Irina Krasovskaya: Belarus Is To Gain Freedom :: Charter'97 :: News

On February 23 the leader of the civil initiative “We Remember”, member of the Council of Civil Initiatives “Free Belarus” Irina Krasovskaya addressed the international conference “A New Quest for Democracy: Shaping the Agenda for the Euro-Atlantic Community” in Bratislava, Slovakia. In her speech Irina Krasovskaya told about the political changes in Belarus and urged the international community to exert pressure on Lukashenka’s regime. In the end of her speech the leader of the Civil Initiative “We Remember” told: “We are not different from Georgians or Ukrainians. Just like them we have what it takes to win – the desire to be free. I am often asked “When will Belarus gain its freedom?” Speaking in Bratislava, a city closely associated with the spirit of freedom and democracy, I can give you a confident answer, “Real Soon.”

The full text of Irina Krasovskaya’s speech:

Waiting for the Revolution

Remarks by Irina Krasovskaya, President, “We Remember”

On the Occasion of the International Conference
“A New Quest for Democracy: Shaping the Agenda for the Euro-Atlantic Community”
February 23, 2005
Bratislava, Slovakia

It is a great honor to be here with people who have made so many contributions to the cause of democracy in Europe. I am also delighted to see that my fellow countrymen, Vlad Kobets from Zubr, Andrei Sannikov from Charter 97, and Oleg Manaev, director of the Independent Institute of Socioeconomic and Political Studies, who are working towards a democratic revolution in Belarus, have also been included in such an important conference. We have much to learn and, perhaps, some things to teach.

I began to fight for freedom in Belarus on September 16, 1999. That evening, my family and the lives of my children were destroyed when their father did not return home. My husband Anatoly Krasovsky and his friend Vice Speaker Victor Gonchar were kidnapped and assassinated that night, because they dared to support the opposition to Lukashenko. Over next few days, the police would tell me nothing and thugs from the Interior Ministry threatened to charge me with the murder of my own husband.

All that I have done since then is to carry on the fight. This fight is for the dignity of my late husband, this fight is for the peace of my family, and for my children’s future. Ultimately, the fight is for the future of my country and the end of this dictatorship.

Two weeks ago, I had a wonderfully different experience. I traveled to Kiev and Tbilisi and breathed the air of freedom. I saw the change in people’s faces and the sense of possibility and independence in the crowds at night. Two countries which passed along the same difficult road as Belarus in their search for democracy had finally gained their freedom. If this could happen in Georgia and Ukraine, I realized that democracy will soon come to my country too.

Svetlana Zavadskaya, widow of Dmitriy Zavadskiy and my dear friend, often quotes Margaret Thatcher: “In politics, if you want to hear something, ask a man. If you want something to be done – ask a woman.” Guided by this principle, together we set up “We Remember”.

This is what we have achieved so far:

– Our first success was in 2002 when the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe agreed to set up a special commission on political disappearances in Belarus.

- In 2003, we worked to obtain a UN Resolution that urged Belarus to find those responsible for the kidnappings and to bring them to justice.

– We succeeded in persuading the EU and US to deny visas to Belarusian officials, who are suspected in the kidnappings.

– In 2004, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe ratified the Pourgourides Report which conclusively assigned responsibility for the political disappearances to the Lukashenko regime.

- And, on October 20, 2004, President Bush signed the Belarus Democracy Act into law, providing funds for the democratic movement.

But more important than this support from the international community has been the growing sense of political awareness inside Belarus. For the past six years, people with pictures of the disappeared have gathered in protest in central Minsk. This last year on October 18th over 60 people were arrested for participation in these protests and television footage of the confrontation between the people and the regime was broadcast all over the world.

The civil sector is beginning to make a difference.

But what are the challenges we face?

In 2004, the authorities again cleansed the political field. Today, key opposition leaders are in prison: Mikhail Marinich, main nominee for the presidency, Valery Levonevsky and Alexander Vasilyev, leaders of the Strike Committee of entrepreneurs are all behind bars.

The regime has used mass arrests and detentions. Secret services are notorious for frequent beatings and robberies. They often use beatings of prominent public and political figures by the groups of unknown thugs as a method of intimidation.

Last year, the number of arbitrary arrests in Belarus exceeded 1,500.

2004 was also a year of the annihilation of public organizations and independent print media. Without an alternative system of production and distribution, the authorities have an absolute monopoly of the mass media.

The regime has started to refuse exit visas for opposition figures and ban foreigners from entering the country. It is particularly troubling that parents have been prohibited from taking their children abroad to receive medical care.

The suppression of civil rights and freedoms in Belarus over the past two years were directed at one goal – the mass falsifications of the results of the referendum to ensure Lukashenka’s lifelong rule.

Recently, he initiated a full reshuffle of KGB leadership. Obviously, the authorities are anticipating inevitable defeat and are trying hard to use their last chance to keep the repressive machine in control. Due to a change in the law, from now on, the Interior Troops, who are used to disperse protest rallies, may use special weapons and military equipment and can fire on demonstrators on orders from the President.

Nevertheless, Lukashenko and his regime have been seriously frightened by the democratic changes that have swept Georgian and Ukraine. Lukashenko has had to take to the state television channels to assure his dwindling supporters that “neither Orange, nor Rose, nor a Banana revolution will take place in Belarus.”

Just wait and see.

What can the US and EU do to support democratic change in Belarus?

The US and EU must coordinate their policies toward Belarus.

First and foremost, it is necessary to exert pressure on the current Belarusian regime and on the leadership of Russian Federation. Secondly, a tough-minded, joint approach will restrain some EU offices from compromising with Lukashenka regime. The most powerful wave of repressions came during the futile attempt to negotiate with Lukashenko’s regime at bargaining table.

They should expand the list of individuals banned from travel to the US and EU.

The list must include: representatives of the Central Electoral Committee, security services, editors and journalists of state media.

They need to publicize the massive illegal arms sales.

This is needed to highlight for the Belarusian people the scale of Lukashenka’s corruption.

To reimpose the Jackson – Vanik’s amendment until political prisoners are released and an investigation into the disappearances has been conducted.

To increase funding for civil society, an information network and for the families of political prisoners.

We must develop the civil society to sustain political change.
Although the challenges we face are serious, let us not forget what has been achieved:

There has been a dramatic fall in Lukashenka’s popularity. Today, 66% of voters have a negative view of Lukashenka.
Today, we are seeing the unification of political parties into a common coalition and of the active civil society groups into “Free Belarus.” The growing unity among parties and among NGO’s enables the democratic movement to put forward a common candidate for President and to develop common policies.

The ZUBR youth movement has emerged as one of the most exciting political forces in our country and now organizes the majority of street rallies and political actions in Belarus today, in much the same way that PORA supported political change in Ukraine.

Street actions and eight days of protest following the fraudulent referendum showed that people were aware of the dangers of the dictatorship and were prepared to defend their future. It is entirely due to lack of funds that we could not keep the crowds on the streets of Minsk much longer.

Judging from these achievements, we are not different from Georgians or Ukrainians. Just like them we have what it takes to win – the desire to be free.

I am often asked “When will Belarus gain its freedom?

Speaking in Bratislava, a city closely associated with the spirit of freedom and democracy, I can give you a confident answer, “Real Soon.”

Thank you very much.