Since the presidential election on Sunday in Belarus-lasting protests, the police brutally suppressed. Observers draw Parallels to the Maidan protests in Kiev, more than six years ago, which led to a Power and change of policy in the Ukraine. Participants of that protest movement to see the differences, but also Similarities with what has Happened in Belarus (white Russia).
“The events in Belarus, where with rubber bullets on the heads was shot and the prisoner transport vehicle into a crowd of people raced to awaken bitter memories,” says Oleksandra Matwijtschuk from the civic Initiative Euromaidan-SOS, which had helped the Victims during the Maidan protests in the Winter of 2013/14. “Such violence is illegal, and must be internationally investigated, that the Belarusian security officials go unpunished,” she says in a DW interview.
Belarusians and Ukrainians: Mutual assistance
With about a hundred other activists Matwijtschuk moved on Monday evening in front of the Belarusian Embassy in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, to support the people who go to neighboring Belarus on the streets. The action of solidarity activists of the civil society took part, the politicians, the Belarusian migrants and the Volunteers who fought in Eastern Ukraine against the separatists. They have called on the authorities in Belarus to stop the violence against its own people.
Belarusian human rights activists should, if possible, then the Council of Europe, so he violations monitored protests, and human rights, the Ukrainian supporters. It is wrong to wait for that, in retrospect, information and investigations initiated to be collected. You should act quickly to prevent even more violence. “This had helped during the Maidan, gross violations of the curb,” says Matwijtschuk of their experiences.
Ukrainians, you will find it should now show with the Belarusians show solidarity and their right to fair elections support. Because the Belarusians have the time to support the Ukrainians on the Maidan in Kiev and the territorial integrity of Ukraine in the Donbass defended. During the protests in Kiev in the Winter of 2014, the Belarusian Journalist Mikhail Schysnewskij had been killed as one of the first shots.
the Kiev Maidan: memories to be reminded of awake
The lawyer Evgenia Sakrewska feels something, she knows only too well. You represent before the court, relatives of people who have fallen on Kiev’s Maidan police violence to the victim. “The night-time video streams from Belarus are a Déjà-vu in two ways,” she writes on Facebook. It refers to that night at the end of November 2013, as security forces struck at the Maidan protests against the former Ukrainian leadership, because they had cancelled the EU-Ukraine Association agreement. On the other, is reminiscent of 2010, when after elections in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, have also been clubbed in the night, the protesters down.
The Ukrainian activist Pavlo Sydorenko, head of the Initiative “to the victims of the Maidan”, was injured in the Maidan protests themselves. He supports the protesters in Belarus, but believes that they have no Chance. “I experience a sense of Déjà-vu,” says he, and explains that he wishes you success. Since there is no coordination between the various opposition forces, would Lukashenko remain in Power.
a Lack of Conviction, lack of organization
Sydorenko finds that the Belarusians are convinced that these are little of your approach. Also you were so badly organised, in order to reach that Lukashenko leaves after 26 years in Power. “The Maidan was a bunch of like ants, where everyone made his Job, as best he could. There was a goal and it was the absolute Conviction that changes are needed. Some stood guard, others verarzteten, others brought firewood, others defended prisoners before the court,” he recalls.
Lukashenko sees a “puppet master” from the Czech Republic, Poland, the Ukraine and other countries behind the protests in Belarus. Sydorenko thinks it’s nonsense: “As a revolt of the society cannot be organized artificially. Either it exists or it does not exist.”
The Maidan protests in 2013/14 and the current in Belarus were similar to the Belarusian journalist Elena Litvinova in an interview with DW. Because the Ukrainians, but also Belarusians, have demonstrated for free elections, and not for a specific Person or a candidate.
But Litvinova is that there is also a clear difference. The protests in Ukraine were assumed to be Kiev. To you million people had participated. From the capital you have extended then to the whole country. In Belarus it is Vice versa. “The rallies began in the regions, and this factor did not take into consideration the Belarusian state power.”
Litvinova sees two scenarios for Belarus: Either do not need to accept Lukashenko, that citizens recognize the elections as legitimate, and that there is in the country with views other than his, or he will tighten the thumb screws even more.
“There is no going Back. Lukashenko had the Chance to save face and to keep track of any activists. Then it would not have been given with respect to the election result in such a total distrust. 80 percent of the votes for him, this is just too much, when you consider how many people go on the road,” says the journalist. She is convinced that it will be in Belarus changes. The question is, in what direction.
author: Lilia Rzheutska (mo)
*The post “protests in Belarus: A bit of deja vu for activists from the Ukraine” is published by Deutsche Welle. Contact with the executives here.
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