[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 37 (Thursday, March 20, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S2718]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 18--RELATIVE TO BELARUS

  Mr. LAUTENBERG (for himself and Mr. D'Amato) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations:

                            S. Con. Res. 18

       Whereas the seedlings of an independent and democratic 
     Belarus, for which generations of Belarusan patriots have 
     fought and died, are in danger of being swept away as a 
     result of the policies of Belarusan President Alaksandr 
     Lukashenka and the efforts of Russian nationalist leaders to 
     recreate the Soviet empire;
       Whereas March 25th is the date that Belarusans throughout 
     the world salute the sacrifices and bravery of the members of 
     the Council of the Belarusan Democratic Republic, who in 1918 
     liberated their country from czarist rule;
       Whereas the Russian Duma in March 1996 voted to declare 
     void the 1991 agreement dissolving the Soviet Union;
       Whereas the referendum adopted in November of 1996 expanded 
     President Lukashenka's already considerable powers in 
     violation of the Constitution of Belarus and basic democratic 
     principles;
       Whereas on January 16, 1996, the Chairman-in-Office of the 
     Organization for the Security and Cooperation of Europe urged 
     the Government of Belarus ``to enter into dialogue with the 
     opposition and to ensure freedom of media and not restrict 
     access to the media for members of the opposition'';
       Whereas on March 14, 1997, the United States Department of 
     State issued a statement that calls on President Lukashenka's 
     Government to exercise restraint and to observe the 
     international human rights agreements to which it is a party; 
     and
       Whereas the Government of President Lukashenka has 
     monopolized the mass media, undermined the constitutional 
     foundation for the separation of powers, suppressed the 
     freedom of the press, undermined efforts to restore the 
     Belarusan language, and undercut the ground for all-Belarusan 
     unity: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that the 
     President should urge President Lukashenka and the Government 
     of Belarus to--
       (1) abide by the provisions of--
       (A) the Helsinki Final Act; and
       (B) other agreements of the Organization for the Security 
     and Cooperation of Europe;
       (2) guarantee human rights and fundamental freedoms, 
     including freedom of the press, assembly, and expression; and
       (3) guarantee separation of powers.

     SEC. 2. SUPPORT OF INDEPENDENCE.

       It is the policy of the United States to support the people 
     of Belarus in--
       (1) maintaining independent statehood;
       (2) promoting the rule of law, human rights, and 
     fundamental freedoms; and
       (3) assuring that Belarus has the opportunity to survive as 
     an equal and full-fledged member-state among the sovereign 
     nations of the world.

  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, today I am submitting a concurrent 
resolution regarding Belarus. I am pleased that Senator D'Amato is an 
original cosponsor of this concurrent resolution. Representative 
Pallone has submitted a similar measure in the House of 
Representatives.
  I am deeply concerned about events in Belarus and the effort by 
President Lukashenka to expand his already considerable powers at the 
expense of basic democratic principles. I am deeply concerned by his 
proposal to unify Russia and Belarus. And, as the cochairman of the 
Helsinki Commission, I am dismayed by President Lukashenka's failure to 
abide by the provisions of the Helsinki Final Act and other OSCE 
agreements which guarantee respect for human rights and fundamental 
freedoms.
  The resolution recognizes March 25, 1997, as the anniversary of the 
proclamation of Belarusan independence. It calls on President 
Lukashenka and the Government to abide by the provisions of the 
Helsinki Final Act and other agreements of the Organization for the 
Security and Cooperation of Europe; to guarantee human rights and 
fundamental freedoms, including freedom of the press, assembly, and 
expression; and to guarantee separation of powers. The resolution 
states that it is the policy of the United States to support the people 
of Belarus in achieving independent statehood, promoting the rule of 
law, human rights, and fundamental freedoms, and assuring that Belarus 
has the opportunity to survive as an equal and full-fledged member-
state among sovereign nations of the world.
  As we approach the anniversary of Belarus' 1918 declaration of 
independence, we are reminded that Belarus is a nation with a proud 
history and traditions. It is appropriate that we remember the brave 
struggle of Belarusan patriots in 1918. At the same time, we must 
recognize that the struggle for national sovereignty and democratic 
freedoms continues today and is greatly threatened by the actions of 
the Lukashenka regime.
  I urge my colleagues to approve this resolution.

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