29 March 2024, Friday, 3:02
Support
the website
Sim Sim,
Charter 97!
Categories

Mikalai Statkevich: Million of Belarusians ready to take up arms defend Belarus

48
Mikalai Statkevich: Million of Belarusians ready to take up arms defend Belarus
MIKALAI STATKEVICH
PHOTO: TUT.BY

And the resistance in our country is going to be stronger than it was in Ukraine in the beginning.

In his first long interview to Russian mass media the former political prisoner and a presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich talks about boycott of the “elections”, prospects of the protest movement and attitude of Belarusians to Russia and Putin, Grani.ru informs.

- What is your opinion about the forthcoming presidential elections?

- I have already carried out enough consultations with leaders of democratic organisations, which are not taking part in the electoral circus of Lukashenka as backup dancers, and our common evaluation and position towards the pre-elections situation is taking shape.

There is something new in the history of elections in this case. Elections in our country were rigged by ballot box stuffing and false voting bulletins once. Then they started to falsify ballot results reports. Now they have falsified the structure of a voting bulletin for the first time. Some persons have been included to the number of candidates artificially, and their only mission is to say after the elections, that the elections had been fair, and to address the European community to ask and lift the sanctions…

Other candidates have not been allowed to participate, and among other methods by a criminal prosecution, as it was in my case. As a matter of fact, we could say even before the elections started, that it is invalid. They could be called null and void both legally and politically. There are no elections.

One thing is left for us, to fight for holding real democratic elections in Belarus, starting from their very first stage – and under an all-nation control. I was deprived of a possibility to enter this list of candidates myself artificially. I was deliberately kept in prison until the day when nomination of candidates was finished. As soon as nomination of candidates ended, I was released. And I think that even the authorities do not have doubts that I am innocent, but they acted deliberately and intentionally.

- What is your attitude to your personal nomination as a president?

- I must participate in the elections: I have support, experience, and a vision of the future of Belarus.

- But opposition is not going to be engaged in the current elections in any way, is it?

- We do not participate already, as there is no candidate there who represents interests of the democratic part of the society. According to our estimations, at least 30 per cent of voters maintain such a position. But these people are not represented by anyone in this election campaign. One and only candidate and a few clowns run in the elections. And we are going to demand a normal election under an international control.

I think that a civilian resistance campaign against what has happened could start in the nearest weeks already. We are not going to wait until October 11, the polling day, to protest. For me personally this date does not mean anything.

- What is the attitude to the elections in the society?

- Apathy and mistrust to the election has been created artificially. The authorities have influenced on their people in the Belarusian Democratic Parties, in order to nominate convenient candidates and support them, and by resources as well. They have used their agent assets to prevent a single candidate to be nominated.

- And are there political prisoners remaining behind the bars?

- I have been warning against giving ransom payment for hostages for so long. Even in my final statement I said: “Do not ransom us. By ransoming hostages, you create new ones.” These six political prisoners had hardly been liberated, the new ones appeared. I mean the graffiti artists’ case. That is, they had hardly sold us, one batch of goods, when they bought a second one for sale. It is humiliating to be an item of goods. Moreover, it is not the first time for me. In 2007 I was released from the correctional labour facility, and every next punishment was longer and longer. How long is it going to be the next time? (Laughs).

- Nevertheless, your plans are connected to continuation of political activities in Belarus, aren’t they?

- These are not plans. It’s just continuation of the activities which had not been stopped by me ever, even in a prison cell. I am just going to continue them in easier conditions. There were ways of communication, though we had to keen struggle for them. I am not completely released certainly. 8 years of restrictions because of criminal record are awaiting me, 8 years of preventive supervision, which is to turn into a preventive one in case of administrative offenses, and it means at least home arrest. I do not want to return back, but I am not going to stop as I feel responsibility: there is a mistrust of people to democratic leaders who were at liberty. And this mistrust should be overcome by all of us together. That is why I am trying to consult and look for common decisions with my colleagues. Maybe this week we are going to hold a joint press-conference and declare our joint principled position.

- Does it mean that there is a hope of unity of democratic opposition in Belarus?

- Democracy is always difficult. Politicians are ambitious people, and I addition, they have been always “assisted.” Unfortunately, it is a common place for all post-Soviet countries: everyone sees agents around. In reality they exist (he is laughing) – the authorities try to prevent this unity, try to use resentment, mistrust, mutual rivalry. For example, in the pre-election situation nomination of a single candidate failed. This process was thwarted by one person, who had betrayed his friends and colleagues after the previous presidential elections by making a public televised address. And a person, who commits a low act publicly, could commit a concealed meanness easily. I mean the person who stands behind the candidate supported by the Belarusian Popular Front, and who participates in this backup dances.

- Whom do you mean?

- Those who need know that in Belarus, know that.

- Over the period which has passed since your arrest, the situation in the post-Soviet space has dramatically changed. Maidan, Crimea, the war… How does it influence the situation in Belarus?

- It certainly has influence. Firstly, we are limited in our instruments of democratic opposition. We have no real political instruments left for us, except the street ones. It’s been long since the elections have turned into a farce: even ballots are not counted, just ballot results reports are written… One thing is left for us: to take to the streets, however we have to be cautious, as no one wishes one’s own country to repeat the fate of Ukraine certainly. I am always saying that they have Maidan, and we have Ploshcha. We have never seen enemies in our children who have a military uniform on. But our protest is peaceful not only because we fear foreign intervention. It is our position: we do not want a war. We want order in our house and do not want to destroy it.

Secondly: Lukashenka has proved he is a good diplomat in this situation, and he used it firstly to ease the pressure of Russia on the line of integration associations, and in fact to reduce to nothing all these unions; and on the other hand, to open relations with the European Union. Unfortunately, in the home policy and especially economy he remains the chairman of a collective farm as before. And now we are observing that: Russian donations are reaching 20% of the GDP. Where in the world one is fed like this? (Laughs).

Citizens of the country fear all that as well. When I am told that the Square (Ploshcha) is impossible, I say – that is not true. I want to recall the square in 1968, in connection with the occupation of Czechoslovakia. 7 persons gathered there…

- Today is the anniversary of that date…

- Yes! We know and remember, and we are proud of those people, who had been saving our honour as well. My colossal respect to these people: to some extent they influenced my life too, as ideals are propagated by deed, not by word. If there is no deed behind the ideal, it dies very soon, and words are left.

- What are you expecting – or are wary of – on the part of the Russian regime towards Belarus?

- First of all, what we would expect from Russia: normal, really brotherly relations. Not to be held on a leash and prevented from going anywhere. We won’t go anywhere and we will take into account your interests, if you respect our interests. And we will take into account your desires. And still Russia should not be so focused on the illegal regime, as it has even welded up the lid of this kettle, which is to explode sooner or later.

What do we fear? You know, no just borders at all are possible in Europe. Any border is challenged by some side. But an agreement had been reached after that terrible war not to touch borders. And after borders were touched, the genie out of the bottle was let, and we certainly fear the same could happen to us. There is such a fear in our society.

- Another political prisoner Ihar Alinevich, who was released at the same time as you, told us that there are sentiments among ordinary people: after they see Russian tanks on the streets of Minsk, they could be glad.

- I think it is not so, at least sociologists say the opposite. I studied statistical data while in prison, and remember some things. Yes, the majority supports Russia’s position on Crimea, about 60% if I am not mistaken. But it is a completely different support than in your country. All of us are animals to some extent, social animals and predators at the same time. These animals have two very strong instincts: a territorial instinct and an “us-them” instinct. Now these instincts are really strong in Russia. When people say that “it’s a sick, abnormal nation” – it is not true. But there are instincts, and it is a responsibility of leaders (though they have such instincts as well). But one should be rational here, as people also have a hunger instinct. In 1914 everyone was shouting: “Hooray! We are going to take Bosporus and Dardanelles!” and in 2.5 years the yesterday idols were smashed because on untimely supplied of bread. That is why it is highly dangerous, and especially in the long term. If the principle of inviolability of borders is not working, it is not working for all…

And we have a situation more controlled by TV. Russian media are dominating here, the society has a notion of alliance. But this perception is mostly not so emotional, without euphoria. According to sociologists, only about 15% are euphoric: they are those who consider themselves Russians. Though very many people consider themselves Russians and condemn what has happened to the Crimea and Donbas, they are in the minority.

On the other hand, there are 18% of people who are ready to take up arms and defend Belarus in such a case. It seems to be not so many, but it is a million of strong men. We just don’t have enough arms for them (laughing). I even know people who are saying: “Putin is our cult hero”, but when you continue to ask them more questions, they are ready to mount resistance.

Write your comment 48

Follow Charter97.org social media accounts