I am often surprised how uncivilized the Belarusian government behaves in terms of moneymaking. Riga’s MIX-FM radio reported that Belarus was not going to abolish visa fees for Latvians. It would be logical to do so, congruent with the reciprocity principle – Latvia had already taken the dues off for Belarusians. But during the consular consultations, the Belarusian side declared that the fees would not be lifted, this year at least, because this question was intertwined with the state budget.
Of course, free visas to Latvia won’t be offered for long. The grace period will be wrapped up when Latvia joins the Schengen countries – and this may happen as soon as next year. In other words, Latvians can forget about free visas to Belarus.

“The United Democratic Forces (UDF) have reached an impressive progress for the first time after the election,” said Alexander Milinkevich after the UDF Council had endorsed “The UDF Action Plan: July 2006- July 2007.
“A very important document has been ratified. Now I do not see obstacles for the coalition’s work – it is even possible to speed up our pace. I hope that we will be able to regain the time and trust we lost. This is a wonderful opportunity for some leaders, who had hindered our activities, to satisfy their ambitions. I hope that finally we can expect an active participation of all coalition members in work for Belarus’ sake. We have a common goal – to get Belarus back on the democratic track, and all of us understand this,” Milinkevich pinpointed.
The document clarifies the working plan to illegitimate the regime, break through the information blockage, protect citizens from repressions, conduct street rallies, mobilize new participants, etc.

According to Milinkevich.org

A referendum on a constitutional act of a Russia-Belarus Union State may be held as early as this fall, a Russian official overseeing the project said Thursday. According to RIA Novosti, Pavel Borodin, the state secretary of the Russian-Belarus union, said that he hoped the Union’s Supreme Council would meet in July or August to set the dates for the referendum and for parliamentary elections.
A gloomy foreboding of the Anschluss, a forceful incorporation of Belarus into Russia, scares some analysts, whereas others – like Valer Bulhakau, the editor of intellectual journal ARCHE, are skeptical about the potential loss of Belarusian independence. In a panel discussion hosted by RFE\RL, Bulhakau assured “Among the Western political scientists, there is a consensus that authoritarian regimes are incapable of integrating or cooperating with the other authoritarian regimes. World history has no such examples. 12 years of Lukashenko rule support that this politician sniffs any potential threats which would destabilize the status quo in the country. For him Belarus is a territory of his own power, and essentially he will not share his powers with any other subject.
Even in the “golden” years of Belarus-Russian integration, at the end of the 90’s, the Russian presence in Belarus’ military, border control and customs was marginal, approaching zero, because the president understood that once he unlatched the passage here, the power structure, which had been built in the country, would be shattered.”

Evelyn Dubrow, Labor Lobbyist, died at 95, reports The New York Times. According to the newspaper, she worked in Washington under presidents from Dwight D. Eisenhower through Bill Clinton. She won many battles, like raising the federal minimum wage to $1.15 an hour in 1961. But she often lost, failing, for example, to defeat the North American Free Trade Agreement under Mr. Clinton.
When Mr. Clinton awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999 — he towered over her as they hugged — he said, “A tenacious and effective union activist, she has been a force for social justice and improved labor conditions by working for increases in the minimum wage, health care reform, family and medical leave, and pay equity for women,” remembers the Times.
I thought it would be nice to mention it here because her father emigrated from Belarus. He worked as a carpenter, was a union man and Socialist.

Sad news came from the Union of Belarusian Writers. On March 2, 2006, the court ruled that the literary association must give up its historical building – the Writer’s House, which would be taken over by one of the departments of the Presidential Administration for God only knows what purposes.
Now when the literati have to clear off, the question is – Where will the rich library of the association go? It contained many unique volumes, and seems like the full collection won’t be available in the national capital any longer. About 8,000 books have already been transferred to the Presidential Library, but the most valuable items will be moved to one of the regional libraries, the location of which is still unknown. The great collection of original works, letters, newspaper subscription catalogs –which distinguished the library – will be scattered around different locations. It also saddens me that Minsk is about to lose one of few places where the spirit of Belarusian culture was still preserved. The Writer’s House frequently hosted many interesting events, concerts, and conferences. Now seems like this venue will be lost.

An ad hoc commission was created to prepare a launch of “TV Belarus,” an independent channel, which would be transmitted via satellite from Poland. According to Radio Polonia, the channel will be kicked off in January 2007. Programming will include news and shows about Belarus’ history, traditions, culture, literature, and music.
By the way, KGB spokesman Valery Nadtachaev frightened the attendees of the security roundtable of the Russia-Belarus Union. He said that the information war had not pacified. The new techniques became more subtle and refined. The new objective of the “journalists on Western payroll” is to discredit the unity of Belarus and Russia. “We are ready to face these attacks. They will not make it,” Nadtachaev reassured.

Belarus commemorated the third anniversary of Vasil Bykau’s passing. The famous writer was nominated for the Nobel Prize in literature, was one of the founders of the Belarusian Popular Front, and is one of the most respected Belarusian authors, a moral authority revered by both seniors and youngsters. When he died, thousands of people came to bid their farewell to him.
Bykau has been hated by the regime for his unequivocal opposition to the current government. Lukashenko did not show up at his burial but stated in an interview that he respected Bykau and grew up on his poetry. Little did he know – Bykau had not written poems. Embarrassing isn’t it?
Later authorities neglected multiple calls to erect his monument or to rename a street after Vasil Bykau. And now, three years after his death, ordinary people, the writer’s relatives and friends came to the cemetery to lay flowers onto his grave. As for the authorities, they were represented by the enigmatic persons in civvies, listening in to the voices of the people taking the floor. The spooks’ presence became more conspicuous when the Young Front activists unveiled the White-Red-White flag outlawed by the regime. A police car parked near the graveyard, too. But as Nasha Niva reported, the police did not interfere.

The Bush administration moved Monday to clamp down financially on Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko as well as other government officials.
As reported by RFE\RL, Rep. Christopher Smith, R-N.J., is preparing a project to expand even further sanctions against the dictator and his cohort. The famous Congressman, who was behind the Belarus Democracy Act, has represented the citizens of New Jersey’s Fourth Congressional District since 1981, when he was sworn into office at the age of 27. Throughout his 25 years of service, he has established himself as one of the hardest-working, most compassionate and dedicated members of the House. A resident of Hamilton, Chris and his wife Marie have four children - Melissa, Christopher, Michael, and Elyse.

The hunger strike I and other bloggers wrote about earlier is gradually becoming an unfortunate sign of desperation, a message to the outside world, internet visitors, the West, etc., whereas inside Belarus a neighbor next door may not know that someone is starving for democracy. I am thrilled with the young protesters’ self-determination and composure, but I agree with EM of TOL Blogs – practically nobody knows about the action within the country.
Moreover, I am worried about the health of the teenagers who deprive themselves of food. So today Siarzhuk Hudzilin, one of young hunger strikers, fainted after eight days without nutrition. Now doctors recommend him to stay at home and not to go out by himself. Siarzhuk hopes that his friends will help him come to Minsk where he would be able to continue his protest beside his friends.
Some days ago, Milinkevich himself personally dissuaded a few teenagers from continuing their health-endangering action. But others persisted. Paval Sieviaryniec, a political prisoner and the godfather of Young Front, commended regarding the hunger strike a demonstration of the truth of the Gospel – “Man will not live on bread alone but on every Word which comes out of the mouth of God.” “The Holy Spirit is based on the faith, good will and love. This is what the young people are showing. Adult politicians lack that faith, good will and love,” Sieviaryniec said to RFE\RL, “The faith of Young Front members contrasts disbelief and apathy in hearts of many opposition leaders. The good will of Young Front members was their answer to those who had lost the initiative and could not lead the wave raised on March 19. And finally, the love of Young Front members, their solidarity, self-sacrifice – the fact that they suffer for the political prisoners, the unjustly fired, the expelled – displays their love. And it confronts the quarrels ravaging the opposition camps.”