New "Letters of Happiness" to Produce Effect Soon

The autumn wave of protests may become unexpectedly powerful for the authorities.

One of the leaders of the Belarusian National Congress (BNC) Uladzimir Nyaklyayew stated that in the Charter97.org interview.

- You and Mikalai Statkevich took part in the meeting on creation of the BNC regional coalition in Brest. What could you say about sentiments in the regions?

- I will say even more. I participated in the meeting in Brest and stayed there for one more day to talk to people of different opposition parties and movements.

After all, one needs to say what is expected at the meeting, but heart-to-heart talks are quite another thing.

But the impressing thing is that there was no difference in talks at the meeting and private conversations with activists in Brest. People are very determined to act to oppose the Lukashenka regime and his anti-popular policy.

And events across the country clearly show it.

Belarusians do not need a "shakedown". As soon as we elected the BNC leadership in Brest and people got off the ground immediately. We agreed to coordinate BNC activity with organizations and parties in the region and participation of the regions in the action on July 3, Minsk.

- New "letters of happiness" have recently been mentioned often. They are sent either to entrepreneurs or the unemployed, as it was done with 80 thousand people in Minsk yesterday. - What can this lead to in the medium term?

- Yesterday I had this issue discussed with Brest residents. One person was individual entrepreneur; the other was a former professor at one of the universities.

Both of them have found themselves in Most at Risk Populations and fallen under the influence of illegal decrees. They understand that they will surely receive "letters of happiness". Nevertheless, they do not panic. People perfectly understand that there is nothing left for the regime but to collect fees from the already robbed people and try to ramp up pressure on dissenters.

The authorities have probably forgotten the simple natural and social law: the action-reaction law. The more unwise activity of the authorities is, the more powerful wave of protests it causes. The Lukashenka regime itself provokes Belarusians to retaliate. Endless pressure is not possible, the final reaction will be equal.

In fact, yesterday 80 thousand Minsk residents received "summonses" to participate in popular protests this autumn. Now they are active participants of protest actions in Belarus. The autumn wave of protests will be more severe and numerous. People are about to run out of patience. The situation is soothed by vacations, work in summer cottages, attempts to earn in Russia and Poland but the situation will differ in the autumn.

The Lukashenka regime blaming the opposition for "radical actions" creates preconditions for radical protests. New "letters of happiness" will cause more decisive and numerous speeches. And a lot of people will appear there for the first time.