World Congress Reminiscent Of a Communist Party Conference

Ales Marachkin, the outgoing chairman of the World Association of Belarusians “BATSKAUSHCHYNA” (Fatherland) thinks that real-life problems of Belarusians should have been discussed at the congress.

In an interview with Charter 97 (www.charter97.org) Ales Marachkin shared his impressions of the first day of the 5th Congress of the Belarusians of the World held in Minsk on July 18-19.

" Conclusions are alarming. It is not for nothing that for the first time such a “bouquet” of officials was attending the congress. First, Culture Minister Pavel Latushka, and then the head of Religious and Ethnic Affairs Committee Leanid Hulyaka, officials of the Foreign Ministry. And speeches of officials were so long that their papers kept dropping to the floor. People were puzzled: are we at a Communist party conference? Have we gathered to listen to reports of bureaucrats?

I must repeat, it is alarming. Some underground intrigues that are taking place are worrisome. I wouldn’t like to speak about that, but that is just the point. If renting premises for the congress suddenly ceased to be a problem, then it becomes obvious that the authorities want to make BATSKAUSHCHYNA a tamed organization. The deputy head of Lukashenka’s administration Zametalin once dubbed us oppositional public organisation and recommended not to cooperate with us. And suddenly such a fuss is taking place. If Lukashenka wants to move in the direction of the civilized world, he could have welcomed participants of the congress. However, that hasn’t happened. He was busy leading an international motorcycle festival, riding a Harley Davidson.

Certainly, we are glad that people have visited their homeland. However, a representative of the Belarusian expat community in Germany has addressed the congress, and read a message from political emigrants. One has to think about it. According to the message there are many political refugees who cannot come to Belarus, since they are banned from entering the country. And the representative of the expat community asked: then who are those who have attended the congress? Are they representing all Belarusians of the world? No, many are cut off from their motherland.

Actually, one sensed a desire to speak about the situation in Belarus in a keener, more direct fashion.

Our organisation certainly needs renewal, but we shouldn’t sell ourselves surreptitiously; this sweet word “resources” makes people spineless. But one should always state one’s position directly and clearly.

However, on the first day of the congress the political situation wasn’t addressed clearly . Nobody spoke about political prisoners, not even Paval Sevyarynets, who was a prisoner many times himself.

The announced topic of the congress, national identification, depends on politics. All problems of Belarusians are caused by fear, and the fear is created by one person. Lukashenka's power structures are punitive, like in Soviet times. That’s our identity. Such things certainly must be discussed."

This article appeared in
Belarusian Review, Vol. 21, No. 3
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