THE SECRETARY'S DECEMBER 3 MEETING WITH BELARUS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 164397

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/05/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV KHUM
SUBJECT: THE SECRETARY'S DECEMBER 3 MEETING WITH BELARUS
DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS

(U) Classified by EUR Kurt Volker, Acting,
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (U) Participants:

U.S.
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The Secretary
Ambassador Karen Stewart
Deputy Assistant Secretary David Kramer
EUR Stephen Gee (notetaker)

Belarus
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Enira Bronitskaya, Human Rights Advocate
Dmitriy Fedaruk, Acting Leader of NGO, "Youth Front"
Sergey Kalyakin, Leader of Belarusian Party of Communists
Anatoliy Lebedko, Leader of United Civic Party
Anatoliy Levkovich, Acting Leader of Belarusian Social
Democratic Party, "Hramada"
Aleksandr Milinkevich, Leader of "For Freedom" NGO;
Pavel Severinets, Leader of Belarusian Christian Democracy


2. (C) SUMMARY. A delegation of human rights advocates
and pro-democracy political opposition from Belarus
described difficulties they face in carrying out their
activities. They expressed determination to continue their
work and asked the Secretary for continued U.S. financial
and moral support, and for firm and well coordinated
messages from the U.S. and EU toward the regime of
Aleksandr Lukashenka. Secretary Rice encouraged the group
to face future elections as a unified force, and assured
them the United States would continue to speak out for the
cause of freedom in Belarus. END SUMMARY.

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Difficult Platform for Democracy
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3. (C) Each member of the delegation praised U.S. support
for the cause of democracy and human rights in Belarus and
offered perspectives on the difficulties faced by
political opposition and pro-democracy NGOs in Belarus.
Aleksandr Milinkevich raised the plight of Belarus
political prisoners and also of large-scale detentions of
civil society activists in advance of pro-democracy
demonstrations. He compared current conditions in Belarus
to other parts of Central Europe five or more years ago,
and said Russian pressure on Belarus through energy prices
is contributing to deteriorating living conditions. Pavel
Severinets described increased repression by the regime of
Christian Protestants and Catholics. Enira Brontiskaya
said that young people -- particularly students -- were
being targeted by the regime and threatened with expulsion
and loss of financial assistance.

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U.S. Assistance
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4. (C) At the same time, each member of the delegation
said they are determined to continue their work, and at
the invitation of Secretary Rice, offered suggestions
about how the United States could help in their efforts.
Anatoliy Lebedko pinpointed the need for assistance for
three areas: independent media (including satellite
television); specific support for groups who are fighting
for democracy such as students, entrepreneurs, and

political prisoners; and what he termed the
"infrastructure" of pro-democracy organizations. Asked by
Rice to clarify infrastructure, Milinkevich offered an
example that it is difficult to find funds to pay for
paper for printing and office rent, and there is
insufficient access to independent media.


5. (C) The Secretary asked how our assistance could be
more effective--specifically whether the coordination with
the EU on assistance is as effective as the coordination
on political issues. Lebedko said that assistance
programs for Belarus need to be carried out inside
Belarus, not in Europe. He acknowledged the difficulties
of delivering assistance in Belarus, given harassment of
NGOs and political parties that receive Western
assistance. He noted, however that past efforts by the
U.S. and EU to deliver strong messages jointly to Minsk
and in Minsk, had been very effective as strong signals of

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Western unity in opposition to Lukashenka's repression.

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Unity
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6. (C) Anatoliy Levkovich stressed the need for the
individual political forces to remain unified. He pointed
out that the Unified Democratic Forces were still working
together, despite leadership disagreements they had after
the 2006 presidential election. Dmitriy Fedaruk pointed
to the growing success and profile of the "Young Front"
NGO, which he attributed to a large number of young people
who are becoming fed up with the regime.


7. (C) Secretary Rice agreed that unity is essential, and
pointed out that Milinkevich had a much stronger showing
than had been expected in the 2006 election. This was
due to the Unified Democratic Forces supporting a single
candidate. She encouraged them to support joint
candidates in future elections. She said she was
encouraged by their current joint trip to the U.S. as a
positive sign of their unity, and with the inclusion of
the younger generation both in their work and in this
delegation.

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U.S. Support
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8. (C) Kalyakin, echoed by others, stressed the signal
importance of a meeting with the Secretary of State with
pro-democracy representatives from such a small country as
Belarus. The Secretary responded that completing Europe's
democratic transformation is an important U.S. foreign
policy goal, and that it would most certainly be carried
on by the next President, regardless of political party.
Picking up on Kalyakin's point, she said it doesn't matter
that Belarus is a small country-- wherever people are
struggling, the U.S. will speak out for their cause.
RICE