Mahilou residents demand to replace Russian TV channels with Ukrainian

Activists accuse Russian television channels of inciting ethnic hatred.

A number of independent trade unions and NGOs of Mahilou launched the campaign Civil Control on July 20. The campaign's aim is to fight against bureaucracy and negligence and raise public awareness, BelaPAN cites Yury Novikau, the head of the Mahilou regional branch of the Belarusian Free Trade Union.

The campaign's initiators also plan to ask the government to reduce the number of Russian channels in Belarus, because they “incite ethnic hatred that can be clearly seen by the attitude to Ukraine”. The activists said they would ask to replace Russian TV channels with Ukrainian and Kazakh ones.

The campaign Civil Control will last for an indefinite period. The activists welcome all organisations and individuals wanting to join it.

The campaign was initiated by Mahilou branches of the Belarusian Free Trade Union, the Independent Electronics Trade Union, the Free Metal Workers Trade Union, Leu Sapeha Foundation and other organisations.