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European Students Defend Tatsiana KhomaFollowing the decision by the Belarus State Economic University to expel a fourth year student, Ms Tatsiana Khoma, for participating in a meeting of the National Unions of Students in Europe (ESIB) without the permission of the university, the European University Association (EUA) has suspended the university's EUA membership, and calls upon its members to cease all cooperation with the institution.On 25 November 2005, EUA President, Professor Georg Winckler, on behalf of EUA?s individual and collective members, addressed a letter to the Rector of the university, Professor Shymau (Shimov), when it was learned that Ms Khoma had been threatened with expulsion as a result of her activities on behalf of national and European students. In this letter, Professor Winckler expressed concern at these developments, referring to the fundamental values and principles of the Association enshrined in the 1988 Magna Charta Universitatum, which include the duty of each university to "ensure that its students' freedoms are safeguarded".
Professor Shymau has not answered these letters, and has instead issued a statement on the university website that the expulsion of Ms. Khoma was justified by her violation of university regulations, and that the decision was made "in accordance with the norms of the Republic of Belarus legislation in the field of education." EUA calls upon all its member universities to support ESIB's campaign to reinstate Ms Khoma at the university and to continue her studies and other activities on behalf of students free from harassment. In a response to BSEU's suspension from EUA, the rector V. Shymau stated that the expulsion of Tatsiana was only one of many made this year. "This academic year, 50 students were expelled for the same reason of violating the University Regulations. Ms. Khoma was the 51st one." He also claims to be an advocate of observing student rights, but the right to freedom of movement "should be fully exercised exclusively when there are no classes in progress. Their missing classes is a gross violation of the University Regulations." In a comment to the letter, ESIB chairperson Vanja Ivosevic was shocked to hear that more than 50 students had been expelled from the university this academic year for similar reasons as Tatsiana's. "?If it's true, that would mean students have been expelled almost every day!" "It's also very ironic that the rector feels unjustly treated when his university is suspended from EUA." The National Unions of Students in Europe (ESIB) is the umbrella organisation of 44 national unions of students from 34 countries and through these members represents over 10 million students. Newly elected ESIB Executive Committee member Tatsiana Khoma has been expelled from her university in Belarus. The official reason for this action is the fact that she did not inform the university beforehand that she would attend ESIB's European Student Gathering in France last week. Students all over Europe demand Tatsiana's reinstatement at BSEU. Norwegian students immediately created a special web site in defense of Tatsiana. In just 4 days after her expulsion it collected over 5700 signatures of students from 40 countries worldwide. A similar web site in Belarus -- www.studenty. alternativy.net collected 720 signatures during the same time period. Ms. Khoma appealed to Belarus' Ministry of Education protesting her ungrounded expulsion. BSEU instructors pledged to supply positive appraisals of the expelled student. Source:Charter '97 Press Center, 7 and 9 December, 2005 This article appeared in Belarusian Review, Vol. 17, No. 4 --------------------------------------------- Copyright 2005 Belarusian Review All rights reserved. belarusianreview@hotmail.com
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