Thank you, Madame Chairperson.
The United States notes with distress that two events
in this past week have once again demonstrated the
authoritarian and oppressive nature of the Lukashenko
regime in Belarus. One is the Belarusian authorities'
banning of a peaceful demonstration scheduled for March
25th. The other is the politically-motivated
trial and conviction of Belarusian Parliament member
Andrei Klimov. I must say that I found the comments of
the Ambassador of Belarus concerning both issues
singularly unpersuasive. I would note in particular, his
automatic translation of the exercise of the right to
free assembly and expression as an illegitimate effort
at destabilization.
This ban is directly in conflict with OSCE and other
international commitments freely taken by Belarus to
respect the freedom of assembly, expression and the
right of citizens to change their government.
The reasons given for banning the march are excuses,
not justifications.
The overwhelming success of the massive and peaceful
Freedom March II, held in Minsk on March 15, is the real
reason the regime has banned further marches. Despite
thinly veiled regime threats of repression, 30,000
people participated in Freedom March II, making it the
largest demonstration in Belarus since 1996.
Such visible proof of growing popular discontent with
the authoritarian rule of Aleksandr Lukashenko and his
political and economic policies, which have isolated
Belarus internationally and impoverished its citizens,
are what the authorities hope to hide by banning further
marches. But such heavy-handed efforts to hide public
discontent will only feed the public's dissatisfaction
with Lukashenko and his policies.
The United States also protests and condemns the
conviction and sentencing of Andrei Klimov to six years
in prison on politically motivated charges by the
Lukashenko regime on March 17.
Mr. Klimov is a member of the 13th Supreme Soviet,
the legal parliament of Belarus which is recognized as
the legitimate legislature of Belarus by the OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly. Nonetheless, the Lukashenko
regime has ignored his parliamentary immunity and
treated him with exceptional harshness.
The alleged financial offenses that Mr. Klimov was
unjustly convicted of are clearly of a political
nature.
The United States strongly urges the Belarusian
authorities to release political prisoners -- including
Mr. Klimov, Mr. Leonov, and 13th Supreme Soviet Deputy
Vladimir Koudinov -- as well as to end the show trials
of Mikhail Chigir and several young participants of the
October l 7 Freedom March.
Madame Chairperson, genuine dialogue with the
opposition and legitimate, free and fair elections can
not take place in the present climate of fear existing
in Belarus, in which the freedom of assembly is not
respected and political opponents are jailed at
will.
The OSCE-sponsored format, led by Ambassador Wieck
and the AMG in Minsk, offers the best way out of the
crisis facing Belarus. The authorities’ response will
also indicate their intentions toward proposed
parliamentary elections this fall.
The United States therefore strongly urges the
Belarusian authorities to live up to their international
commitments. We also urge other OSCE-participating
states to join us in calling on the Belarusian
authorities to live up to their commitments to respect
the rights of the Belarusian people to freedom of
assembly and expression and to change their government.
