October

1999

FROM THE EDITORS

The national is confirmed once again – everything in its season.

The passions calm down. Many businessmen today are not ready to protect their rights and legitimate interests actively. October 17, 1999 the all-republican political action of the protest was held. The businessmen supported it very flabby. But they supported it.

We understand that Sunday is a good trade day, is a pity to miss profits. There is no anything surprising. Always and in all countries the businessmen participate have not taken active part in the policy personally. But very frequently they give money to political parties and movements. The Belorussian businessmen today only start to be formed as a severe economical and political force. What way will be selected by us in the struggle for the economical rights and interests the time will show. It is necessary only to remember history. And especially punishment of the middle class per the twentieth years. Many "kulacks" and "people engaged in NEP" being in prison or waiting for the command "Fire" near the wall before a company of the soldiers, regretted very much about the political passivity when they had money and freedom. Yes, much things on the on meeting 17.10.99 were not pleasant to me. The guys from BNF may take offence on me, but I am against the public burning of the flags of any countries including Russia. We, many businessmen, are also against the enslaving union with Russia but I am not against the Russians. As to Belarus, we see its future outside of any units and political unions. Belarus should be a neutral country opened for trade and co-operation both with West and with East.

Probably, Belarus has been prepared to be a link between Europe and Russia. It is necessary to stop the opposition which is necessary to NOBODY. Yes, we are still weak. Yes we have errors. But 17.10.99 is a historical day. The stones were thrown not to the militiamen and to this mode which is hated by all. And with stones all is not understandable. According on one of versions the first stones were thrown from the nearest shelters by people who were not established and had not any relation to the MARCH FREEDOM. And "fires" had flared long before the time when the demonstrators came to a place of the fire. Probably, someone was in a hurry to make "a picture" for the Belorussian television.

It is a pity that the authorities of Grodno did not let us participate in this meeting (details about it are in the article "Anonymous authors"), the meeting could have had another script.

More than 300 participants of the were beaten and crippled. The witnesses approve that even a one-year child was beaten by a truncheon on the head. So the stones were thrown to the answer.

Are we ready to the strike from 1.11.99 or not? The answer we got in Sunday - not yet!

The enthusiasm passed, the feeling of fear is lost. The enthusiasm will not return until the property is confiscated from everybody. About what does it says? That we should work with the businessmen more and more. And we are ready to this. The decision about the strike will be accepted after the interrogation of the majority of businessmen on this problem.

And now the preparation to create the republican structure goes very flabby. All are in the "business" and wait for a new "scrounger". I would like you to support your active workers today. It is necessary for them to get stronger. Then, if necessary, they can render you the severe help and protection. And that this case will not force you to wait long for itself - it is very clear.

Consolidate your organisations and positions. It is necessary to be ready for the reprisals. What are the outcomes of our struggle - you quietly work despite of the Decree of the President #14 (it is executed by nobody i.e. the mean link of the authority is failed to execute the higher directives), we had been  united and created new structures. All of us today study. We study to work, to struggle, to survive. I understand those guys who would like to change the present mode immediately. They are ready to give their young life in the struggle for YOUR and OUR freedom. But you should understand that the basic task is not this. The main struggle now develops on the other "front". There is a struggle for minds of people: workers, employees, pensioners, the young, militiamen, military men. It is today the most difficult struggle. But it already gives the harvest.

The officials of all levels boycott the solutions of A. Lukashenko, militia, army and the special services in private lectures support us. The workers, the young, the students take part together with us in the actions of the protest.

We begin the preparation for the own meeting in Minsk without fires and stones, without cries and offences. It should be the holiday of the city. We should learn and learn others to respect the interlocutor not paying attention to from his political views, religion, place of work or place of residence. It is necessary to learn people, to inform them about the truth about events in the country through the leaflets and mass media.

The anonymous authors.

In the Republic of Belarus it is already a good tradition to attract law-enforcement bodies and special services to remove political opponents to the present mode.

Grodno is not an exception. Those who visited this city 16.10.99 paid attention to huge quantity of the armed and unarmed people in the militia uniform. All departures from the city were tightly closed. All Special services worked in the battle order of duty. Many employees were called from houses (16.10.99 was a days off - Saturday). «What happens?» - the citizens and visitors of Grodno asked. It appeared that the operation to limit the movement of Valery Levonevsky who was going to distribute to balls and sweets to children during the MARCH of FREEDOM in Minsk in Grodno and region approached to the culmination moment.

The chronicle of the events:

9.10.99 the outside supervision was found (it is the supervision over a man by the pecial services with the use of means and special know-how of supervision). My home and official telephone “behaved” strangely enough.

16.10.99 approximately at 17.00 on departure from Grodno the car of A. Vasiliev in which Valery Levonevsky was as a passenger was determined. The car was full of souvenirs for children from Minsks. The protocol of detention was not made up, the reasons were not explained. When the question about the reasons of the detention was asked, one of the militiamen extracted "truncheon" with the words: «Now we shall draw up resistance». On a radio the command to deliver the car with the passenger into the Leninsky DDIA of Grodno. The special accent was made on the passenger. The formal reason for the detention was to make up the administrative protocol for the distribution of the leaflets about the MARCH of FREEDOM. The protocol was drawn up one the article which foresees …. warning or penalty in the size of 1 minimum wage. While the protocol was made up and the ‘sincere” talks were held (approximately for two hours) other very interesting documents were prepared in the October DDIA of Grodno. It appears another anonymous letter in which one asserts that Valery Levonevsky visited Minsk to decide trade-union’s problems for the trade-union’s fees was written on Levonevsky.

Well and what will a reader think? It is an internal business of the trade union. Article 23 of the law of the Republic of Belarus «About trade unions» prohibits the state to control trade-union’s fees. But probably the current legislation is not on the October of DDIA of Grodno. This anonymous author was the reason for the for further detention of Valey Levonevsky and realisation of the investigation in the October DDIA of Grodno.

The most interesting thing is the following:

1) It is not the first anonymous letter. On the previous anonymous author the checks were realised, the breaches of the law were not found, the liar was not also found.

2) The anonymous letter was written 15.10.99 (the date is indicated in the anonymous letter) in the Regional DIA. 16.10.99 (on Saturday, at night) Valery Levonevsky was already interrogated in the October DDIA of Grodno, previously having been determined. It is an effectiveness. The petitions of the citizens (with signatures) are drawn up by militia so soon? Usually from the application to the beginning of the actions on it 5-10 days pass.

3) On the an envelope from the anonymous letter the sample of the mail-sender and receiver is absent.

I have a steady opinion that this the anonymous letter was born in the cabinets of the native Regional DIA of Grodno. Why? Technically it is impossible passing a post-office to transmit the anonymous letter into DIA of regional executive committee. The exit of DIA is guarded by a militiaman, you may enter only if you have an admission, the box for the appeals of the citizens is absent.

So. They write themselves and consider themselves!!!

About 23.00 I was allowed to go but as it appeared for a very short time. Having driven off for half of a kilometre we paid attention to the group of the cars with dark windows which followed us. We tried to lose touch with them. It was useless. We together with them have “visited” all streets of the city, forests and suburbs of Grodno for 20 minutes. Having seen a car of the militia we rushed to it to ask for help. The cars which followed us stopped in 150 metres from us. We asked to find out who that persons were. But the militia refused to determine their personalities (though in that point there were three cars of militia). 23.30 we were said that we are determined before the operative group came. The operative group came at 2 o’clock at night (I shall remember that we were in Grodno). And the operative group was also from DIA of the Grodno region!? We were said that the anonymous call was made at 1 o’clock at night (!!!) and they were said that there were drugs in that car.

Firstly we were determined (23. 30) in half and hour there was an anonymous call about drugs and we were visited by militiamen. The militiamen who determined us probably had known that in half and hour there an anonymous call about drugs would be.

The car was carefully was searched, all thing were written down into the special lists. We were allowed to go after 4.00 but again we were followed by the outside supervision. We were not lucky enough to stay alone but we had a bitter experience and went to sleep because we did not want to be determined again for the search of a mine, for example. In the morning everything repeated again. We went into forest and they - with us, we – on the call of nature and they - with photo-cameras and video-cameras, we – for them and they – from us. The roads were surrounded.. as a result the balls to the children from minsk were not delivered.

As one movie’s star said: “I feel hurt for the motherland”.

Hundreds of professionals, tens of cars, budget money – everything is done not to let one man left Grodno or to fabricate a business. Intelligent people have to be engaged in the political search and in “dirty” work against their will. The killers and rogues will wait. And people who have another opinion which differs from the opinion of one well-known impostor should be isolated.

It is a pity but the order in the militia is higher than the law. And who gives orders we know well. I do not take offence on that militiamen who have done their work. And they have done it at a professional level. They had at ask not to let me leave the city – and they have done it. It is a first-rate work. But who needs it? How many criminals could be pointed if all these people and means were not directed to people who have progressive opinions.

Somebody will say that there are many professionals in the militia. Let’s see. I am sure that the authors of the anonymous letters, written and phone (if there were such) will be found in the next time. I have written appropriate applications in the militia (these authors of the anonymous letters make a great harm not only for me but also for the poor state budget). The matter of honour of our militiamen is to find these mean people. Now I am “invited” by the summons on the next business. I have already got used to this. And what about you?

Valery Levonevsky

HUMOUR

- Doctor, I complain on haemorrhoids again. You prescribe me suppositories all the time and they have not helped me.

- Do you eat them?!

- Well, I do not put them into the ass!

The surgery of a doctor. On a chair the man with an axe in a head sits he is all in blood. The doctor quietly asks questions:

-         Did you suffer from measles, jaundice, mumps when a child?

In a drugstore there is a large queue. A man rushes with cry:

- Let pass! Let pass without queue! There a man lies!

The queue parts, he comes to a counter:

- Packet of condoms, please!