ACTIVISM LIVES ON IN THE SOUTHERN MINSK REGION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MINSK 000430 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/23/2017 TAGS: PHUM PGOV ECON BO SUBJECT: ACTIVISM LIVES ON IN THE SOUTHERN MINSK REGION REF: MINSK 399 Classified By: DCM Jonathan Moore for reason 1.4 (d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) A trip to Belarus' most prominent mining town, Soligorsk, and neighboring areas revealed significant opposition activism despite the usual repression by local authorities. The independent union at the potash mining giant Belaruskaliy boasted that over 20 percent of the company's employees are among its members. Opposition activists split on whether delegates to the democratic opposition's regional conferences made the correct choice on opting for a co-chairmanship. All recognized the need to work locally, especially given the efforts by authorities to erase the history of local opposition to totalitarianism. End summary. All the Usual Suspects Escort Embassy Visit to Soligorsk -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) Post hoped the lack of attention from security forces to Embassy travel to observe regional oppositional coalition congresses might extend until the conclusion of the democratic congress May 26-27. However, a dutiful traffic cop posted at the entrance to Soligorsk, two hours south of Minsk, stopped Charge's car and "offered" to escort the vehicle in the interests of the Charge's security. An unmarked car with a BKGB official followed close behind as well. Independent Miners Union Talks to Charge and TV Camera -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) Representatives of the Independent Miners Union (NPG) had offered to meet with us at the headquarters of Belaruskaliy (the official Union of Petrochemical Workers had declined). However, at the headquarters they said the meeting had been prohibited on company grounds and they led us to union headquarters. By this time a third follow car, containing a representative from the City Executive Committee (which had rejected our earlier offer to meet, claiming road construction made the city temporarily unsuitable for such an important visitor) and the official city television station joined the procession. ¶4. (C) Declaring "we have nothing to hide," NPG Chair Aleksandr Korolev allowed the television camera to film the meeting. Korolev proudly presented Charge with a porcelain plate depicting the union's initials on a nationalist white-red-white flag. Despite the clear anti-regime insignia, Korolev said the union was non-political and declined to answer even global questions that he thought touched on politics. Korolev said 4,410 of the 19,000 workers at the mine belonged to the union. He claimed there was no repression of union activists in Soligorsk, although he said in Grodno and elsewhere this was not the case. Complaints included changes to the pension system, safety concerns and inattention to the need to provide sufficient employment for youth. He said the union would pursue its demands through dialogue and would never strike. Opposition Activists Realistic, Not Optimistic -------------- - ¶5. (C) Charge told local opposition leaders, including 16-year-old Ivan Shilo, one of the Malady Front activists who stands charged with aiding an unregistered organization, that the USG would strengthen sanctions against Belarus if did not meet conditions put forth during the visit of EUR DAS David Kramer, including release of all political prisoners. While Shilo questioned whether sanctions could bring about change, and Belarusan Party of Communists member Kazimir Kavetskiy eared sanctions could hurt the average Belarusian, he activists did not say they opposed the threat Vladimir Shilo, Ivan's father, thanked Charge or his show of support. ¶6. (C) Only Kavetskiy idicated support for the decision taken by delegaes at the opposition's regional congresses to selct co-chairs instead of a single leader (reftel). Local BNF leader Pavel Batuyev said he would boyott the national congress because he saw no poin in a meeting that would not decide upon a unified leader. Charge suggested Batuyev could do well by going to the congress and voicing his opinion, rather than boycotting. The elder Shilo said he thought a co-chairmanship could work in a democratic society, but Belarusians needed to see an individual who would replace Lukashenko. MINSK 00000430 002 OF 002 Sovietization of Local History Lives On -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Batuyev took Charge on a tour of memorials in the surrounding area to demonstrate authorities selective approach to history. A monument on the site of the Slutsk ghetto in World War II lists the date of the massacre of Slutsk's Jews, but states "to the victims of Fascism" without any specific mention of the Holocaust. The local history museum in Slutsk, located in the building where Belarusian nationalists decided to begin an uprising against Soviet authorities in 1920, makes no mention of the Slutsk uprising. In the nearby town of Semezha, local nationalists maintain a modest wooden cross to commemorate those killed in the uprising. Batuyev said vandals destroyed another cross in a nearby village three times. Comment: Activism Isn't Just for Miners Anymore -------------- -- ¶8. (C) Smaller cities with little private enterprise and watchful local authorities generally present poor environments for the democratic opposition. Malady Front's work in Soligorsk, the existence of two local independent newspapers and the history of miner activism all help create a large opposition movement relative to other cities Soligorsk's size. While union and political activists believe that much of society remains stuck in the Soviet past, we are pleased they nonetheless persist in their efforts to bring about change. Stewart