Co-chairman of the Young Front and a former political prisoner Zmitser Dashkevich has given advice on what to do for Belarus not to repeat the fate of Crimea and Donbas.
The Young Front has compiled a list of organizations of the “Russian world” – the Kremlin’s top 100 centers of aggression in Belarus. The list includes organizations such as the United Rus, Young Rus, community of the Russian National Unity, PRD recruitment spots and the Cossack organizations and clubs that conduct “Russian parties”.
The co-chairman of the Young Front Zmitser Dashkevich gave an interview to the Radio Racyja where he noted that the organization from the list will be among the first to hang a Russian flag if Russian tanks enter Belarus. Work during the making of the list testified that the “Russian world” in Belarus is very large, noted the activist.
“We assume that this is just the tip of the iceberg, only what is formally shown in the media, only what the Black Hundreds show off. When some registered organizations with the support of the state carry out some paramilitary maneuvers, shootings, unite the youth, give them weapons and medals under the patronage of the Russian Orthodox Church and officials – it is very scary. We must understand that after 20 years of struggle with the national opposition, Lukashenka rebuilt this “Russian world”. Even if he wanted to dissociate himself from it now, it is very difficult to do, because for 20 years the structures of the “Russian world” have been rebuilt. While earlier it was done quietly, it is now gaining momentum, because the appetites of the Kremlin are, of course, growing.”
Mr Dashkevich sees a big problem in Belarus supporting at the state level organizations of the “Russian world”: “For example, activists of the Young Front or other non-registered organizations cannot gather in a group of more than 10 people – they immediately get arrested by riot police, and this is done in relation to people who are promoting the national idea and Christian principles. At the same same time, there are quiet meetings of the people who claim that “there is no Belarus, that Belarus is some fake historical absurdity.”
According to a former political prisoner, the activity of the organizations similar to the “Black Hundreds” needs to draw attention of the state structures, which may have sane people who can start launch investigations. Mr Dashkevich advises to patriots to switch to the Belarusian language, which, in his opinion, will never allow Belarus to follow In tracks of Crimea and Donbas.
“Polls show that 30-40% of population in Belarus advocate for the Belarusian languagea to become a single state language in the country. Let them speak Belarusian tomorrow. No Russian chauvinist tomorrow will come to Minsk or some other city and say “Russian world is here” when one in three in the streets will speak Belarusian. This is the most important thing,” said the co-chair of the Young Front.
racyja.com, belsat.eu/en/
