Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05MINSK1406
2005-11-22 07:00:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Minsk
Cable title:
EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY REPORT - November 18, 2005
how-toVZCZCXRO4146 RR RUEHCD RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE DE RUEHSK #1406/01 3260700 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 220700Z NOV 05 FM AMEMBASSY MINSK TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3353 INFO RUCNOSC/ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY COOPERATION IN EUROPE RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MINSK 001406
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM ECON BO
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY REPORT - November 18, 2005
REFS: A) Minsk 1387; B) Minsk 1348
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MINSK 001406
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM ECON BO
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY REPORT - November 18, 2005
REFS: A) Minsk 1387; B) Minsk 1348
1. The following are brief items of interest compiled
by Embassy Minsk over the past week.
--------------
Human Rights
--------------
2. State Distribution Lists Cuts Eleven Independent
Newspapers
On November 15, Belarusian state postal service provider RUP
Belpochta removed six more independent newspapers from the
list of periodicals available for subscription in 2006,
including "Gazeta Slonimskaya," "Vitebskiy Courier," "Brest
Courier," "Volnaye Glybokaye," "IntexPress" (Baranovichi),
and "Nasha Niva." On November 18, Belpochta also excluded
the independent monthly "Molodezhny Prospect." The
additional exclusions occurred just days after Belpochta's
decision to cut "Narodnaya Volya," "Salidarnasts," "Zhoda,"
and Molodechno-based "Regionalnaya Gazeta" from the state
subscription list (ref A).
3. Suspended Paper Back in Business
On November 11, the biweekly independent newspaper
"Birzha Informatsii" resumed publication after a one-
year suspension resulting from a critical article it
published on the passage of Lukashenko's constitutional
referendum. The editor will distribute the newspaper
free of charge via volunteers because she has little
hope that the state distribution and newsstand
organizations Belpochta and Belsoyuzpechat,
respectively, will carry it.
4. Vitebsk Police Detain Milinkevich
On November 16, Vitebsk traffic police detained
opposition presidential candidate Aleksandr Milinkevich
and his entourage for 40 minutes, as they were on their
way to campaign in Polotsk. The police explained that
their three cars might be on a stolen vehicle list.
Milinkevich considered the harassment to be an
intentional act of the local authorities to interfere
with his trip.
5. Milinkevich's Associate Detained at Customs
On November 11 at the Lithuanian border, Belarusian
customs officials detained Viktor Korniyenko,
Milinkevich's campaign advisor, for nearly an hour. The
officials thoroughly searched his car and baggage. This
is the first time Korniyenko has received such scrutiny
but he credited it to his opposition work.
6. Film Crew Prevents Opposition Member's Detention
After presidential hopeful Aleksandr Milinkevich met
with university students in Baranovichi on November 11,
police tried to detain his associate, Aleksei
Yanukovich. The police approached Yanukovich and
instructed him to get in the police vehicle. When the
authorities noticed a film crew nearby, however, they
abandoned their efforts to detain the opposition member.
7. Local Church Loses Registration
On November 9, GOB authorities refused to register a
Russian Orthodox Church Abroad village parish after its
recent conflict with the local Moscow Patriarchate
diocese. Orthodox communities not based in Moscow can
only receive state registration with the approval of the
local Moscow Patriarchate bishop, who told the village
parish to worship at the local Moscow Patriarchate
Church instead. The village parish refused and has
received four fines for conducting worship in private
homes over the past year.
8. Police Seize 72 Copies of Opposition Party's Weekly
On November 11, police seized 72 copies of the
Belarusian Party of Communists' weekly newspaper
"Tovarishch" because of an illegal leaflet insert.
Police charged Mariya Bogdanovich, the activist who was
distributing the newspapers, with illegal production and
distribution of press.
9. Court Annuls Already-Served Jail Sentence
On November 14, the Supreme Court annulled the 15-day
MINSK 00001406 002 OF 003
jail sentence of Union of Belarusian Poles activist
Tadeusz Gawin. Gawin was serving a sentence in early
August for participating in an unauthorized
demonstration when he received another 15-day sentence
for allegedly starting a fight with a cellmate. The
Supreme Court annulled the second sentence - even though
Gawin already served it in August - after Gawin filed an
appeal. Gawin maintained the second sentence was a
trumped up charge used to prevent him from attending the
repeat Union of Belarusian Poles' convention.
10. Police Seize Religious Literature
On November 15, authorities seized religious literature,
including copies of the New Testament, from a street
library run by the unregistered Baptist Council of
Churches in Bobruisk. While the authorities stressed
that no action has been taken and no court case has been
launched, they could not say when or if the materials
would be returned.
11. No Travel for You
On November 15, Grodno police banned Union of Belarusian
Poles (UBP) activist Jozef Porzecki from traveling
abroad. The police claimed it was necessary to cancel
his foreign travel stamp because Porzecki was a suspect
in a criminal case. Porzecki is the second UBP member
to have his travel stamp annulled and one of many
activists whom the GOB has recently prevented from
traveling abroad (ref B).
--------------
Civil Society
--------------
12. GOB Mandates Private Schools Follow State Line
On November 15, Education Minister Alyaksandr Radzkow
announced that the heads of all educational
institutions, including private institutions, are
political figures and should follow the state line;
therefore, opposition figures should not be allowed to
occupy such positions. Radzkow opined that his right as
Education Minister to appoint and dismiss the heads of
private educational institutions is "well-justified."
13. Overturning Cases Undermines Trust in Courts
On November 15, Supreme Court Chairman Valentin Sukalo
stated the Supreme Court's decision to overturn 1.5
percent of cases it hears undermines the people's trust
in the legal system. He considered bureaucracy to be
the main flaw in people's trust in the system. He noted
that the judicial system is becoming milder and cited
the statistic that only 25 percent of defendants are
given prison sentences.
14. Cold Snap, not Avian Flu Caused Death of Doves
On November 10, veterinary officer Viktor Karpovich
announced that the two-dozen dead doves found earlier
that month at the Brest airport died from a sudden frost
and not avian flu. Although doves usually do not perish
from changes in weather, these doves bred late and were
small and thin. Authorities killed five other birds to
test for avian flu and found no positive cases.
--------------
Election
--------------
15. Political Party Law Further Limits Opposition
Activities
On November 14, the National Assembly announced it would
examine the activities of political parties following
the October 28 enactment of a new law on political
organizations. This controversial law not only allows
courts to ban political party activities for six months,
but it also prohibits parties from accepting donations
from "foreign citizens, states, organizations and
stateless persons, anonymous donors, legal minors,
religious organizations and legal entities" registered
for less than twelve months.
--------------
Economics
--------------
16. Belarus Purchases Power from Ukraine
MINSK 00001406 003.2 OF 003
On November 14, the Ministry of Energy announced plans
to purchase up to 2.5 billion kilowatt-hour (kWh) of
electric power from Ukraine every year. This purchase
would supply half of the necessary 5 billion kWh that
Belarus must import every year. [Note: Russia is
Belarus' other energy supplier.] The energy would be
transferred from the Rovenskaya and Zaporozhskaya
nuclear power stations via newly reinstalled power lines
that had been disabled after the 1986 accident at the
Chernobyl nuclear power station.
17. Belarusian Customs Seized Meat Shipments
On November 3, Belarusian customs seized a 32.5-ton
shipment of meat valued at BYR 145 million [USD 68,000]
destined for Russia from Poland because of a discrepancy
on the inventory list. Separately on November 16,
customs officials looking for contraband seized an
American-origin shipment of over 19 tons of chicken legs
valued at BYR 110 million [USD 21,000] as it transited
Belarus from St. Petersburg to Smolensk. Authorities
claimed the shipment lacked proper documentation from
the head Belarusian veterinarian. However, immediately
after confiscation Belarusian customs transferred the
chicken legs to a meat processing plant in Vitebsk for
packaging and sale in Belarus, with the proceeds going
to the state.
--------------
Quote of the Week
--------------
18. On November 10, the state owned newspaper
"Sovetskaya Belarus" commented on the situation in
Europe after the French riots:
"Politicians in present-day Europe prefer to behave like
[those on a] suicide [mission], recklessly flirting with
hungry pterodactyls craving prey. Their favorite sport
is to export democracy. For instance, to Belarus..."
KROL
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM ECON BO
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY REPORT - November 18, 2005
REFS: A) Minsk 1387; B) Minsk 1348
1. The following are brief items of interest compiled
by Embassy Minsk over the past week.
--------------
Human Rights
--------------
2. State Distribution Lists Cuts Eleven Independent
Newspapers
On November 15, Belarusian state postal service provider RUP
Belpochta removed six more independent newspapers from the
list of periodicals available for subscription in 2006,
including "Gazeta Slonimskaya," "Vitebskiy Courier," "Brest
Courier," "Volnaye Glybokaye," "IntexPress" (Baranovichi),
and "Nasha Niva." On November 18, Belpochta also excluded
the independent monthly "Molodezhny Prospect." The
additional exclusions occurred just days after Belpochta's
decision to cut "Narodnaya Volya," "Salidarnasts," "Zhoda,"
and Molodechno-based "Regionalnaya Gazeta" from the state
subscription list (ref A).
3. Suspended Paper Back in Business
On November 11, the biweekly independent newspaper
"Birzha Informatsii" resumed publication after a one-
year suspension resulting from a critical article it
published on the passage of Lukashenko's constitutional
referendum. The editor will distribute the newspaper
free of charge via volunteers because she has little
hope that the state distribution and newsstand
organizations Belpochta and Belsoyuzpechat,
respectively, will carry it.
4. Vitebsk Police Detain Milinkevich
On November 16, Vitebsk traffic police detained
opposition presidential candidate Aleksandr Milinkevich
and his entourage for 40 minutes, as they were on their
way to campaign in Polotsk. The police explained that
their three cars might be on a stolen vehicle list.
Milinkevich considered the harassment to be an
intentional act of the local authorities to interfere
with his trip.
5. Milinkevich's Associate Detained at Customs
On November 11 at the Lithuanian border, Belarusian
customs officials detained Viktor Korniyenko,
Milinkevich's campaign advisor, for nearly an hour. The
officials thoroughly searched his car and baggage. This
is the first time Korniyenko has received such scrutiny
but he credited it to his opposition work.
6. Film Crew Prevents Opposition Member's Detention
After presidential hopeful Aleksandr Milinkevich met
with university students in Baranovichi on November 11,
police tried to detain his associate, Aleksei
Yanukovich. The police approached Yanukovich and
instructed him to get in the police vehicle. When the
authorities noticed a film crew nearby, however, they
abandoned their efforts to detain the opposition member.
7. Local Church Loses Registration
On November 9, GOB authorities refused to register a
Russian Orthodox Church Abroad village parish after its
recent conflict with the local Moscow Patriarchate
diocese. Orthodox communities not based in Moscow can
only receive state registration with the approval of the
local Moscow Patriarchate bishop, who told the village
parish to worship at the local Moscow Patriarchate
Church instead. The village parish refused and has
received four fines for conducting worship in private
homes over the past year.
8. Police Seize 72 Copies of Opposition Party's Weekly
On November 11, police seized 72 copies of the
Belarusian Party of Communists' weekly newspaper
"Tovarishch" because of an illegal leaflet insert.
Police charged Mariya Bogdanovich, the activist who was
distributing the newspapers, with illegal production and
distribution of press.
9. Court Annuls Already-Served Jail Sentence
On November 14, the Supreme Court annulled the 15-day
MINSK 00001406 002 OF 003
jail sentence of Union of Belarusian Poles activist
Tadeusz Gawin. Gawin was serving a sentence in early
August for participating in an unauthorized
demonstration when he received another 15-day sentence
for allegedly starting a fight with a cellmate. The
Supreme Court annulled the second sentence - even though
Gawin already served it in August - after Gawin filed an
appeal. Gawin maintained the second sentence was a
trumped up charge used to prevent him from attending the
repeat Union of Belarusian Poles' convention.
10. Police Seize Religious Literature
On November 15, authorities seized religious literature,
including copies of the New Testament, from a street
library run by the unregistered Baptist Council of
Churches in Bobruisk. While the authorities stressed
that no action has been taken and no court case has been
launched, they could not say when or if the materials
would be returned.
11. No Travel for You
On November 15, Grodno police banned Union of Belarusian
Poles (UBP) activist Jozef Porzecki from traveling
abroad. The police claimed it was necessary to cancel
his foreign travel stamp because Porzecki was a suspect
in a criminal case. Porzecki is the second UBP member
to have his travel stamp annulled and one of many
activists whom the GOB has recently prevented from
traveling abroad (ref B).
--------------
Civil Society
--------------
12. GOB Mandates Private Schools Follow State Line
On November 15, Education Minister Alyaksandr Radzkow
announced that the heads of all educational
institutions, including private institutions, are
political figures and should follow the state line;
therefore, opposition figures should not be allowed to
occupy such positions. Radzkow opined that his right as
Education Minister to appoint and dismiss the heads of
private educational institutions is "well-justified."
13. Overturning Cases Undermines Trust in Courts
On November 15, Supreme Court Chairman Valentin Sukalo
stated the Supreme Court's decision to overturn 1.5
percent of cases it hears undermines the people's trust
in the legal system. He considered bureaucracy to be
the main flaw in people's trust in the system. He noted
that the judicial system is becoming milder and cited
the statistic that only 25 percent of defendants are
given prison sentences.
14. Cold Snap, not Avian Flu Caused Death of Doves
On November 10, veterinary officer Viktor Karpovich
announced that the two-dozen dead doves found earlier
that month at the Brest airport died from a sudden frost
and not avian flu. Although doves usually do not perish
from changes in weather, these doves bred late and were
small and thin. Authorities killed five other birds to
test for avian flu and found no positive cases.
--------------
Election
--------------
15. Political Party Law Further Limits Opposition
Activities
On November 14, the National Assembly announced it would
examine the activities of political parties following
the October 28 enactment of a new law on political
organizations. This controversial law not only allows
courts to ban political party activities for six months,
but it also prohibits parties from accepting donations
from "foreign citizens, states, organizations and
stateless persons, anonymous donors, legal minors,
religious organizations and legal entities" registered
for less than twelve months.
--------------
Economics
--------------
16. Belarus Purchases Power from Ukraine
MINSK 00001406 003.2 OF 003
On November 14, the Ministry of Energy announced plans
to purchase up to 2.5 billion kilowatt-hour (kWh) of
electric power from Ukraine every year. This purchase
would supply half of the necessary 5 billion kWh that
Belarus must import every year. [Note: Russia is
Belarus' other energy supplier.] The energy would be
transferred from the Rovenskaya and Zaporozhskaya
nuclear power stations via newly reinstalled power lines
that had been disabled after the 1986 accident at the
Chernobyl nuclear power station.
17. Belarusian Customs Seized Meat Shipments
On November 3, Belarusian customs seized a 32.5-ton
shipment of meat valued at BYR 145 million [USD 68,000]
destined for Russia from Poland because of a discrepancy
on the inventory list. Separately on November 16,
customs officials looking for contraband seized an
American-origin shipment of over 19 tons of chicken legs
valued at BYR 110 million [USD 21,000] as it transited
Belarus from St. Petersburg to Smolensk. Authorities
claimed the shipment lacked proper documentation from
the head Belarusian veterinarian. However, immediately
after confiscation Belarusian customs transferred the
chicken legs to a meat processing plant in Vitebsk for
packaging and sale in Belarus, with the proceeds going
to the state.
--------------
Quote of the Week
--------------
18. On November 10, the state owned newspaper
"Sovetskaya Belarus" commented on the situation in
Europe after the French riots:
"Politicians in present-day Europe prefer to behave like
[those on a] suicide [mission], recklessly flirting with
hungry pterodactyls craving prey. Their favorite sport
is to export democracy. For instance, to Belarus..."
KROL