find support of the international community for the democratic and independent Belarus. We make friends for Belarus, which Belarus didn’t have in 1918. That was the reason it failed to defend its independence. And now Belarus has support everywhere: both in America, and in Europe. Absolutely all Western states know about Belarus and support the democracy, human rights, independence for the Belarusian nation.
As for the sanctions, we explain that sanctions could be imposed only in a case when it could change Lukashenka’s policy in any way, but sanctions shouldn’t do harm the Belarusian nation.
- The BNR Rada is the last government in exile in Europe. How transfer of mandates by governments in exile to governments in metropolitan countries in other countries took place?
- All post-Soviet states had governments in exile. When these countries declared independence, transfer of mandates took place. We are the only not to give a mandate.
- In 1991 Belarus became independent, its symbols were officially returned, and it strated to speak Belarusian… Kebich’s government, you write in your book, made efforts for that, so why the transfer didn’t took place?
- All others [governments-in-exile] were sure that they give mandates to normal democratic governments. Ukraine had vested it authority a little early. And later Ukrainians regretted that. And in Belarus, as the time has shown, independence wasn’t established. The Parliament was elected in the time of Social regime, and there was no hope that independence would last.
As soon as Belarus is in good hands, and democratic freedoms and independence would be established inalterably, we’ll repose our authority. We can hardly wait for that!
- Under what conditions could you sit down to negotiating table with Lukashenka and repose the mandate to the current government?
- Under no conditions. Such conditions cannot exist.
- And if the democratic forces of Belarus would create a shadow cabinet?
- No, we won’t do that. It would be too dangerous for them. We think that the symbol of independence, which we are, should remain completely independent.
- What tendencies are observes now in the life of the Belarusian expat community in the world?
- The old, after-war emigrants continue work as before. There are new emigrants, who often left the country for financial reasons. They are not always joining our work. But there is a part of them who are conscious Belarusians. For instance, in Toronto, our Belarusian life is supported by the new expats already. Its representatives’ attitude to the Rada, to Belarusian national values is very good. In 2006, right after the presidential vote in Belarus, they staged an urgent rally in front of Toronto city council.
- How would you evaluate today’s relations between the Belarusian state and the expat community? Between the opposition and the expat community?
- Unfortunately, the Belarusian state is too much ‘interested’ in the expat community. Too much. This was the same way always. And we do not doubt that now there are people in every community whose aim is to split our organizations. The expat community, and the BNR Rada even more, constitute a threat for people who are against everything Belarusian.
We have wonderful relations with the opposition. Two weeks ago we were invited to the European Parliament together with the opposition and celebrated the 90th Anniversary of the BNR. It was a very festive event. And representatives of the opposition, and we, representatives of the BNR Rada, were everywhere.
- Did you show a united front?
- Yes, we did.
