[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6463]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          DEMOCRACY IN BELARUS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Madam Speaker, democracy and the rule of law is 
something that we have cherished in this country for over 200 years. 
And it is part of our responsibility to not only strengthen and 
preserve that in our country, but support those countries who are 
fighting for democracy and freedom.
  Many of you may be thinking that this talk is about Iraq and 
Afghanistan. It is not. It is addressing the last dictatorship in 
Europe, which I am fortunate to have a relationship with based upon a 
niche I have developed in working with former captive nations and 
Eastern European countries.
  The country of Belarus has been in a dictatorship for many years. And 
I am here today to call attention to the arrest two nights ago of an 
opposition leader, Vintsuk Vyachorka, by the KGB police. Yes, the 
Belarusian police still go by the KGB, under the direction of the 
Belarusian dictator, Alexander Lukashenka.
  Vintsuk Vyachorka was pulled from his home in the middle of the 
night, only to be brought up on non-existent charges that will likely 
land him in jail for at least 25 days.
  Madam Speaker, it is my belief, along with many others who have been 
monitoring the unraveling civil liberties of Belarus, that this arrest 
is merely the beginning of a series of arrests that the dictator, Mr. 
Lukashenka, is going to try to use to intimidate opposition leaders 
into abandoning a large protest on March 25 in honor of Belarusian 
freedom.
  I say that we need to stand together today and say that we will not 
sit by and watch idly as Mr. Lukashenka uses his power to intimidate 
and scare the Belarusian people.
  I am holding up a wrist bracelet, and many kids have been wearing 
these now in the United States for a couple of years. It is very 
simple. In Belarus, you can get arrested for wearing this. In fact, 
young people are pulled off the streets, intimidated and harassed. So 
today I bring this on the floor to show my solidarity with the 
Belarusian people, for those who are seeking freedom, a return to 
democracy and the rule of law.
  I will not be silent, and I know the world community will not be 
silent until the last dictatorship in Europe changes its ways and 
becomes a democracy and enters the community of free, democratic 
countries in Europe.

                          ____________________