NEW OPPOSITION PARTY SEEKS TO UNITE CHRISTIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MINSK 000327 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/23/2017 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL KIRF BO SUBJECT: NEW OPPOSITION PARTY SEEKS TO UNITE CHRISTIAN ACTIVISTS Classified By: Ambassador Karen Stewart for reason 1.4 (d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) Belarus Christian Democracy (BCD),a newly emerged opposition party, seeks to create a democratic Belarus based on Christian principles and Belarusian patriotism. Pursuant to those goals, the unregistered BCD is cooperating with Christian leaders and religious NGOs to launch a signature campaign against the 2002 Law on Religion, organize a demonstration to protest GOB restrictions on freedom of conscience, and publish a book on the violations of Christians' rights in Belarus in 2006. However, BCD's hesitation to work with persecuted non-Christian groups could limit its impact. End summary. BCD: Party Mission, Structure, and Goals -------------- ¶2. (C) On April 13, Belarus Christian Democracy (BCD) Co-Chair Aleksey Shein told POLOFF that BCD seeks to be a political force responsible for nonviolently creating a democratic Belarus based on Christian principles and Belarusian patriotism. BCD, which currently includes 200 official members, desires to bring about a spiritual awakening in Belarus that would unite people around the principles of democracy, Christian values, and national traditions, while simultaneously maintaining the separation of church and state and the non-intervention of religious associations in political activities. BCD will work to transform the Belarusian political system into a genuine democracy, build an economy based on free-market principles, and increase protection of basic human rights, including freedom of speech and religion. The party's specific goals include building more ties between Christians, educating people about their rights and eliminating the 2002 Law on Religion. BCD Launches Signature Campaign to Change Religion Law -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) On April 11, BCD in conjunction with the New Life Church (NLC) launched a campaign entitled "The Campaign for the Protection of the Right to Freedom of Conscience," which focuses on persuading the GOB to revoke its repressive 2002 Law on Religion. Shein and NLC Pastor Vyacheslav Goncharenko gathered approximately 40 working-level Protestant, Catholic, and Russian Orthodox pastors to enlist their help in collecting as many signatures as possible by May 22 for a petition demanding greater freedom of conscience and religion in Belarus. While being sensitive to people's fears of potential GOB harassment following participation in such a campaign, Shein and Goncharenko noted that the pastors' active participation and solicitation of support from their parishes would be key to the success of the signature collection campaign. GOB Refuses to Allow BCD to Demonstrate -------------- ¶4. (C) On April 18, the Minsk City Executive Committee denied BCD permission to hold an April 20 demonstration for 50 people at Freedom Square in downtown Minsk to protest the authorities' repression of freedom of conscience. According to independent news source Belapan, the authorities cited hindrance of pedestrian movement as the reason for the denial. Shein told Belapan that BCD plans to apply for permission to hold the demonstration at another venue. BCD Works with New Belarusian Religious Freedom NGO... -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) BCD has close ties with the new Belarusian religious freedom NGO Christian Human Rights Watch (CHRW). CHRW founder Maria Savushkina told POLOFF on April 17 that BCD had funded the publication of her book, "Monitoring of the Violations of Christians' Rights in Belarus in 2006," which was presented to the public on April 19. Savushkina, a former journalist, launched CHRW during the summer of 2006 in order to inform citizens about violations of religious freedoms in Belarus and to provide legal assistance to those who have been suppressed by the GOB for their religious beliefs. Using her contacts as a former member of the human rights NGO Vyasna, Savushkina often connects lawyers with victims of religious persecution to help them with their cases. Once her NGO finds a source of funding, she hopes to widen the range of legal assistance she can provide as well MINSK 00000327 002 OF 002 as increase the distribution of information that she collects on religious rights violations. Currently, Savushkina relies on volunteers and fin ancial support from BCD to carry out her work. ...But Will Not Cooperate with Non-Christians -------------- ¶6. (C) At the CHRW book presentation, BCD Co-Chair Vitaliy Rymashevskiy noted that the major problem for the opposition is that Belarusians are not united and do not support one another. The BCD website - http://bchd.info -- calls upon all Belarusians, including non-Christians, to join their national movement, which allows all Belarusian citizens to participate fully in public life without limitation due to background, race, ethnic group or religion. However, when Poloff asked Shein about the possibility for cooperation with minority religions on the signature collection campaign, Shein stated that the organizers are not soliciting help from non-Christian religions because Christians "are not ready" to work with non-Christians and would most likely withdraw from the campaign. BCD's Founders and Membership -------------- ¶7. (C) Six co-chairs, including youth activists Shein, Rymashevskiy, and Pavel Severinets, formed the unregistered political party eighteen months ago. Rymashevskiy told Poloff that the party is made up primarily of Christians who -- apart from the leadership -- have never before been involved in politics. According to Shein, BCD currently has 200 official and approximately 800 unofficial members (Note: Political parties need 1,000 official members before they can apply for registration. End note.) Comment -------------- ¶8. (C) Given the recent increased activism among Christian religious groups, the emergence of a religious opposition party that seeks to unite Christians and harness their desire for change could prove to be a potentially powerful force for democratic change in Belarus. However, the party is very small and BCD's hesitancy to work with non-Christian groups is an obstacle that could stunt their growth and impact. Until all those desiring reform can put aside their differences to rally around common goals, democratic change in Belarus will remain a slow process. Stewart