Mikhail Pashkevich: Situation with the Chinese industrial park can be repeated anywhere

It is not the issue of China-Belarus industrial park that should be put to a referendum, but the guarantees of ownership and ecological rights of citizens in general.

Such opinion in the talk with the EuroBelarus Information Service shared Mikhail Pashkevich, political activist and representative of “Tell the Truth!” civil campaign, who is actively involved in the issue of building an industrial park in Smaliavichy region.

During the public discussion, which took place in Smaliavichy on July 24 representatives from the local community declared their demand to hold referendum on the issue of China-Belarus industrial park construction.

Mikhail Pashkevich noted that local community has every right to employ any possible instruments to assert their interests. “But I think that if we put this problem to a referendum, protection of property rights under the development of similar projects would be a more correct statement of question, - the activist said. - As the situation with the China industrial park can be repeated anywhere, so I would restate this problem so that it works not only in Smaliavichy, but all across Belarus”.

The representative of “Tell the Truth!” explained that when the discussion of projects the state is interested in is going on, then the guarantees of ownership, ecological rights and information rights of citizens are ignored. “And in case yet another “good investment project” appears, we will have nothing to oppose to it”, - Mikhail Pashkevich stated.

Moreover, when it became clear that the public doesn’t welcome the idea of the Chinese industrial park construction, the state changed the rules of the game crucially and transferred forest lands to another category. “It turns out to be the main lesson for us, political and civil activists. And we should try to improve this situation, as the moment when the rules of the game change can come at any time”, - Mikhail Pashkevich noted.