BNC Rada: We Will Fight For People’s Rights By All Peaceful Means

The Lukashenka regime violates the Belarusians’ rights.

Another session of the Rada of the Belarusian National Congress took place in Minsk. Representatives of the all-national organizations and regional coalitions discussed the situation in the country and adopted a corresponding statement, which was published on Facebook by one of the leaders of the Belarusian National Congress Uladzimir Niakliaeu:

Statement of the BNC Rada

The regime violates the rights of people!

The Rada of the Belarusian National Congress states that the ruling regime continues and improves the policy of violation of human rights guaranteed by the Constitution.

The rights to an honest court, the equality of economic entities, the protection of private property are being violated. This makes the economy unattractive for investment, restricts the economic initiative. As a result, the economic situation remains difficult, and in most regions - disastrous. The number of jobs is declining, salaries are declining. Pensions secure only survival, not a normal life. Belarus became one of the three poorest countries in Europe - together with Moldova and the warring Ukraine.

The rights of workers are violated, independent trade unions are being persecuted. One and a half million Belarusians are forced to seek work in other countries. Entire regions are emptying. Belarus loses the economically active population, and with it - the future.

The authorities are making another attempt to introduce unconstitutional taxes for the unemployed to force people to work for a penny on the contract chain and under the supervision of ideologists. Under the decree, most of the Belarusians working abroad can get there. A universal electronic system for controlling the able-bodied citizens of the country is introduced, which will inevitably be used for political control over the society, and repression.

In search of easy and criminal revenues, the regime, violating the environmental rights of people, began placing harmful production on our land. Public protests against dangerous industries are suppressed, or ignored.

The authorities even ignore the centuries-old traditions of the Belarusian people: with their assistance, the memory of those who died because of Bolshevik repressions and were buried in Kurapaty near Minsk, near Vitsebsk, Vorsha and other places of long-suffering Belarus, is desecrated.

The regime grossly violates the rights of citizens to peaceful assemblies and demonstrations guaranteed by the Constitution, having appropriated the right to authorize or not to authorize them. The peaceful actions unauthorized by the regime are brutally suppressed. Torture of detained activists became habitual. The practice of punitive psychiatry returned.

The right to receive objective information is violated. The most massive socio-political Internet resource Charter’97 has been blocked, as well as a number of other sites, including the website of the Belarusian National Congress. The activity of independent bloggers is subject to pressure. Arrests and trials of Belsat journalists became a routine. An unspoken influence is put on the leadership and journalists to get them to cover the events in the way the authorities want.

Systemic violations of human rights in Belarus have become possible because the society lost control over the authorities. The situation in the country is the result of turning the key right of citizens - the right to fair elections - into a complete fiction. The Belarusian National Congress will continue to fight for the rights of people, using in this fight all peaceful means - including public protests.

Power to the people!

Long live Belarus!

June 12, 2018,

Minsk