Maksim Viniarski: Talks between Lukashenka and West give him carte blanche for repression

Pressure on opposition has increased after new attempts to have a dialogue with the dictator.

The statement was made by Maksim Viniarski, a coordinator of the civil campaign European Belarus. He told charter97.org how talks with the West influence Lukashenka, how Belarus will live after the 2015 “election” and what the EU and US's too loyal stance on the dictator will bring.

– Just after the visit of the American delegation, you were taken out of the jail, forcefully held for 7 hours and promised that you will “rot in prison”. Don't you think it is too sad a coincidence?

– It is not fully a coincidence. Visits of such delegations are a signal to Lukashenka. He sees that people agree to talk to him and takes the other side in the dialogue as the weak side, as losers who can be swindled. If the West agrees to have these relations and agrees to be cheated, it gives him carte blanche saying “I will continue dealing with you”.

It is impossible to negotiate with a swindler. The swindler doesn't make any commitments. He receives more freedom to press on those who hinder him. Such meetings give the dictator and his henchmen grounds to think they can continue doing what they do without punishment.

Talks with the dictator are possible only from a position of strength. A person without moral norms always wins a person who got used to adhere to his positions and remain committed to his words.

– Zmena activists were detained some days ago. Pavel Vianhradau, for example, was fined and sentenced to 15 days in custody. Opposition activist Yury Rubtsou from Homel will soon be tried. In the current situation, don't you think that new political prisoners may appear?

– I cannot say what verdict will be delivered to Rubtsou, but I can definitely say that since Belarus began to be used as a negotiation venue, including the talks between Putin and Poroshenka, the character of arrests and pressure on opposition activists changed. Pressure has become stronger and more ungrounded. Earlier, people were punished for what they did. An opposition activist was jailed for the picket he had organised. They didn't touch people without grounds. Since the championship, when the dictator understood the West plays with him, talks to him and continues to take him as a partner, he relaxed. Arrests became ungrounded. The authorities don't wait until an activist does something. They punish people preventively for their thoughts.

As for Rubtsou, I think the case against him was opened not for his words to the judge. I am more than sure that Rubtsou faced pressure due to his position on the presidential election. He actively supports the boycott of the electoral farce while political prisoners remain in the country. Rubtsou was persistently promoting this idea. I think this is the reason why the authorities presented their claims only to him and the activists who organise pickets, but not to those ready to play the role the authorities want.

– Europe talks to Lukashenka and Lukashenka is becoming more confident ahead of the election. He understands nobody will punish him. Don't you think the election can be held even in a ruder form with even more undemocratic results and the unhidden use of force against all dissidents?

– I agree. This is true not only for our country. Decades ago, Europe and America succumbed to a swindler and dictator. They through they would be able to come to an agreement by sacrificing small interests of small countries. We still remember and feel consequences of it. Now, when Europe and America hold negotiations with Putin, they do not prevent a war, they are making the future war (which may happen) bloodier and bigger. If the West had a more rigid stance, neither Lukashenka nor Putin would have space to develop their apologetic ideas and intentions. The situation, when the West continues talking to them ignoring numerous violations of human principles of existence, is taken as indulgence. Putin has understood he can do whatever he wants. It will be good if the West manages to stop or at least slow him down by military means in Ukraine. If not, the Belarusians can be the next followed by Poland.