Shameful secret of Europe

Let us imagine a country where torture and intimidation of people is routine. Where peaceful protesters are arrested and deported to the colonies of intensive regime and where the persecuted journalists, showing free-. Where the president is able to manipulate the next election, though he brought the economy to collapse. Where most are too intimidated to express their own opinions, and where there are still the death penalty.
It could be North Korea, Zimbabwe or Iran. However, this country is closer to Europe - is Belarus, where the regime of Alexander Lukashenko continues to hold power in his fist into anything without making the human rights.

If it were not tragic situation, the current actions of the regime seemed to be a farce. Let us take, for example, the reaction of a series of silent protests organized this summer. Trying not to break the law, the participants chanted slogans do not, do not bear transporantov, and only occasionally clapping. How to react to this authority? . During demonstrations on Independence Day, people were forbidden to applaud someone other than veterans and artists. The result was a poignant silence.

Efforts are also measures aimed at - ban collected ... In other words, no action will be against the law, if a previously scheduled. Kafka would be impressed.

Abuses of this kind always regarded as a scandal. But especially it makes shudder of horror in Europe. 20 years ago, the Soviet Union collapsed. We Europeans believe that dangerous dictators will leave in the past, and freedom and democracy flourish.

However, Belarus is still trapped in the past: it is a shameful secret in Europe, just behind our threshold. Therefore, I am absolutely convinced that we must increase the pressure on the regime. When in North Africa and the Middle East, popular uprisings broke out, Britain has taken a position very quickly. The same leadership role we play in the case of Belarus.

Today and tomorrow 's leaders meet in Poland, the European Union and the Eastern Partnership countries - Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus. Their aim is to strengthen the partnership between East and West. On behalf of the UK I will call upon the international community to combine the efforts we have made to the Belarusian regime allowed its citizens to live freely and to infuse into the main channel of the European.

Lukashenka will not be there. He is banned - what is right - entry into the EU. But together with his accomplices, he will listen. After the introduction of the European Union this year, a full package of sanctions, insisting on what is our government, the regime feels pressure. We promote a ban business with large firms, led by financier Lukashenko 's arms embargo, which could be used for internal repression, and we supported the freeze on negotiations between the EU and Belarus to introduce real change.

If there is progress, the door will remain open. But our resolve will not weaken. Lukashenko knows that the tide turned against him. His popularity - the lowest in recent years. Everything louder than the voice of young and educated people. And just as in the case of the Arab Spring, a source of growing discontent with the economy is. This year, the inflation rate in Belarus has reached 60% and further increases. As a result of the huge national debt was bezhozyaystvennosti nekontroliruem.

Compre order to present a reliable plan to remedy the situation, the regime desperately holds a failed past policies. State ownership and central planning block the development of competitiveness and innovation. The regime does not plead guilty, but people will not let be fooled.

And therefore our government will show in Poland, their solidarity with the people of Belarus. Together with the Minister for European Affairs, Mr. David Lidington I urge European governments to continue to occupy a strong position and meet with people living in exile activists and leaders of the Belarusian opposition. I also listen to questions from the audience of the European Radio for Belarus, which will give a clear promise: UK will not allow Belarus to tighten the dark times. Europe has gone too far to let this happen.

Translation site. charter97. org.



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