Polish Senate expresses concern over situation of Polish minority in Belarus :: Charter'97 :: News

The Senate of Poland on January 5 adopted a special resolution in which it expressed serious concern about the situation of the Polish minority in Belarus and called on the Belarusian authorities to respect civil and human rights, reported Radio Polonia.

The upper house of the Polish parliament also expressed support for the Polish government`s effort to support the democratic process and opposition forces in Belarus. The Senate reportedly recommended increasing Polish television and radio broadcasting to Belarus, noting that free access to uncensorable information is an important factor in the development of civil society.

Anna Fotyga, Poland`s deputy minister of foreign affairs, said in her report to the Senate that Belarus` Poles live in difficult financial conditions and are subject to politically motivated persecution. She expressed the opinion that the situation of the Polish minority would improve only if the Belarusian state was democratized, Radio Polonia said.

Senate Speaker Bogdan Borusewicz reportedly noted that the international community is unable to exert efficient influence on Aleksandr Lukashenko`s regime and suggested that Radio Polonia and Channel 1 of Polish Television increased their Belarus broadcasting.