Руководитель Консультативно-наблюдательной группы ОБСЕ в Беларуси Ханс-Георг Вик предупредил все страны ОБСЕ о возможных негативных последствиях последнего декрета Лукашенки, устанавливающего новые правило получения и использования иностранной гуманитарной помощи. Негативное отношение к этому декрету Ханс-Георг Вик высказал в штаб-квартире ОБСЕ в Вене.

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Trials over the Freedom Day dissenters resumed March 28. 67-year old pensioner Mikhail Volochko, having arrived to the demonstration from Ratomka village, was sentenced by the Central Minsk court to a 20 minimum wage fine - $100 (average pension equaling to 30-40 USD). Another activist - Lida resident, was reprimanded. Court proceedings over BPF "Adradjenne" leader Vintsuk Vyachorka, scheduled for tonight, were put off till tomorrow. Vyachorka demanded that they provide him with Belarusian interpreter, as far as judge Natalya Voitsekhovich spoke no Belarusian.

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Chair of the Pukhovichi executive committee Shekhlevich adopted a new order of dismissing the workers of "mass professions" in the local collective farms. Press-center of the Free Belarusian Trade Union reports that from now on dismissals of most of the workers have to be approved by the district council first. In order to hire the new employee, the farm will need the agreement of the same body. Given some company wishes to employ the worker, who left the afore-mentioned farm, it will pay $1500 into the council`s bank account as compensation. This is practically a fine for hiring a new staffer. Therefore, the authorities are forcing rural inhabitants to work in the state husbandries almost for free, as far as their incomes are miserable and the payment delays are widespread.

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Despite the fact that the exterior state debt of Belarus descended by 0,9% since the beginning of this year and now equals to $804,6 mln., the interior debt grew by 9% and on March 1 amounted to 450,59 bln. BLR, not counting the state credits, issued upon government`s guarantees in national currency.

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In case Lithuania gets NATO membership "its territory will remain free from the alliance`s bases and troops." This news was announced by the country`s president Valdas Adamkus ahead of his official visit to Russia, scheduled for March 29-31, reports ITAR-TASS. Adamkus noted that in course of negotiations in Kremlin he intends to lay down the "philosophy of Lithuania`s aspiration to enter the alliance" and to explain that NATO`s enlargement eastwards "poses no threat to Russia`s national security". During the Cold War Period, he said, "NATO was indeed opposed to the USSR, as was the Warsaw Treaty block opposed to the Western Europe." At present, however, everything got changed and "the alliance is now only a structure of Europe`s national security, not targeted against anyone." By joining the North-Atlantic alliance Lithuania "may become the bridge of good-will and confidence between NATO and Russia," believes Adamkus.

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The Bureau of the Kaliningrad railroad is working out new routes for the movement of Kaliningrad trains to St.Petersburg, reports Interfax. Train "Kaliningrad-St.Petersburg" will go round Latvia, through the territory of Lithuania and Belarus (Orsha). Expectedly, the travel distance will increase by 3-4 hours of ride. Change of route had been caused by the Latvian government`s decision to cancel the accord, which previously enabled Russians to cross the territory of Latvia on transit trains without entry visa required. The new itinerary for the movement of trains to St.Petersburg will appear in the next couple of months.

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Belarusian state media outlets remain utterly biased, being conductors of the regime`s policy. Opposition has no access to state media, while all the commentaries about them are always in negative. Belarusians have no opportunity to receive in due time objective information in order to make their decisions independently, as concerns key political, social and economic issues, says "Freedom of Speech Center for Democracy" after surveying the state media.

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On March 25 the Belarusian diaspora in Washington picketed the embassy of Belarus. 100 Belarusians from New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Washington states spent two hours in front of the embassy raising white-red-white flags, shouting in Belarusian and English: "Lukashenko, Step Down!", "Belarus - yes, Lukashenko -no way!", "Long Live Belarus!" Click on "Photo Chronicles" to glance at the photos from the action.

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Spontaneous strike of retailers of the Minsk commodity market took place March 27. The people protested against the official economic policy in small business sphere. Most events were focused around the 4-thousand personnel "Dynamo" flea market, which gathered March 27 multitudes of entrepreneurs, who refused to go to work due to the yesterday`s ruling of the Minsk officials to raise the size of taxes, levied on businessmen. If this happens, it`ll finally ruin country`s private business, making it unprofitable.

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Moscow arbitrage court received yesterday an official NTV suit against the Belarusian TV. All paperwork, needed for filing a lawsuit on violation of copyright, was passed over by NTV to the court last week. So far NTV only complained about arbitrary conduct of the Belarusian state television company, which inserted their own commercial blocks on NTV frequency instead of the original ones. However, "Media-service" reports, it may well happen that there`ll emerge another defendant in the case, namely the Ministry for communications of Belarus, which broke the rules for disseminating the signal and "since 2p.m. Monday any signal, received by the Belarusian viewers, is illegitimate."

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Federation of the Belarusian trade unions appealed to the Constitutional Court with a demand to restore privileges to the victims of Chernobyl tragedy. Five years ago the CC answered to the same request by FBTU that neither the existing legislation nor the country`s Constitution provide the president with the right to suspend or alter the laws. By passing this order, the president actually took upon himself the powers of the legislative, thus exceeding his own authority. So far, though, the Constitutional Court`s ruling wasn`t taken into account.

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Belarusian secondary schools paved their way back to the introduction of communist studies in "political information". Children are ordered to watch BT or STV news blocks. For example, in Minsk school #171 the parents were told that their kids must be regularly viewing ATN or STV (Minsk city hall`s channel) news and report on the daily basis to their teachers. In one of the third grades such classes are held during the long break between lessons, though medics claim that in the intervals between studies children should rest.

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Belarusian Ministry for Defense handed over to the police 7 million cartridges for machine-guns (5,45mm caliber) out of the state ammunition reserve. When asked what for do they need so much ammunition, Interior Ministry spokesman Dmiry Parton said that police needs them to execute their duty missions.

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Over 30 industrial factories of the Mogilev region are unprofitable. The level of their performance, according to experts, could not descend any lower. Reserves of the unsold production increased by 20% over the last year, amounting to $35mln. Most of the enterprises reduced the volume of sales, whereas the unprofitable barter transactions constitute the only source of income. Out of all Mogilev manufactured goods, the new products amount to a miserable 4%. Moreover, the region`s leading companies - "Belshina" and "Fandok" of Bobruisk - lost their markets in Russia due to the expensiveness of their commodity and out-dated technology.

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Belarus witnessed another leap in utility tariffs cost. In comparison with February, the apartment rent will be raised by 3,5%, so will the elevator use, central heating, hot water and gas supplies, cold water and sewerage - by 30%.

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