How did the Belarusian civil society representatives perceive the information about the detention of their colleagues? How can such a tough reaction against environmentalists be explained? Do public organizations’ representatives feel secured against...
How did the Belarusian civil society representatives perceive the information about the detention of their colleagues? How can such a tough reaction against environmentalists be explained? Do public organizations’ representatives feel secured against such actions of the authorities? Will they thereafter behave more cautiously in their social activities? With such questions the Information service of "EuroBelarus" referred to the civil society leaders.
Director of the Centre for European transformation Andrei Yahorau:
- I perceived with sorrow the report on the detention of my fellows, environmentalists.
The reaction of the authorities can be explained with the fact that the Belarusian Anti-nuclear Campaign activists have been directed against the nuclear power plant construction in Astravyets, and these actions are related to the arrival of dignitaries from the neighboring state. Traditionally, in such cases, they try in our country to prevent public activists from performing any kinds of actions.
Of course, nobody can feel secured against such actions. For me it's the violation of my personal space, the space of the Consortium "EuroBelarus" activities, where the CET enters. This is a pressure exerted on all of us.
We face challenges that we all must address, and we understand all the risks associated with it. And we will continue to do what we must do. In this situation, only the common solidarity and strengthening the civil society at the national level can solve private, individual issues. Any social activist will be subjected to the pressure as long as we do not change the situation in the country.
Activist of the Association "Green Network" Jaroslav Bekish:
- At first I perceived the report emotionally, then more philosophically. But how can we perceive the illegal detentions by people in civilian clothes! Only as lowdown acts; but such acts can be performed by a person, but in this case such totalitarian actions are performed by the state apparatus.
Such a reaction of the authorities is understandable. Medvedev came, and one of the items of the meeting agenda was the signing of the general contract on the nuclear power plant construction. And the guys have prepared purposeful appeals, regarding the point, - that the contract couldn’t be signed. This is a petition not on the dangers of the nuclear energy as such, but on the direct technical and legal violations related to the construction in Astravyets.
Anti-nuclear physicists wanted to convey to the message to the Russian leadership, and I think they’ve managed to do this. Their detention has given a resonance to the very appeal: after half an hour after the arrest, not only Belarusian, but also the foreign media - Polish, Lithuanian, Swedish, Danish – were reporting about it, with the text of the appeal enclosed.
I was not involved in preparation of the appeal draft, thus I find it hard to judge on how effective it is addressing the Belarusian and international authorities with such petitions. They are already aware of the violations. It would be naive to think that you will put them up to the truth. However, there is need to make such appeals in order to make the facts public. I think this message should be addressed to the Belarusians and Russians, the people, not the governments.
There is a limit to every kind of prudence. We, as a public organization, are defending public interest and the right of people to a healthy environment. If we act more cautiously in such circumstances, that will be equal to doing nothing at all. Apparently, the authorities are striving to achieve this goal. The matter was about an appeal - not about subversion, but the attempt of communication, which was severely suppressed. It is impossible to act more cautiously. We can either do nothing or act more aggressively.
Chairman of the Belarusian Association of Journalists Zhanna Litvina:
- Journalists carry out their professional duties, and every man makes his choice, whether to be cautious or not. Our environmentalists deserve the utmost respect for the fact that they’ve made a civil action. I think they were driven by the sense of citizenship, and thus all of us, journalists and members of other public organizations, should stand in solidarity with them.
Deputy leader of the campaign "Tell the truth!" Alexander Feduta:
- There are currently tough authorities’ reactions on everything, starting from teddy bears and ending with protests against the nuclear wastes disposal in Belarus. Therefore, from this point of view, nothing extraordinary has happened. It was also clear fact that the government would sooner or later press on any uncontrolled by it informal movement of people, including ecological one. If we remember, one of the objectives of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s visit was the final settlement of issues of the issues of the nuclear power plant construction in Belarus. Therefore, the authorities were afraid that they can get any visible protest from the opponents of this project.
No one can feel secured against accusation of swearing obscenities. We have seen the swearing Belarusian-speaking editor, although there are no foul words in the Belarusian language, as we know. We have seen the Professor of the European University at St. Petersburg, now we’ve got environmentalists swearing like troopers. It remains to expect that the authorities start arresting cats and poodles because their meowing and yapping will seem to someone similar to a threat or a swearing.
When I was charged in court under Article 342 for actions that resulted in gross violations of the public order, I promised that next time while encouraging people to participate in the revolution, I would specially ask them to walk only on sidewalks.
Director of the PA “Center for Social Innovations” Leonid Kalitenya:
- In the absence of a dialogue and mutual understanding between the civil society and the state power, even the slightest civil action causes a tough reaction. If the authorities need to demonstrate their opinion, all they need to do is just holing people. And holing takes place by using false testimonies on that someone was swearing obscenities. And this is a farce. The situation has gone beyond the acceptable.
Submission of an appeal is not a great civil action, not lying on the rails, not something violating the public order. And there are simply no other tools and methods of the authorities, except for holing people. It evidences of the poverty of their “offer”, of the defectiveness of strategies of interaction with their civil society.
Anyone who continues to work in public organizations understands all the risks and price to be paid if these risks will be materialized. But you must do what you must do. Herewith, the risks are just the circumstances of your activity. There are still problems that no one but us can solve. There are no insurances. The only insurance is our solidarity with other colleagues of the civil society corporation in Belarus and from other countries. That's all we have.
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