Alyaksandr Kamarouski: “Aggressor is Belarusian riot policeman who strikes woman in the face”

The head of the association of veterans of combat operations “Defender of the Motherland” addressed readers of the Charter’97 website.

The veteran of the war in Afghanistan Alyaksandr Kamarou answered to people who responded to the article on our website called “Afghan War veterans refuse to accept awards from Lukashenka”:

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all people who commented the article on the forum of the Charter’97 site, and expressed their opinion concerning our political decision not to accept the award on the 20th anniversary of withdrawal of the Soviet troops from Afghanistan from Alyaksandr Lukashenka. Besides, I would like to answer some questions.

620,000 soldiers and officers of the Soviet Army have taken part in the combat operations in Afghanistan. 14,500 persons died. 30,577 natives of Belarus have taken part in the operation. 789 persons died, 12 were lost without traces, 718 persons became disabled persons. About 5,000 citizens of Belarus took part in other military conflicts. The state does not have statistics about veterans who died after the war, and they make about 25% of the total number of veterans.

The aim of our address concerning refusal to receive awards was not selfish interests, but clearly expresses political demands, and solution of them is extremely important for the future of people of this category and their families. They have deserved respect of the society and the state by their military deeds, having followed their military oath and their Motherland’s order.

We understand perfectly well that there a just wars (wars of liberation) and unjust wars (invasive-aggressive wars), but a soldier who follows his military oath and orders of their commanders shouldn’t be a bargaining chip and be responsible for political incompetence of the leadership, and this concerns the Afghan War in particular. It should be understood by everyone, and understood right: who can dare to explain a mother who had lost her son in Afghanistan, that he had died in a “wrong” war?

For me personally not a Belarusian soldier in Afghanistan is an aggressor, but a Belarusian riot policeman who strikes a woman in the face (Svyatlana Zavadskaya, the wife of the abducted ORT cameraman Dzmitry Zavadsky), and the scum who killed real patriots of the country: Y. Zakharanka, V. Hanchar, A. Krasouski and D. Zavadski. They are those who imprison patriots like P. Sevyarynets, D. Dashkevich, P. Krasouski, M. Autukhovich, and me, an old officer, and many others. They stage provocations against people whom they are to defend according their duty. They are real “aggressors”, but they have a right to commit malfeasance and abuse their power, without taking any responsibilty for these crimes.

Even in the conditions of the War in Afghanistan we didn’t allow such arbitrariness to happen. In July 1982 I was in Kabul military hospital, and a senior warrant officer with a serious wound was on a bed next to me. His spine was shot in the following situation. His airborne infantry battalion was fighting with Mujahideen and moving forward in a mopping-up operation. This guy seriously wounded a Mujahid by a sub-machine gun. When he came nearer, he saw that the Mujahid is still alive. Having thrown away the submachine gun of the enemy, he didn’t finish him of, showing nobleness. But when he moved on with his soldiers, the Mujahid took off a pistol and shot in the senior warrant officer’s back. Yes indeed, it was a mistake of the senior warrant officer not to kill the Afghani warrior, but nobody blamed him. He is a brave and decent man, not a coward or a crum, not an invader, like some people incompetent in the Afghani War say commenting these events. For me he is an example of military honour and nobleness, of a real warrior. Such a man would never fulfill a criminal order. I am asking citizens of Belarus to show civil initiative in discussing issues concerning us, it is important for us to know your opinion and have support of the people.

With respect,

Alyaksandr Kamarounski

The chairman of the organising committee for foundation of the association of combat operations veterans “Defenders of the Motherland”