Ivonka Survilla : "Lukashenka Started to Speak about Independence to Improve his Rating"

An interview with the President of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic
The incumbent authorities in Belarus regard the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR) as the prototype of the contemporary Republic of Belarus. At the same time, their opposition believes that the true beginning of the present-day Belarus is the Belarusian Democratic Republic (BNR). It was established on the debris of the Russian Empire on March 25, 1918. Now this day is celebrated each year by the Belarusian opposition as Freedom Day.

But the BNR lived just for a few months. The Bolsheviks replaced it with the BSSR. Yet the BNR is still alive - abroad. It has all state trappings, ranging from its flag to formal leadership. Belarusian-Canadian Ivonka Survilla was reelected as President of the BNR Rada, at Rada?s recent session in New York. In the following interview with Naviny.b, she speaks about what the BNR used to be, what it is and what it can be in Belarusian politics.

Q: Few people in Belarus know about the activities of the BNR Rada and about the BNR as such. Your contacts are limited mostly to political and cultural elites in Belarus and Belarusian people living abroad. Do you think it is a problem that the BNR lacks communication with Belarusians in Belarus?
A: Yes, it is really a problem. For decades, people in Belarus did not know about the BNR, about the fight for the independence of Belarus, as well as about many other events of the country's history, which were not in line with the interests of Russia. And it is hard for people, especially older ones, to admit that they have been victims of lies all their lives. That is why after the breakup of the Soviet Union, some cultural elites and young people were alone who started to look for the truth.
The BNR Rada is trying to keep in contact with all people in Belarus and abroad. And if people in the country know so little about the BNR, it is because the authorities do what they can to keep people uninformed. And it is a pity, because such situation is beneficial to those who want to leave our people without freedom and a better future.

Q: Could you tell our readers about the Rada's future plans? Is it going to continue like it worked before or will there be any changes in tactics and strategy?
A: Belarus now has three main problems: Russia, Lukashenka and the lack of solidarity within the democratic opposition. All of them are in the spotlight of the BNR's attention. At its last session near New York in the end of October, the Rada decided to expand cooperation with the democratic opposition in Belarus, although we have good contacts with a certain part of it already now. One more objective is to stir Belarusians abroad to levels of greater activity. The largest part of the Rada members and activists are citizens of the USA, Canada and European countries, and they all can exert certain influence on their governments and parliaments.

Q: What is your attitude to the policy of the Belarusian government? Does Lukashenka really deserve support of his recent statements defending Belarus' independence as the country's highest priority in negotiations with Russia?
A: The policy of the Belarusian authorities is not to the advantage of the country?s independence. This is where our attitude stems from. If Lukashenka were really concerned about the independence of Belarus and not about his personal interests, he would not be so scornful of anything that is ethnically Belarusian. He would not try to reanimate this union with Russia, which was signed a couple of years ago with Boris Yeltsin. This is an absolutely absurd idea, because Belarus has suffered from Russia?s imperial ambitions for centuries. Lukashenka has started to speak about independence now to improve his rating. He is just making use of opinion polls, which reveal that the Belarusian people want to be independent.

Q: Do you think the BNR Rada can influence political processes in Belarus? Is there a possibility that the Rada's activities can become real politics in Belarus, if a democratically minded, patriotic government comes to power in the country?
A: The Rada is ready to cooperate with all patriotic forces in Belarus, and we hope that there will come a time when the Rada will hand over its powers to a patriotic government that would be democratically elected by the people.

As for the Rada's activities becoming real politics in Belarus, we have been protecting the interests of the Belarusian people from 1918 up to the present time. I believe that our fight for freedom is the most valuable contribution to the domestic political processes in Belarus. When patriotic forces come to power in Belarus, we will protect the interest of both the Belarusian people and their free independent state. There are people of different professions and skills among us. The present-time history knows a lot of examples of such governments in exile. Look at the recent history of Lithuania and Latvia, for example. A part of the Rada members would be able to give their experience directly to Belarus, while other could lobby Belarusian interests abroad to draw investments for the normal development of the country.
Still, the Rada's main objective in the political process in Belarus is to make efforts ensuring that the country remains an independent state.

Q: Do you think that one part of the Belarusian opposition exaggerates the role of the West in democratization of Belarus, while the other part pins too many hopes on Russia?
A: Yes, this is my opinion as well. Moscow backs Lukashenka in all international organizations, and he is still the president of Belarus-only thanks to Russia. But democracy cannot come from a country that lacks democracy itself.
On the other hand, the West can encourage the development of Belarus, the way it is done in Poland and the Baltic states. But the West can help only after it sees that the Belarusian people are ready to become a part of the family of democratic nations, that they do not support dictatorship in the country and, that they want to be in power in the country.

SourceCharter'97 Press Center, 28 November, 2003

This article appeared in
Belarusian Review, Vol. 15, No 4
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