Announcing the year of the Belarusian language, the Belarusian People’s Front (BPF) calls on citizens to more actively use it.
According to the party, such step may become a kind of resistance to Russia’s information attacks and help preserve the independence of Belarus.
In their statement, BPF activists stress that specific measures should be immediately taken in the wake of media reports about ‘further integration’ of Russia and Belarus.
“Upon the initiative of Russian state officials, certain insinuations concerning the implementation of the so-called union state gamble were again spread with the help of media outlets. As long as the Union State exists, there is a threat of Anschluss, the liquidation of the Belarusian state and its being swallowed by Russia,” the statement reads.
Therefore, the party asks citizens to improve their knowledge of the Belarusian language, and urges the authorities to broaden the scope of its use in the education system and the sphere of legislation. They also want the Belarusian media to have more domestic or foreign (but not Russian) content.
“We demand the Belarusian authorities limit broadcasting Russian TV shows which stir up national hatred and are in fact means of waging information war against our country,” the authors say.
The oppositionists reiterate that using a native language is the basis for the existence of a nation-state.
“As long asmost Belarusians do not speak Belarusian language, but watch Russian TV and remain in the Russian information space, there is always a threat that Russian tanks will come to ‘protect’ the Russian-speaking,” the activists warn.
