Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06MINSK320
2006-03-23 15:44:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Minsk
Cable title:  

Sitrep 1: Numbers and Spirits Drop On Third Day of

Tags:  PGOV PINR PREL BO 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MINSK 000320 

SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D COPY - ADDING CLASSIFIED BY STATEMENT

SIPDIS

DEPT ALSO FOR INR
KIEV ALSO FOR USAID

E.O. 12958: 03/22/2016
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL BO
SUBJECT: Sitrep 1: Numbers and Spirits Drop On Third Day of
Protests

Refs: A) Minsk 297 B) Minsk 308

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Classified by: Ambassador George Krol. Reasons: 1.4 (b, d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MINSK 000320

SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D COPY - ADDING CLASSIFIED BY STATEMENT

SIPDIS

DEPT ALSO FOR INR
KIEV ALSO FOR USAID

E.O. 12958: 03/22/2016
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL BO
SUBJECT: Sitrep 1: Numbers and Spirits Drop On Third Day of
Protests

Refs: A) Minsk 297 B) Minsk 308

MINSK 00000320 001.2 OF 002


Classified by: Ambassador George Krol. Reasons: 1.4 (b, d)


1. (C) Summary: In the evening on March 21, Poloffs observed
the third protest rally on October Square organized by Ten Plus
Coalition candidate Aleksandr Milinkevich and Belarusian Social
Democratic Party ("Gramada") Aleksandr Kozulin. At the height
of the rally, Poloffs estimated that approximately 2,000-3,000
demonstrators Q mainly young, college-aged students - were
present on October Square. Despite having previously agreed to
send the demonstrators home, Kozulin and Milinkevich gave
differing instructions to the crowd; Kozulin told them to go
home and prepare for a large rally on March 25, while
Milinkevich, under pressure from his wife, remained with the
protesters overnight. Visible security presence on the square
decreased, but GOB harassment, detention and intimidation of
protesters continued. State media portrayed the demonstrations
in a poor light, while MOI officials threatened to punish the
protesters and their leaders. End Summary.

Kozulin and Milinkevich Give Differing Instructions to the Crowd
-------------- --------------


2. (U) Milinkevich thanked the crowd of 2,000 to 3,000 people
for their perseverance and urged the protesters to hold out
until March 25, when they would again host another large rally
on October Square. [Note: March 25 marks the 88th anniversary of
the Belarusian National Republic, which was the country's first,
brief independence from Russia in 1918.] Milinkevich told the
demonstrators that he would remain on the square as long as his
supporters were there and said to them, "We will stay. There
are more of us today than yesterday, and tomorrow there will be
even more." He promised to convene a large rally every evening
at 18:30 until March 25.


3. (C) Kozulin announced to the crowd "a revolution has taken
place." However, he told the crowd that a "police operation" is
being prepared and advised them to pack up the tent camp, to end
the rally, and to conserve energy to regroup on the March 25.

According to a press release on his website, Kozulin's
instructions were what he and Milinkevich agreed to tell the
supporters, but Milinkevich failed to comply. Since Milinkevich
broke the agreement, Kozulin wrote in his press release that
whatever happens to the protesters on October Square is
Milinkevich's fault. [Note: Sources from the Milinkevich camp
told us that Milinkevich and Kozulin had agreed to tell the
protesters to leave and return on March 25, but Milinkevich's
wife convinced her husband to stay with the protesters.]

Protesters Remain Overnight Despite Harassment from Security
-------------- --------------


4. (U) By late evening March 21, the crowd size decreased to
some 200 people. Throughout the night, the protesters played
Belarusian rock and folklore music on the portable loudspeakers
and waved banned nationalist Belarusian flags. Milinkevich and
his wife remained at the square overnight with the activists
until 8:00 a.m. on March 22.


5. (C) Zubr activist Alexandr Atroshenkov told Post that
demonstrators are still being detained, mostly as they go for
food, search for restrooms, or are on their way home.
Atroshenkov claimed that those who bring in food or warm clothes
are detained, and usually beaten. Security forces search the
bags of all persons attempting to access the square.

Security Around Square Decreases, But Intimidation and
Harassment Remain High
-------------- --------------


6. (SBU) Emboffs observed that the security presence around
October Square on March 21 continued to wane, reflecting the
smaller number of protesters. That said, there were enough
special forces units, uniformed police and plainclothes security
forces on and around the square to break up the rally, if
necessary. Unlike the previous evening, plainclothes security
forces did not bother Emboffs while they observed the March 21
demonstrations. [Note: On March 20, the KGB harassed and
followed Emboffs' movements as they were observing the
demonstration. State media tried to conduct an interview with
one of the Emboffs, and addressed him by name.]


7. (C) Emboffs did not observe any incidents of violence, but
Milinkevich team members and civil society activists have
informed us that an untold number of Belarusians caught entering
or leaving the square were arrested and beaten at the police

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stations.


8. (U) Before the rally, authorities cut off electricity to the
square so that all of the buildings on the square that are
usually illuminated were darkened, making visibility low and
video-recording difficult.

State Media Covers the Demonstrations in a Poor Light
-------------- --------------


9. (U) State television channels covered the protests on their
March 21 evening broadcasts. However, they stressed the small
size of the crowd. State media interviewed passersby, who
remarked on how pointless and disgraceful the protests were.
State TV channels also interviewed alleged protesters, who
expressed their disappointment with the small size of the crowd.
Foreign news channels, including Russian NTV, Euronews and CNN
provided coverage of the March 21 rally.

MOI Urges Punishment of Opposition Protesters
--------------


10. (U) Interior Ministry official Henadz Klepcha urges
administrative code punishments to all rally participants and
"the severest punishments" for the leaders of the protests, for
"they [i.e. the leaders] are getting young people drunk."
Klepcha refused to reveal the exact number of people who have
been arrested over the past few days for their participation in
the protests.

Krol