Lithuanian MP about 'Vilnius people's republic': Russian secret services try out separatist ideas on web
In late January a separatist community appeared on Facebook: its members demand Vilnius region should secede from Lithuania like so-called Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republic. Arvydas Anušauskas, member of the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD) group in the parliament, addressed Lithuania’s Prosecutor General’s Office over the case. Belsat TV journalist Nastassia Jaumen asked Mr Anušauskas why Lithuania got scared by threats of online separatists.
Arvydas Anušauskas: Nowadays social media are a tool of information warfare which is used by secret services. In this case, I suppose, Russian secret services use social media for promoting their ideas because information about the ‘Vilnius people’s republic’ appeared on social media alongside with ideas about ‘the Baltic Russian republic’ in Estonia and ‘the Latgalian republic’ in Latvia. All these facts coincide with each other and are of the same origin. Moreover, these Facebook groups are mainly liked by the same people.
Belsat: These groups’ founders set an ambiguous goal – they want to welcome ‘green men’ from Poland in the territory of Lithuania. At that, Poland does not support separatist movements in Ukraine.
Firstly, this stems from the method used in Lithuania 25 years ago. So called ‘red autonomies’ were then backed by Moscow. They failed to think out something new except for using ‘the Polish card’. But their hand is clearly seen, this is the same hand, they have just adapted to the situation. Such Polish-language groups would be strange for Estonia and Latvia, but seem quite in order in Lithuania. But nobody asks the minorities whether they want to be involved for such purpose.
The community has had over 2,000 fans. Are they real? And is it likely that some Lithuanians wil show virtual support to it?
I have studied the community. Some fans are anonymous; there are also real people from Poland. Poles say these people are radical supporters of Putin. <…> I reported this to the Prosecutor’s office so that they could start an investigation. I do not want people to say that Lithuania neglects what is going on on social media because the community openly calls to violence and fighting against the Lithuanian state. Such actions are penalised in Lithuania.
You have said similar facebook communities were simultaneously started in Latvia and Estonia. In your opinion, why it has happened now?
I believe it is no coincidence. It is cclosely connected to the Russo-Ukrainian conflict. They also need tension in this region. As I see it, it is only one aspect used in the information war. But according to Russia’s updated military doctrine, a present-day war involves not only armed standoff, but also using of economic, political, diplomatic and information means.
Nastassia Jaumen/MS
