The action “Charnobyl’s Way” was the last action of the “Hot spring –2002”.It was dedicated to the 16th anniversary of the catastrophe at the Charnobyl atomic power station. On one hand, it was a little victory over personal fear of those four thousand people who had the power to participate in the protest action after the two last rallies that were brutally suppressed by the police. On the other hand, “Charnobylski Shliah” has demonstrated another time inability and helplessness of opposition politicians.

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Trial over the journalists of the shut by the state Grodno newspaper “Pagonya” Nikolai Markevich and Pavel Mozheiko was again postponed for an indefinite period of time, the journalists were told by the Leninsky district court judge of Grodno Tatyana Klimova. This occurred literally four hours after Markevich was handed in summons to appear in court at 11 o’clock May 3 “to engage in the court hearing”.

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The Chinese Defense Ministry will provide the Belarusian Defense Ministry with a humanitarian aid worth around $750thsd. The military department doesn’t divulge what form will this aid take. Moreover, on May 24-28 Belarus will be visited by the Chairman of China’s Central Military Council, Commander-in-chief of the National Liberation Army of China colonel-general Fu Tsuanyu. The sides plan to discuss the issues of international security, the military doctrines of both states, along with the issues of military and technical collaboration.

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“Belneftehim” concern and the Kuwaitan fund for the Arabic economic development signed in Minsk a credit and project agreement on the reconstruction of the Svetlogosk-based plant “Himvolokno”. Under the contract’s provisions, the Belarusian side will be earmarked a $16,5mln loan for the period of twenty years with 4-4,5% interest rate a year.

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A few dozen trees were planted by ZUBR activists on the territory of the future town park of Borisov. The park was founded by the municipal authorities as part of the town’s 900th anniversary festivities. However, as it oftentimes happens, the authorities’ actions contradict their words. The planned park zone remained a waste land. The authorities didn’t feel like planting trees there. This made the chair of the local apartment bureau Ilyashonok address ZUBRs with a request to found the town park there, which they soon did.

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The Belarusian government and the National Bank forecast a 20-27% leap in the level of prices. However, according to the Ministry of statistics and analysis of Belarus, over the first three weeks of April the rise in the consumer prices in the country amounted to 1,7%. Over the first three weeks of March the prices grew by 1,9%. Since early this year the consumer prices skyrocketed by 14,7%.

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Russian trade turnover with Belarus in February 2002 contracted, as compared with the analogous period last year, by 10,4% and constituted $637,2mln. The Russian State Committee for statistics reports that the Russian export reduced by 7,4% (to $359,1mln), import – by 14% (to $278,1mln). The share of the Belarusian foreign trade turnover in the Russia’s general foreign trade turnover equaled to 5,1%, while Russia’s share in the Belarusian trade – 56,9%.

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Belarusian tyre-producing manufacture “Belshina” has been in shambles for long. Regular production halts, non-payment of salaries, debts for electricity before the budget and the social protection fund have already become chronic. Over the recent period the company’s workshops have usually been out of operation. The workers, as well as some administration employees were sent for a vacation leave with the retention of two thirds of their salaries. Ahead of the May holidays the “BDG” learnt that on May 1-13 the “Belshina” employees would be on vacation at their own expense.

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The salary debt size in the Mogilev region constitutes, according to the latest estimations, 8% of the average monthly fund. The most serious problems with the timely salary payments in the region are experienced by the agricultural enterprises. By April 29, reports BelaPAN, the total size of the salary indebtedness in the Mogilev region amounted to 4bln rubles, 90% of them stand for the debts of the state collective farms. The employees of some husbandries saw no money since the beginning of this year.

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The region witnesses a general fall in the profitability of companies; the investments and export are likewise in decline. “BDG” reports that 34% of all companies decreased their production capacity. By April 1 the region’s warehouses contained goods worth 105bln rubles. Traditionally the most disastrous is the situation in agriculture. In the first quarter of the year there’s 15,5 thousand less cattle than in the analogous period last year. Huge remains the indebtedness before the state farmers. The January debt constitutes 1,2bln, February – 2,8bln. The “Administrative resource” is powerless. The deadline for the ultimate payment has been postponed again, this time to May 1.

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Famous Belarusian human rights defender and journalist Valery Schukin is currently serving his term in the Okrestina confinement center. The Sovietsky district court of Minsk sentenced a 60-year old human rights advocate to 15 days of arrest for organizing the Protest March “CAN’T LIVE LIKE THAT!”, which was held in Minsk on April 19. Valery Schukin passed over to the “Narodnaya Volya” through those, who were set free before him, his story about the atrocities and difficulties he experienced during the Protest March’s dispersal by police and in custody. Read below Valery Schukin’s report from jail.

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Wives of the vanished Belarusian public figures Volga Zakharanka, Zinaida Hanchar, Iryna Krasouskaya and Svyatlana Zavadskaya addressed the president of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin with a request to uphold the formation of the independent commission to investigate into the demise of Henadz Karpenka, abductions of Yuri Zakharanka, Viktar Hanchar, Anatol Krasousky and Zmitser Zavadsky. The women also plead with Putin to inquire from Lukashenka during their meeting about the destiny of his opponents and the implication in the kidnappings of the official structures. Following comes the full transcript of the letter:

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On Monday, April 29, Ihar Hermianchuk, a former editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Svaboda”, creator of the magazine “Kurier”, has died. He was 41. Charter’97 press center brings condolences to relatives and friends of the departed and grieves because of the death of this talented journalist and a wonderful man.

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A defender of Kurapaty Ales Poklad, who have received bad burns in a result of the fire in the volunteer’s tent, is still situated in the Republican Burns’ Center. The doctors say that he needs not less than 15 donors without delay.

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From now on a “ban for profession” will act in Belarus, which concerns former state officials. There no such law, however there is a will of the president, which usually does not need to be formalized.

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