Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, in her opening remarks at the Conference of Belarusians Worldwide, which opened today in Warsaw, called for greater attention to transnational repression. She also expressed hope for the effective work of the newly convened Coordination Council.
“I am glad to welcome old friends, but also very happy to see many new faces. We see that representatives of various communities have come to present their projects, including those we have long awaited from the United States, Georgia, Germany and other countries. Our movement is like a living organism — it changes.
It develops, grows stronger, external circumstances change, and we change as well. No matter how much they try to suppress us, intimidate us with repression or destroy our unity, we continue to persistently do our Belarusian work. And you know why I am confident that we will succeed — because we Belarusians are determined romantics”, she said, welcoming the conference participants.
Tsikhanouskaya stressed that Belarusians abroad have managed to build a system of institutions and organisations that other nations envy. She highlighted achievements made in the year since the previous conference.
“We may not notice our successes and achievements and do not fully realise our collective strength. Many diasporas and movements around the world that find themselves in a similar situation envy us. Before, we looked to others — now many are learning from us. We have people’s embassies. We have missions. We issue passports, delegations work in parliamentary assemblies, support programmes and solidarity funds operate. Together, we have built a system. Yes, it is not perfect, of course, but it works and delivers results.
If you look at the final document of the previous conference, you can see how many projects were launched, and many of them originated precisely at the Conference of Belarusians Worldwide. Over the past year, we have managed to resolve issues with documents and legalisation in a number of countries. In some places, foreigner passports have begun to be issued, and in others, expired passports have been recognised. The past year has also been successful in terms of political achievements, and few could have imagined that the International Criminal Court would launch a case against Lukashenka. Or that there would be such a shift in our relations with Ukraine”, she said.
Tsikhanouskaya also noted that many political prisoners had been released over the past year since the previous conference, including Viktar Babaryka, Maria Kalesnikava, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Ales Bialiatski, Ihar Losik, and Katsiaryna Andreyeva.
“The past few days have been especially joyful for us, as our Polish-Belarusian hero Andrzej Poczobut has been released. After Siarhei’s release, it was his portrait that I most often carried on my folder. And today, on my folder is Stsiapan Latypau. We remember that more than 900 people remain behind bars, and we must continue to work together — with you, with our American and European allies — so that every one of them is freed and we can all return home”, she added.
At the same time, many challenges remain for Belarusians abroad. One of them is transnational repression, which Tsikhanouskaya proposed should receive particular attention at the conference.
“Unfortunately, Belarus continues to be viewed through the prism of war and security, and we face new challenges every day: problems with legalisation, opening bank accounts, access to education. On the other hand, the regime continues its war against Belarusians, and even abroad we cannot feel safe. The map of safe countries, for example on the website pasport.org, has become an indispensable tool for many Belarusians when travelling. Over the past year, we have had to save dozens of people from extradition, from persecution through Interpol and other forms of transnational repression. Therefore, today I propose to give more attention to the issue of transnational repression.
This year, make it one of the priorities. Because systematic work is needed here. Active advocacy not only by politicians but also by the diaspora. Without strong international pressure, the regime will not change its policy. It will continue to create new threats for our community. And so, as always, we must be patient, roll up our sleeves and work, work and work”, she said.
Tsikhanouskaya also addressed the upcoming elections to the Coordination Council, which will take place on May 11–17.
“I very much hope that the new composition of the Coordination Council will bring fresh momentum to our movement. I support everyone who will participate as a candidate or simply vote for their preferred list. Sometimes I hear the question: why do we need this Coordination Council, how will it help solve our problems? But the Coordination Council is not a panacea. It is a tool that we have created, and its effectiveness will depend on whom we elect to it and how we participate in its work”, she said.
It should be noted that several opponents of Tsikhanouskaya gathered outside the conference venue today, criticising her. A few individuals also displayed relevant placards during her speech.
