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Oleksiy Matsuka: Separatists feel at home in Belarus

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Oleksiy Matsuka: Separatists feel at home in Belarus

Leaders of the “DNR” live in Lukashenka’s residence in Zaslauje (Zaslavl ), say Donetsk journalists.

Oleksiy Matsuka is the editor-in-chief of “Novosti Donbassa” news agency, and the founder of “Hromadske TB Donechchiny” TV channel. Today the journalist cannot live in Donetsk – there have been several attempts at his life, there have been attempts of his car and flat arson. When it became impossible to work in his native city, reporters of the agency and the TV channel started to inform about the events from Sloviansk, Mariupol and Kyiv.

In an interview to charter97.org Oleksiy Matsuka told about the situation in Donetsk region, about the crimes committed by pro-Russian separatists and soldiers of the Russian army in the region, and commented on the role of the Belarusian dictator Lukashenka in the conflict.

- At present I cannot live in Donetsk. The city is controlled by armed militants. Now this territory is a burned-over land. Sadism, hate, colossal distrust are reigning there. Pro-Russian marginal fascist organisations are active. Earlier they had been controlled by police, at least to some extent, but now, with the support of the military forces of the Russian Federation, they feel they are in command of the situation, – the journalist starts the conversation.

- What is your attitude to the version that separatism in the East of Ukraine had been nurtured by Russians long before the war started?

- That’s true. We had conducted investigation on the topic, who had financed separatist organisations in Donetsk region. Earlier separatists had been supported by local self-government by 80-90%. We have irrefutable evidence that in such little towns like Kostiantynivka, Zhdanivka or Khartsyzk there was a real connection between terrorist groups and city councils.

The same state officials, employees of the local self-government bodies were acting. They were supported by the authorities of Russia, that is, they acted as contractors.

We suppose that these plans were conceived many years ago. For a long time the problem stayed in a frozen state, and was brought up only when necessary by the Party of Regions and the Communists, when they needed to lobby their interests and demand concessions from Kyiv.

- Who is fighting with the “DNR” and “LNR” today, except soldiers of the Russian army of course?

- Out of habit, we call them separatists, militants, terrorists. It’s a long synonymic row. But all of them total to one thing – these are Putin’s armed forces. They are separatists plus the Russian army plus the fascistic ideology. I personally encountered Russian military and mercenaries from Chechnya in Donetsk and Sloviansk.

They really kill people. Not only Ukrainian military and volunteers. They kill civilian population for a different stand, for patriotism, for being faithful to Ukraine.

There is one more category of population. Yanukovych’s son, Alexander, supported illegal coal mining at the territory of Donetsk region, and exactly these mines give the main traffic of people who join terroristic organisations. Terrorist groupings “DNR”, “Novorossiya” or “Vostok” battalion are a new source of income for those people.

We call this region “the Slavery Belt”. There people could not find other job except illegal coal mining for Yanukovych’s son. We recorded dozens of incidents when people lost their arms or legs during the working time, but they could not address any institution for compensation for disability, as they had not had official employment. If they lodged complaints, owners of mines intimidated such people, and even threatened to kill them.

It was a comprehensive system, based upon fear by the Yanukovych’s regime. Now many those mines are closed, but I would like to underline once again that people who had been working there, had to join the “DNR” in order to earn at least some money. In fact, the “DNR” and illegal mines are the same thing.

Exactly the territories which had been the centre of illegal coal mining, received a so-celled special status today – from Donetsk almost to the border of Russia, through Snizhne.

- What was the response of the pro-Ukrainian part of the population to giving the special status to this territory?

- They think they have been betrayed. According to opinion polls, not more than 20% of the local population took part in the vote for breaking away from Ukraine. The question is: where 80% of Ukraine’s supporters are now? They have either to hide, or to conceal their opinion, or to flee, or to collaborate in some way in order to survive.

The territories of Luhansk and Donetsk regions are historically Ukrainian. Yes, I admit, they have their specific features. But this problem occurred mostly because of the Party of the Regions and their friends, Communists, who had been doing their best to preventing these regions from integrating into the life of Ukraine.

For example, for many years Donetsk regional council had two factions, the Communist Party of Ukraine and the Party of the Regions. All attempts of democratic parties to win voters in this region were neutralized. Any alternative opinion was criticized and torn to pieces, an image of marginality was created.

Our aim today is to give our people the foundation, which they could rely on, for them to feel more protected, for them to finally realize what is the difference between the things Europe proposes, and the things Russia imposes.

Europe offers a free market, free elections, freedom of speech, transparency in decision-making. And what does Russia offer? [It offers] Putin, his friends Lukashenka and Yanukovych, who have given birth to corruption, political prisoners, assassinations of dissenters and so on.

Is there a sane person who would choose Russia? I think the answer is obvious. This paradigm, this controversy should be demonstrated to people, they should be told about that.

- Why Minsk became a venue for talks with terrorists?

- Today Belarus is the last stronghold of the Soviet totalitarianism. And no wonder that separatists went to talks exactly to Minsk, not to Geneva or Warsaw.

The territory of Belarus is comfortable for them. Lukashenka can ensure security of militants, which should be surprising as such. A militant of a terrorist grouping arrives to a foreign state, and in a normal situation, special services should have arrested him.

But in reality Lukashenka is a good friend of the “DNR”. How could it be called in a different way? There have been no public officials in Minsk. There have been no public associations from Donbas in Minsk. Only terrorists arrived there.

I know that separatists live in Minsk at the expense of the Belarusian budget. That is, in fact Belarusians pay for accommodation of the terrorists’ leader Purgin in the residence of Lukashenka in Zaslauje, they pay for his alcohol and food catering, for servants and so on.

The question to our authorities is, why they resorted to the help of Lukashenka. Every day we are asking: why the opinion of public associations or analytical centres is not taken into account? Why not opt for holding a nation-wide dialogue in order to solve this problem?

- Lukashenka is a popular figure in Ukrainian media today. It looks as if his opinion on the status of Donetsk and Luhansk is more interesting to journalists than the position of Western politicians.

- Personally I feel ashamed that Lukashenka is the president of the country, which is our partner and friend, mentally and geographically.

Today Belarus is a big Transdniester, a grey zone, which is not controlled in terms of smuggled goods. I think it is not a secret to anyone that Lukashenka supplies armaments to rogue countries. The origin of his billions is a topic for a wide international investigation.

It is important to collect data about all crimes of Lukashenka, it will come useful in the court later. There should be no diminishing in political and public attention to the dictatorship in Belarus. International organisations and Belarusian opposition should prevent that. Lukashenka’s crimes have no period of limitation, he must be punished for everything he had been doing to the Belarusian nation, and all his corruption schemes should be revealed.

Personally I do not have trust in Lukashenka. Until very recently Putin had Lukashenka in one pocket, and Yanukovych in the other. After the latter was driven from office, the Russian leader still has the Belarusian dictator in his pocket. The only aim of Putin is to have marionette presidents in the neighbouring countries.

- Today many Belarusians are under the influence of Putin and Lukashenka’s propaganda. The words “everything is fine as long as there is no war” are very up-to-the-minute again.

- Ukraine refused to be a marionette state, and now it is on the path of progress. The price we are paying has probably frightened people in Belarus. But to say “peace is the supreme thing, no matter with whom”, means to play into the hands of Lukashenka.

I think that people do not realize that this idea has been created by PR-technologies, ordered by the dictator himself. These mantras are obviously spread in your country everywhere now: neighbours, colleagues are whispering that, people say in public transport, write in social networks and so on. Messages needed by the authorities are planted into the informational space.

- What steps in the foreign policy are expected by you from the new Ukrainian authorities?

- Ukrainian politicians should be principled in their statements and actions, as the foundation of their power is Ukrainians.

We must win in the east of Ukraine now, certainly. But we should not forget about the external “front”. We should help Belarusians free their country of dictatorship. We should provide assistance to your democratic forces, independent journalists, civil society. Belarus is more than Lukashenka alone. It is a many-million country, where every person is individuality and has a right for a better life.

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