Part II
Sadly, the dictatorial regime of illegitimate President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has again stepped up its repression of the people of Belarus struggling for their democratic rights and freedoms. This includes the violent death of protester Roman Bondarenka in police custody. After the shocking brutality against peaceful protesters that the world witnessed in the immediate aftermath of the August 9 fraudulent elections, the degree of abuse by the Lukashenka regime’s security apparatus had diminished somewhat – although it never completely went away.
The recent comprehensive and authoritative OSCE Moscow Mechanism Report on post-election human rights violations notes the numerous instances of police brutality and torture on the part of security forces that operate with impunity. It concludes that not only is there overwhelming evidence that the presidential elections were falsified but that the violations committed by the security forces in response to peaceful demonstrations and protests were “massive and systematic” and that there is a “massive crackdown on any opposition in Belarus.”
Yet, the Belarusian people have not given up. Countless expressions of creative, grass-roots protest and other forms of civil disobedience continue, notably the large-scale rallies held every Sunday. The Belarusian people, in numbers never seen during the last quarter-century of Mr. Lukashenka’s oppressive rule, continue their heroic, historic struggle for their rights and freedoms.
Flouting, yet again, the will of the people, Mr. Lukashenka remains intent on continuing his autocratic rule. And, while some sort of dialogue and even compromise between the regime and the citizens of Belarus cannot be ruled out, for the time being Mr. Lukashenka is digging in his heels. He still maintains control over the security forces and government apparatus. He is emboldened by the support of Vladimir Putin, who despite his antipathy towards Mr. Lukashenka, appears to be sticking by him – at least for now.
Given Mr. Lukashenka’s intransigence, the stalemate we have seen for four months will likely continue for a long time to come. It may come to resemble the long, drawn-out struggle of Poland’s Solidarity movement than the relatively brief Euro-Maidan or Orange Revolutions. Long-term massive protests are difficult to sustain. And there are some indications of weariness on the part of the protesters – ongoing repression takes its toll, of course – but this historic awakening of the Belarusian people will persist in one form or another.
Even recognizing the inherent limitations due to Russia’s outsize influence on Belarus, the West can still do a lot to demonstrate its support for the Belarusian people. The response thus far has not been as energetic as many of us Belarus-watchers would like to have seen, but this appears to be changing. Thankfully, after a slow start, the European Union and our other partners, including Ukraine, as well as the United States, are beginning to ramp up their efforts. Let me address here Washington’s response.
While the State Department has spoken out and taken some limited action, President Donald Trump has been silent, perhaps to nobody’s surprise given his disregard for human rights and democracy, and affection for dictators the world over. This will change under President Joe Biden, who has already issued a strong statement of solidarity with the Belarusian people’s democratic aspirations and promise of more action.
The passage by the House of Representatives on November 18 of the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights and Sovereignty Act of 2020 (BDHRSA) is a major development in Washington’s response. This comprehensive bill refuses to recognize Mr. Lukashenka’s election as legitimate, calls for new elections that comply with democratic standards of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the immediate release of all those unjustly detained and a stop to the violence. It sends a strong, bipartisan message to the Belarusian dictator and to his supporters in the Kremlin that the United States will not accept Mr. Lukashenka’s illegitimate rule nor allow the sovereignty of Belarus to be handed over to Russia. Among its numerous provisions, the bill calls for expanding the list of Belarusian authorities who may be subject to U.S. sanctions and to Russians complicit in political repression in Belarus; authorizes and calls for an increase in U.S. assistance to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law; and gives more support for international broadcasting into Belarus as well as to the besieged Belarusian media. It also calls for us to closely coordinate with the EU and other partners.
This act resonates strongly with me, as it reauthorizes and builds on the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004, the Belarus Democracy and Reauthorization Act of 2006 and the Belarus Democracy and Human Rights Act of 2011, each of which passed the House and Senate on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis and were signed into law by Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, respectively. Each of these acts was introduced by Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), who served as chair and co-chair of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, where I was a policy advisor for many years. My portfolio included Belarus and, as such, I was deeply involved in the writing and promotion of these acts – the only three public laws in U.S. history ever devoted specifically to Belarus. This latest bill could become the fourth, assuming it passes the Senate by the end of this year. That is by no means yet a sure bet. Along with many other friends of Belarus, I hope it passes. But even if not, it could be introduced early in the next Congress with the hopes of early passage and signing into law by the new president. (I should note that as Senator, Mr. Biden was one of the strongest proponents of the Belarus Democracy Acts.)
The current legislation is more important now than the three preceding acts. Throughout my more than two decades covering Belarus for the Helsinki Commission, I got to know many of the truly courageous and committed pro-democracy leaders. They badly needed our help back then, and we tried to support them in their struggle. But for various reasons, notably the regime’s severe suppression of the democratic opposition and stifling of civil society more broadly, they were never able to rally a substantial portion of the population. Now we have a new reality as the Belarusian people, in ways and numbers never before seen, have arisen. No matter what the challenges ahead and how long it might take, the United States, the EU, Canada and other democratic partners need to stand by the freedom-loving people of Belarus.
Orest Deychakiwsky may be reached at [email protected].