Bruno Kreisky Award Granted to Chater’97 Coordinator :: Charter'97 :: News

“I don’t see this Award as a personal one and accept it on behalf of all those who fight for the respect of human rights and for democracy in my native Belarus. This Award recognizes the bravery of those who sacrificed their lives fighting against totalitarianism – Gennady Karpenka, Yuri Zaharenka, Victar Hanchar, Anatoly Krasovsky, Dzmitry Zavadsky – those who today suffer in prison for their views and for their commitment to the ideals of freedom and democracy – my friends Mikhail Marynich, Valery Levanevsky, Alexander Vasiliev and others,” said Andrei Sannikov, the international coordinator of the civil initiative “Charter’97”, member of the Council of Civil Initiatives “Free Belarus” in Vienna at the ceremony when the Bruno Kreisky Award for Human Rights was granted to him.

The ceremony of the Bruno Kreisky Award giving was taking place in the Hall of the National Library of Austria. Ministers, parliamentarians, diplomats, human rights activists, former laureates of the award have taken part in the ceremony.

The Belarusian human rights activist refused to receive the money part of the award, saying that this money is to be spent for the support of human rights and democracy in Belarus. Andrei Sannikov to requested the Bruno Kreisky Foundation to give the money to a democracy and human rights oriented organization outside Belarus .

At the prize-giving ceremony Andrei Sannikov has delivered a complimentary speech:

Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear friends,

I’m truly honored to be a recipient of the Bruno Kreisky Award for Human Rights. It is indeed a great privilege to receive recognition of such a status and blessed with the name of Chancellor Bruno Kreisky whose life was dedicated to the independence, statehood and democratic development of Austria.

I’m grateful to the international and independent jury of the Award that took this decision and I want to congratulate sincerely Mag.Nadja Lorenz and Mag.Georg Burstmayer with whom I’m proud to share the Award.

Needless to say that I don’t see this Award as a personal one and accept it on behalf of all those who fight for the respect of human rights and for democracy in my native Belarus. This Award recognizes the bravery of those who sacrificed their lives fighting against totalitarianism – Guennady Karpenka, Yuri Zaharenka, Victar Hanchar, Anatoly Krasovsky, Dzmitry Zavadsky – those who today suffer in prison for their views and for their commitment to the ideals of freedom and democracy – my friends Mikhail Marynich, Valery Levanevsky, Alexander Vasiliev and others.

Unlike many other signs of recognition a human rights award always has a bitter side. It presupposes that there are real problems with implementation of basic rights and freedoms in a given situation. Unfortunately that is the case in Belarus. The regime that rules my country today acquired the name of “last dictatorship in Europe”. Belarusians that in the early nineties received a chance to build their own independent and democratic future have found themselves living in a totalitarian state hostile to the people and at war with the democratic world.
Belarusian authorities build their policies on rejection of true human values, on their own ignorance and distorted perception of world processes. Belarus has become a subject of a frantic attempt to restore the totalitarian system of the Soviet type. In the beginning it looked as a farce that would not last for long and was not taken seriously neither by the people of Belarus nor by international community. Today, unfortunately, Belarus is listed among the outposts of tyranny and poses threat to democratic developments in the region.

The Belarusian regime once again in world’s history proved that there are certain laws according to which such situations develop. It also proved that such regimes must not be taken easy from the very beginning. The authoritarian power always has a tendency of developing into a system of personal power for which a totalitarian state is a most suitable form of existence. There must be no other principles for the relations with such systems but firm commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights and democratic values. No reasons of pragmatic nature at the expense of human rights and freedoms in dealing with such regimes could lead to democratization. On the contrary, such approach usually contributes to the worsening of the situation.

The Belarusian regime is becoming demonstratively repressive. The laws and practices become more restrictive. Police violence is regularly exercised against peaceful demonstrations of the people and recent measures taken by the authorities, like elimination of the provision of “criminal order” from the law, demonstrate that the regime is prepared to go even further.

Despite all that the democratic Belarus is alive and firmly stands for democracy and respect of human rights. Despite all the abuses and violence used against any manifestation of an alternative view Belarusian democratic resistance remains peaceful and is based on the principle of non-violence.

As often happens in the world the good has to suffer before it prevails over the evil. The Belarusian people did suffer a lot and do deserve a better life and better future in their own independent state. The sufferings of the Belarusians have not been in vain. By their sacrifices they contributed to better life in the world and in Europe. Every fourth Belarusian perished during the World War II, but their fight led to the defeat of fascism that laid foundations for the united Europe of today. Ironically, Belarus lives today under the regime of an admirer of Hitler.
Belarusians contributed to the democratization of the Soviet Union that eventually led to the collapse of the totalitarian system. Our great thinkers Vasil Bykau and Ales Adamovich, who are no longer with us, were in the forefront of those who fought for democracy and liberation of the people of the former USSR. Ironically today the Russian leadership, which came to power as a result of this liberation, supports the dictatorship in Belarus, that has no respect for the great Belarusians and their memory.

The fact that the Award is given to a Belarusian is a clear signal of support to the cause of democracy and human rights that democratic Belarus is fighting for. It is demonstration of the attitude of friends who are resolute to promote democracy in Belarus and to see democracy succeed.

We are grateful for the solidarity and support we are getting from the democratic world. However Europe could do more for the democratic Belarus, in particular it could be more determined and demand to release immediately all political prisoners, investigate the cases of the disappeared, stop using violence against peaceful demonstrations, stop repression against freedom of speech and take necessary measures to ensure the implementation of these demands.

I want to stress that it is not a local fight we are having in Belarus: we are defending European principles and European values. The question of the future of Belarus is no less the question of the future of Europe, of how to uphold and extend further democratic values in the region. It is united democratic Europe that we want to see stable, strong and prosperous and part of which we want to be in the nearest future.

We live with the strong hope that soon Belarus will be free and democratic and will join Europe where it rightfully belongs. But it is not only hope that we live with. Against all odds democratic Belarus is working hard for its future, preserving its culture, history, language and upholding principles of democracy, which the current regime considers to be a crime.

Like other people of the former Soviet Union we discovered the true meaning of human rights after the collapse of the totalitarianism. We discovered that human rights and basic freedoms are not only something real and feasible but they do exist in the world. Together with this realization it became clear that only a democratic state could ensure the respect for human rights of an individual. In other words we discovered our own dignity as a country, as a nation and as individuals. Once discovered this feeling is there to stay. So, no matter how hard younger brothers of the Big Brother try to stick to the system of overall control of the state and suppression of all freedoms their efforts are destined to fail.

Thank you.

As for the money part of the award, as I mentioned already, I don`t see this as a personal matter so I want the money to be spent for the support of human rights and democracy in Belarus. To ensure this I would like to request the Foundation to give the money to a democracy and human rights oriented organization outside Belarus.

Note:

Bruno Kreisky, (1911–90), Austrian Federal Chancellor of Austria in 1970-83, chairman of the Socialist party of Austria (SPA) in 1967 -1983 (deputy chairman in 1959-67). In 1953-1959 he was State Secretary of the Austrian FM, in 1959-66 – Foreign Minister. Since 1983 he was an honorary chairman of the SPA, a honorary chairman of the Socialist International (1983-90).
Photo by Osaka AT