[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 21 (Thursday, March 5, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E312]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN BELARUS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 5, 1998

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I--along with my colleagues 
Reps. Gilman, Wolf, Porter, Hoyer and Markey--rise today to introduce a 
resolution voicing concern about serious limitations on human rights in 
Belarus, a country of 10 million people located in eastern Europe. 
Belarus has an old and rich--and often tragic--history. This century, 
the people of Belarus suffered the horror of both Nazi and Soviet 
totalitarianism. More recently, they were ravaged by the 1986 Chernobyl 
nuclear disaster, the legacy of which profoundly haunts Belarus to this 
day. Today, the rights and liberties of the Belarusian people are being 
eroded by their own authorities.
  As a participating State of the Organization for Security and 
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Belarus has pledged to abide by its 
commitments under the Helsinki Final Act and subsequent agreements of 
the OSCE. Yet since the election of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka in 
1994, basic rights and freedoms have come under increasing assault in 
clear violation of Belarus' freely undertaken commitments under the 
OSCE.
  In an illegitimate November 1996 referendum to amend the 1994 
Constitution, President Lukashenka amassed sweeping powers over 
parliament and the judiciary. In his quest for more power, Lukashenka 
has ignored the constitutionally established system of separation of 
powers. Virtually all power rests in the hands of Lukashenka, who has 
resorted to rule by decree. Following the 1996 referendum, Lukashenka 
disbanded the Supreme Soviet (parliament) and created a new 
legislature, which is largely subordinate to his authoritarian rule. 
The resolution I am introducing today urges President Lukashenka to 
restore the rights of the pre-November 1996 parliament, which, having 
been duly elected on the basis of democratic elections in 1995, is the 
only legitimate parliament in Belarus.
  Similarly, Lukashenka has also undermined the judicial branch. The 
previously independent Constitutional Court has been brought entirely 
under his control, and independence of the judiciary in Belarus is no 
longer guaranteed.
  Belarus has been rife with violations of human rights over the last 
few years, bringing to mind the bygone Soviet era. Freedoms of 
expression, and association and assembly are severely restricted. The 
state controls almost all media outlets. The few genuinely independent 
newspapers and radio stations have been harassed or shut down. 
Journalists critical of the regime have been denied accreditation; some 
have been jailed. Opposition leaders and other individuals who 
criticize the president or government have been intimidated, beaten, or 
detained. Non-governmental organizations face obstacles and have been 
subjected to harassment. The Belarusian Soros Foundation, for instance, 
which had donated some $13 million to educational, humanitarian, 
cultural and media projects in Belarus, was forced to close its office 
there last September as a result of the Belarusian Government's 
orchestrated campaign of harassment. Demonstrations during the last few 
years have resulted in short-term detentions--with detainees held 
incommunicado--fines and police violence against demonstrators and even 
bystanders.
  Mr. Speaker, one can provide a litany of specific instances, but 
allow me to highlight just two recent cases. Last August, police in the 
Belarusian town of Stolptsy detained 19-year-old Alexei Shidlauski and 
16-year-old Vadim Labkovich--both members of the youth branch of the 
opposition Belarusian National Front. They were charged for ``malicious 
hooliganism'' for allegedly writing on walls appeals for freedom in 
Belarus and for replacing on several buildings the official red-green 
Belarusian flag with the red-white-red ``independent'' Belarusian flag, 
which President Lukashenka banned in 1995. The young men spent six 
months in pre-trial detention under very difficult conditions. Just 
last week, a Miensk court sentenced Vadim Labkovich to a one-and-a-
half-year suspended prison term and Alexei Shidlauski to one-and-a-
half-year prison term in a strict regime colony. Human Rights Watch, 
whose representatives were present at the trial, condemned the 
proceedings as a ``show trial and a mockery of justice.''
  In late December, Yuri Khashchevatsky, an internationally renowned 
film director and a member of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee was 
beaten unconscious by two unidentified men, in what human rights 
observers strongly believe to be a politically-motivated assault. 
Khashchevatsky had directed a documentary film called ``An Ordinary 
President'', which is critical of President Lukashenka. The film won 
several international prizes, but has been effectively banned in 
Belarus. Mr. Speaker, I can cite numerous other instances of specific 
violations of human rights and civil liberties and the Commission on 
Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission), which I Co-
Chair, has detailed information concerning such violations. We have and 
we will continue to make our views about these matters known to the 
Belarusian government.
  Mr. Speaker, all of the post-communist countries in the region face 
formidable obstacles in their transition to democratic states based on 
the rule of law. We recognize that the oppressive legacy of communism 
and of Soviet rule cannot be overcome overnight. Some of the post-
communist countries have made greater progress towards reform; in 
others, progress has been more erratic, but in virtually all, there has 
been progress. Belarus, however, appears to be the only country in the 
region which has witnessed serious backsliding and a turn to the Soviet 
past. Immediately following its 1991 independence, Belarus appeared to 
be off to a good start in establishing its democratic credentials, but 
even those limited reforms have been reversed as Lukashenka has 
steadily tightened his grip.
  Belarusian officials, including President Lukashenka, have complained 
about Belarus' isolation from the international community, as more and 
more countries and international bodies have taken Belarus to task over 
the curtailment of human rights and civil liberties there. The OSCE, 
for instance, has repeatedly called upon the Government of Belarus to 
respect human rights and democratic principles, to enter into dialogue 
with the opposition and to ensure freedom of the media. Lukashenka 
fails to realize the consequences of his actions and his government's 
failure to abide by international commitments. The international 
community has not isolated Belarus--President Lukashenka is isolating 
Belarus.
  After nearly a year of difficult negotiations and several false 
starts, Belarus and the OSCE agreed to an OSCE Advisory and Monitoring 
Group, which will assist the Belarusian authorities in promoting 
democratic institutions and in complying with other OSCE commitments. 
This Group, which is now commencing its work and which will be located 
in the Belarusian capital of Minsk, can play a truly constructive role 
in helping Belarus improve its human rights situation. Let me assure 
you that I will watch closely the willingness of the Belarusian 
Government to cooperate with the OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group.
  Mr. Speaker, If the Belarusian Government abides by its commitments 
under the Helsinki Final Act and subsequent OSCE agreements, its 
isolation from the international community will disappear and its 
relations, not only with the United States, but with its neighbors in 
the region, will improve dramatically.




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