[INDEX ON CENSORSHIP]Chernobyl denied ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vera Rich Confrontations and arrests during banned Chernobyl demonstration in Minsk President Aleksandr Lukashenka of Belarus has announced that he intends to ban all rallies and demonstrations in Belarus, following the "Chernobyl-96" commemorative rally in Meinsk on 26 April, the 10th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. Lukashenka described the rally as a "riot", and its organisers as "persons armed to the teeth" against whom he intended to take "very serious measures". The 50,000- strong rally, in fact, had been peaceful until the police intervenened and the only reported "violence" on the part of the protesters was the overturning of three (empty) police vans, which seems to have been intended not as an act of hooliganism, but to form protective barricades. And the list of those arrested or beaten up by the police reveals names and professions that in no way suggest the armed hooligans of Lukashenka's diatribe. They include among the 204 arrested: physicist and deputy chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front (BNF) Jury Khadyka, Latin scholar Ales Zhlyutka, former MP and deputy chairman of the BNF Lavon Barshcheuski, MP Paviel Znaviets, artist Alakseiy Marachin (whose icon, "Our Lady of Chernobyl", carried at the head of the procession, was destroyed by the police), former MP and deputy chairman of the (BNF) Vintsuk Viachorka, the Minsk correspondent of the Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza who was attempting to interview him, Belarusian journalists, Aleh Tryzna and Eduard Tarlecki and a lecturer from the Polytechnic Academy Mikola Antsipovich, who was arrested - and then taken to hospital suffering from skull and brain injuries. Seventeen Ukrainians were among the arrested, including one journalist Natallya Chanhuly. These were subsequently released following the intervention of the Ukrainian Ministry in Meinsk - but the Belarusian foreign ministry subsequently sent a memorandum to the Ukrainian foreign ministry, telling it to curb the activities of its "militants". (Ukraine's foreign minister Hennady Udovenko, responded with an assurance that "appropriate measures" would be taken). And one Belarusian journalist was arrested who was not even at the rally: Uladzimier Dziuba, who, on his way home from work, saw the metro station near Independence Square had been closed off by the police - and asked them why - in Belarusian! The use of the Belarusian language was apparently enough to identify him, in the police eyes, as a subversive - and he was detained accordingly. Most of those detained were sentenced either to a few days" imprisonment or to fines. Barsceuski, the former MP, was released when his lawyer Nadzieya Dudarava pointed out that as he is still covered by parliamentary immunity, which runs for two years after one's term of office expires. He was accordingly conditionally discharged, but his case has been referred to the parliament's own disciplinary committee (Barshcheuski currently works as assistant to MP Paviel Znaviets), and the possibility remains that parliament might lift his immunity and refer the case back to the court. Khadyka, however, remains in prison, and Ms Dudarava (who makes a speciality of defending pro-democracy advocates) has been denied access to him. Following the rally, Lukashenka imposed a ban on all live reporting on Belarusian radio's Channel 2 until 10 May - a period which includes the sensitive dates of May Day and VE Day. The channel is forbidden in its news programmes to make any reference to events connected with the Chernobyl rally - except when it can present them in a very negative way. There has been a general tightening of censorship of the electronic media: among the items axed were an interview with the deputy speaker of parliament, Vasil Novikau on the forthcoming ratification of the Belarusian-Russian "integration agreements", and also a report from the constitutional court concerning its decision to declare unconstitutional the presidential order of 29 December last "On the fulfilment of Presidential Decrees". Lukashenka is reported to be particularly vexed that the police failed to arrest the chairman of the BNF, Zyanon Paznyak, who returned unexpectedly from a visit to Poland just in time for the anniversary. He arrived at the assembly point outside the Academy of Sciences, led the procession down Skaryna Prospect, delivered a speech - and disappeared. According to some reports, when the police subsequently raided the BNF headquarters, he was in the building, but once again managed to elude them. In spite of Lukashenka's threat to outlaw all rallies, a demonstration did, in fact take place on May Day - with democratic activists carrying the white-red-white flag of independence and placards calling for Chadyka's release. "Pro-democracy" speakers included none other than the former hard-line Communist and ex-speaker of parliament Miachaslau Hryb - so much have times changed! The police on this occasion were relatively restrained: there were no arrests. However, a reporter from Russia's NTV, Aleksandr Stuopinov was beaten up by six people in civilian clothes and his equipment smashed, his colleague from the rival Russian company RTV likewise lost his equipment but managed to make his escape! Already, after the demonstrations of 25 March and 2 April, when Lukashenka threatened that Russian journalists who report pro- independence activities would be expelled from Belarus, democrats in the Russian State Duma called on President Yeltsin to suspend implementing the "integration" agreements for as long as Lukashenka remains in power. These further attacks on Russian media representatives in Belarus seem almost certain to promote increased Russian hostility to the Belarusian president. Lukashenka's own commemoration of the Chernobyl anniversary included a TV address to the nation, which stressed his new plans to redevelop the Chernobyl-contaminated areas of Belarus. He did not mention the fact reported in the official Belarusian press a few days earlier - that this will be financed by cutting off social security benefits from 1.5 million people (including 800,000 children) unless they are willing to return to their former homes in the contaminated zone - a proposal which has caused consternation among Belarusian health-workers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Click here [Back to Index on Censorship's home page] [Image] to [Image]your subscribe feedback