[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 67 (Monday, April 19, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H1934-H1937]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUPPORTING PEOPLE OF BELARUS AND THEIR DEMOCRATIC ASPIRATIONS AND
CONDEMNING ELECTION RIGGING AND SUBSEQUENT VIOLENT CRACKDOWNS ON
PEACEFUL PROTESTERS
Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 124) supporting the people of Belarus and their
democratic aspirations and condemning the election rigging and
subsequent violent
[[Page H1935]]
crackdowns on peaceful protesters by the illegitimate Lukashenka
regime, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 124
Whereas the Republic of Belarus held a presidential
election on August 9, 2020, that was neither free nor fair;
Whereas the presidential election took place without
appropriate observation from local independent groups and
international delegations;
Whereas since the presidential election, Belarusians have
demonstrated their strong desire and commitment to a
democratic future by organizing peaceful protests in Minsk
and across the country;
Whereas Belarusian civil society, led by Sviatlana
Tsikhanouskaya, has called for the resignation of Alyaksandr
Lukashenka, the peaceful transition of power, the
organization of new, free, and fair elections and the release
of all political prisoners;
Whereas Belarusian opposition leaders have faced
intimidation, harassment, and detention, including direct
threats leading to the forced exile of Sviatlana
Tsikhanouskaya in Lithuania as well as the kidnapping and
imprisonment of Maria Kalesnikava and other opposition
leaders;
Whereas in the months since the election, Belarusian
authorities have arbitrarily detained and brutally assaulted
tens of thousands of peaceful protesters, journalists, and
opposition figures, of which hundreds remain in detention;
Whereas human rights groups have documented hundreds of
horrific accounts of torture, including sexual violence and
rape, along with other instances ill-treatment and excessive
force used against detainees arrested for peaceful protest;
Whereas on August 13 and 14, 2020, relatives of detainees
held in the infamous ``Akrestsina'' detention facility in
Minsk recorded the sounds of ``incessant beatings which were
clearly audible in the street, and numerous voices screaming
out in agony with some begging for mercy'';
Whereas thousands of Belarusians have fled to neighboring
countries seeking political asylum;
Whereas independent journalists and the free media have
faced intimidation, violence, mass arrests and prosecution,
with many foreign journalists being stripped of their
accreditation;
Whereas Katsyaryna Andreyeva and Darya Chultsovatwo, two
journalists who work for Belsat, an independent Polish-based
satellite television station aimed at Belarus, have each been
sentenced to two years in prison simply for reporting live
from a rally in Minsk in November 2020;
Whereas Ihar Losik, a popular Belarusian blogger on
Telegram, went on a hunger strike for 6 weeks to protest the
politically-motivated charges that he helped organize riots
after the fraudulent presidential election;
Whereas member states of the Organization for Security and
Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), of which the United States and
Belarus are members, invoked paragraph 12 of the 1991 Moscow
Document of the Conference on the Human Dimension of the OSCE
(Moscow Mechanism) to establish a mission of experts to
review allegations of human rights violations;
Whereas the OSCE Rapporteur's Report under the Moscow
Mechanism on Alleged Human Rights Violations related to the
presidential elections of August 9, 2020, in Belarus,
published November 5, 2020, concluded that there was
``overwhelming evidence that the presidential elections of 9
August 2020 [had] been falsified and that massive and
systematic human rights violations [had] been committed by
the Belarusian security forces in response to peaceful
demonstrations and protests'';
Whereas women have played a leading role in peaceful
demonstrations across the country, protesting the police
brutality and mass detentions by wearing red and white,
carrying flowers, and forming ``solidarity chains'';
Whereas the information technology (IT) industry in Belarus
has played a prominent role in the democratic movement by
demanding an end to violent oppression, as well as creating
safe platforms for demonstrators to communicate and track
people who have been detained or went missing during mass
detentions;
Whereas Belarusian authorities have continually disrupted
internet channels in an attempt to limit communication among
demonstrators and targeted lead technology companies and
their employees advocating for democracy;
Whereas Belarusian state-owned television channels have
encouraged violence against peaceful demonstrators;
Whereas a recent survey of IT specialists found that 15
percent of IT specialists working in Belarus have already
relocated to neighboring countries, and over 40 percent of IT
specialists no longer want to work in Belarus, resulting in a
devastating loss of talent for Belarus, possibly permanently
damaging the Belarusian technology industry along with the
Belarusian economy;
Whereas hundreds of former law enforcement officers in
Belarus who have defected in defiance of illegal orders to
commit human rights violations and cover up crimes against
civilians and those who have assisted law enforcement
officers in defecting have faced harassment, financial
penalties, arrest, detention, and other punitive measures;
Whereas several peaceful demonstrators have died as a
result of police violence, including 31-year-old Roman
Bondrenko who was violently beaten by plainclothes police
officers and, as a result, suffered head injuries that
resulted in his death;
Whereas Belarusian universities continue to expel students
and dismiss educators and researchers for participating in
peaceful protests;
Whereas child protective services have threatened multiple
civic activists with termination of parental rights for
bringing minor children to peaceful protests;
Whereas factory workers at state-owned enterprises have
been continuously harassed for trying to organize independent
trade unions and have been forced to sign political letters
opposing sanctions by the European Union under threat of
termination of their employment;
Whereas a transatlantic community of legislators has
emerged in support of uplifting the democratic aspirations of
the Belarusian people;
Whereas international advocacy, including by co-host
Latvia, succeeded in preventing the illegitimate Government
of Belarus from hosting the 2021 Ice Hockey World
Championship;
Whereas the United States, the European Union, the United
Kingdom, and Canada have enacted sanctions and other punitive
measures against dozens of individuals and entities found
responsible for the perpetration of violence against peaceful
demonstrators, opposition members, and journalists, among
others;
Whereas Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues to undermine the
sovereignty and independence of Belarus through efforts to
integrate Belarus into a so-called ``Union States'' under the
control of Russia;
Whereas the House of Representatives passed the Belarus
Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020 with
unanimous consent, sending a clear message of overwhelming,
bipartisan support for the democratic movement in Belarus;
Whereas the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and
Sovereignty Act of 2020 was signed into law via the fiscal
year 2021 omnibus spending bill, expanding the President's
authority to impose sanctions related to Belarus, including
on Russian individuals who have undermined Belarus'
sovereignty, as well as authorizing increased assistance to
counter internet censorship and surveillance technology,
support women advocating for freedom and human rights, and
support political refugees fleeing the crackdown in Belarus,
among other things; and
Whereas the Belarusian opposition, led by Sviatlana
Tsikhanouskaya, organized a Day of Solidary on February 7,
2020, where countries, cities, and political and elected
leaders, as well as everyday citizens around the world
demonstrated their support for the six months of historic
peaceful protests since the fraudulent presidential election
that took place on August 9, 2020: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) finds that the August 9, 2020, presidential election in
Belarus was neither free nor fair and, therefore, does not
recognize the government-announced results or Alyaksandr
Lukashenka as the legitimate President of Belarus;
(2) calls for new free and fair elections under
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
observation;
(3) affirms that the people of Belarus have the right to
determine the future of Belarus without unwelcome
intervention from the Russian Federation or any outside
actors in violation of Belarusian independence and
sovereignty;
(4) condemns the human rights violations committed by
Belarusian authorities, including against peaceful
demonstrators, civil society activists, opposition leaders,
students, educators, employees at state-owned enterprises,
medical personnel, and journalists, and calls for such
authorities to halt any further acts of violence against
civilians;
(5) calls for the immediate release of all political
prisoners and those unlawfully detained in connection with
the peaceful demonstrations including independent journalists
and family members of United States citizens;
(6) recognizes the sacrifices and bravery of the Belarusian
people and the incredible organization by Belarusian women to
peacefully demand a free and fair democratic process while
enduring the state-sponsored violence that followed the
August 9, 2020, election;
(7) calls on Alyaksandr Lukashenka and Belarusian
authorities to engage in an open and constructive dialogue
with the opposition members and other stakeholders to bring
about a peaceful transition of power;
(8) calls for the protection of civil society actors and
members of the opposition against arbitrary arrest and
violence while conducting peaceful discussions relating to
the peaceful transition of power in Belarus;
(9) recognizes the Coordination Council established by
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya as a legitimate institution to
participate in a dialogue on a peaceful transition of power;
(10) urges continued cooperation among the United States
and its transatlantic allies
[[Page H1936]]
and partners to explore avenues in support of the democratic
movement in Belarus;
(11) calls for further targeted sanctions coordinated
between the United States, the European Union, the United
Kingdom, Canada, and other allies and partners against
Belarusian authorities who committed human rights violations
and engaged in activities that resulted in the falsification
of the August 9, 2020, election results;
(12) encourages when considering, in coordination with
transatlantic partners, the sanctioning of Belarusian state-
owned companies that have directly violated the rights of
their workers as a result of their participation in or in
connection to the ongoing democratic movement in Belarus that
the Administration take into consideration the potential
implications of making these companies more vulnerable to
takeovers by Russian or Chinese state-owned companies;
(13) calls on the transatlantic community to review and
consider reassessing any financial assistance that supports
the Lukashenka regime, including participation in state debt
issuances or procurement contracts;
(14) supports increasing funds available for foreign
assistance to Belarusian civil society groups as well as
legal assistance for activists and independent journalists,
among others, as called for in the Belarus Democracy, Human
Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020;
(15) urges the President to provide the United States
Agency for Global Media with a surge capacity (as such term
is defined in section 316 of the United States International
Broadcasting Act of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6216)) for programs and
activities in Belarus, including to protect the brave
independent journalists reporting from within Belarus as
called for in the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and
Sovereignty Act of 2020;
(16) calls for an international investigation into the
human rights abuses committed during and after the August 9,
2020, presidential election; and
(17) continues to support the aspirations of the people of
Belarus for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, and
reaffirms that the fulfillment of such aspirations is
critical to ensuring the continued strength of Belarusian
sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Meeks) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
General Leave
Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H. Res. 124.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 124.
This resolution, introduced by the chair of the Subcommittee on
Europe, Energy, the Environment and Cyber, Mr. Keating, my good friend,
is an excellent measure that solidifies this body's already strong
bipartisan support for the people of Belarus. I also thank the ranking
member for his work.
After Alyaksandr Lukashenka stole the August 9, 2020, elections, the
Belarusian people, led by thousands of women dressed in white and
fearless opposition leaders, including Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya,
peacefully took to the streets in historic numbers to demand the right
to chart their own democratic future, a future free of Lukashenka's
dictatorial grip.
Tragically, but unsurprisingly, these peaceful protestors were met
with the same brutal, violent tactics that have defined Lukashenka's
nearly three-decades-long rule. In his desperate attempt to cling to
power, thousands were beaten, injured, and illegally detained without
due process by security forces. Meanwhile, critical access to the
internet, international broadcasting, and other forms of communication
and expression were cut off to suppress the dissent, control the flow
of information, and prevent the opposition from organizing any further.
But the resolve of the Belarusian people, the brave, peaceful
protestors, the opposition in exile, and the vibrant Belarusian
diaspora has not wavered. The resolve of the United States, our allies,
and this body must not waver either.
With the passing of this resolution, the House shines a spotlight on
the illegitimacy of the Lukashenka regime and his abhorrent human
rights violations.
We must continue to build on the work of the Belarus Democracy, Human
Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020, an effort led by another
distinguished member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and, as
indicated by Ranking Member McCaul, a longtime champion for human
rights in Belarus, Mr. Smith of New Jersey. We thank him for his work.
By passing this good, bipartisan resolution, the House will
strengthen its longstanding commitment and record on democracy and
human rights. We will continue to demonstrate that we stand in
solidarity with the freedom-loving Belarusians, who continue to
struggle for their fundamental democratic and human rights every day.
We do this hand in hand with our allies and partners across the
Atlantic.
Madam Speaker, I stand today not only to support this measure, but in
support of democracy and the sanctity of the democratic process and
solidarity with the people of Belarus.
This is a very important resolution. I support it and I urge all of
my colleagues to do the same.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I am honored to join my colleagues today to express
our support for the people of Belarus and their democratic aspirations.
There is no question that Alyaksandr Lukashenka rigged the
presidential election in Belarus this past August. He is an
illegitimate leader who will never be recognized by the community of
democratic nations. The scale of the electoral fraud was unprecedented,
as was the violent crackdown by Lukashenka's cronies afterwards.
The reports of peaceful protestors being beaten, tortured, and
arbitrarily detained and killed are appalling. In a cowardly attempt to
conceal their heinous crimes, the regime has repressed independent
media, disrupted internet access, and expelled and detained countless
journalists.
Given this despicable human rights situation in Belarus, I commend
the Biden administration's decision today to renew sanctions against
nine Belarusian state-owned enterprises.
Despite the terror inflicted upon them, the Belarusian people have
refused to relent. They continue to demand a free and fair vote. Their
courage is truly inspiring.
This resolution reminds the corrupt Lukashenka regime that the United
States Congress supports the people of Belarus. We echo their calls for
the immediate release of more than 300 political prisoners and all of
those unlawfully detained by the regime. We also join them in demanding
new, free, and fair elections to be held in Belarus.
Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this measure,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Massachusetts (Mr. Keating), the distinguished chair of the
Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment and Cyber; an esteemed
member of the Foreign Affairs Committee; and the author of this
important bill.
Mr. KEATING. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman of the Foreign
Affairs Committee, my friend, Gregory Meeks of New York, for yielding
and for his leadership on this issue.
I also thank the ranking member, my friend and colleague, Michael
McCaul of Texas, for his support and leadership. I also thank the
longtime leader of this cause, Representative Chris Smith, for his
support. I thank them both for their bipartisan support.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 124.
Today marks just over 8 months since an openly fraudulent
presidential election took place in Belarus. In that time, Belarusians
have made it clear by marching in the street en masse, with a
pronounced leadership of brave women, that they want and need democracy
in Belarus.
Despite the peaceful nature of these events, protestors have been
beaten and arrested, and opposition leaders have either been forced out
of the country, like Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya; or jailed, like Maria
Kalesnikava.
This resolution, inspired by the courage of those taking to the
streets to defend democracy, makes it clear to the people of Belarus
and to the international community that the United
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States House of Representatives has reviewed the facts and determined
that the 2020 Belarus presidential election was neither free nor fair,
and that Alyaksandr Lukashenka cannot and must not be recognized as
Belarus's legitimate president.
The resolution also strongly condemns the heinous human rights
violations that have been committed by Belarusian authorities and
underlines that Belarus is a sovereign nation, whose people have the
right to self-determination.
As chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe,
Energy, the Environment and Cyber, I held a hearing in March, where we
heard firsthand from presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
about the unprecedented violence and verbal, physical, emotional, and
sexual assault of peaceful protestors. In their fight for democracy,
the Belarusian people have endured unprecedented repression and many
protestors have been left severely wounded, and at least eight have
been murdered by this reprehensible regime.
Madam Speaker, this resolution is a vital signal of support for the
democratic movement in Belarus, that their sacrifice will not be
forgotten, and their calls for recognition will not go unanswered.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass this resolution and send
a clear message that the United States is paying close attention to the
human rights situation in Belarus and will continue to support the
people of Belarus in their fight for a new, free, and fair election.
Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Global Human Rights; and
also the author of the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty
Act that was signed into law last year.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend for
yielding and for his leadership, as well as Chairman Meeks. I
especially want to thank Chairman Keating for authoring this very, very
important resolution and for his hearing that he held in March on the
situation in Belarus.
Madam Speaker, the resolution condemns Alyaksandr Lukashenka's
ongoing and ever-worsening brutality and crackdown on peaceful
protestors.
As my colleagues know, the leading opposition presidential candidate,
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who almost certainly won the election in
August and helped form the Coordination Council as a means to seek a
peaceful transition of power, needs our consistent and robust support
and encouragement.
Today, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya is in exile in Lithuania, where she
continues to rally the Belarusian people and the world and to demand
democracy and human rights for her nation, no matter how long it takes.
More than 8 months have passed since the stolen August presidential
election, and about 5 months since President Trump signed the Belarus
Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020, which I authored.
Let me point out to my colleagues that I first authored the Belarus
Democracy Act in the year 2004. It was enacted into law and
reauthorized in 2006 and 2011. What it did was focus on denying visas
to human rights abusers and made people who are singled out ineligible
for participating in our economy.
In retaliation, I was told I could not visit Belarus. I was denied a
visa repeatedly. I finally got there twice and raised human rights
issues with Lukashenka himself.
Let me just say that a resolution like this has real impact. Just
last week, as a result of an outcry from human rights organizations,
the government released Tatsiana Hatsura-Yavorska, the director of the
Watch Docs Film Festival in Belarus, and they dropped the charges
because of the outcry.
Again, I want to thank Mr. Keating, the chairman, for doing this.
Let me remind my colleagues, too, that the Russians continue to play
a very, very destructive role in the country. This past week alone,
Russian authorities detained Yuras Zyankovich, a Belarusian lawyer and
U.S. citizen.
Madam Speaker, I urge passage.
Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Meijer), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Mr. MEIJER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 124, a
resolution to support the people of Belarus in their efforts against
corruption and kleptocracy.
On August 9, 2020, Belarus held a presidential election marred by
credible reports of widespread election manipulation. Not surprisingly,
the Belarusian dictator, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who has ruled with an
iron fist for nearly three decades, commanded an authoritarian 80
percent of the vote.
Since August, Belarusians have taken to the streets peacefully to
express their desire for self-determination. Instead of heeding their
calls, the regime has responded with extreme violence, arbitrary
detention, torture, and other systematic violations of human rights.
This resolution sends a clear message that we in Congress support the
Belarusian people and their aspirations for democracy, human rights,
and the rule of law.
Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote from all of my colleagues.
Passage of this resolution will send a message that we in Congress
stand against the violent crackdown of the Lukashenka regime and stand
with the people of Belarus.
Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close and I yield myself
the balance of my time.
Today, the people of Belarus know that they are not alone, that they
have the support of the United States Congress and the American people.
Madam Speaker, I urge passage, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
{time} 1815
Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I join with Ranking Member McCaul that this
resolution makes it clear that the United States will not be silent on
human rights violations as perpetrated by the illegitimate Lukashenko
regime and we stand with the Belarusian people in their peaceful fight
for democracy. I hope all join in supporting this resolution.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 124, as amended.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. GRIFFITH. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion
are postponed.
____________________