By James Morrison
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
A blue revolution !
Pro-democracy protesters demonstrated outside the Belarusian Embassy this week to demand an end to the authoritarian government in the former Soviet republic.
The demonstration on Monday was organized by the Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC) to coincide with student-led protests in Belarus, where demonstrators are trying to spark another color-coded revolution in Eastern Europe.
Georgia had its "Rose Revolution" and Ukraine its "Orange" one, and the demonstrators in Belarus are encouraging supporters to wear blue jeans or ribbons cut from jeans as symbols of solidarity with the political prisoners of President Alexandr Lukashenko.
The demonstrators at the embassy at 1619 New Hampshire Ave. NW on Monday demanded the release of political prisoners and expressed support for the protesters in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, said JBANC spokesman Karl Altau.
"From our perspective, Belarus borders Latvia and Lithuania, and we are concerned about the degradation in Belarus and the upcoming election," he said.
An official at the Belarusian Embassy said yesterday that the government does not comment on such demonstrations.
Mr. Lukashenko is running for re-election on March 19. International monitors have noted fraud and intimidation in his previous elections.
Mr. Altau said the 50 demonstrators outside the embassy held Belarusian flags and signs that asked motorists to honk in support of democracy. The demonstration was the third monthly protest since November.
All the demonstrations are held on the 16th of the month to commemorate the arrest on Sept. 16, 1999, of human rights activist Anatoly Krasovsky, who helped finance the democratic opposition in Belarus.
In Belarus, protesters wore blue jeans or cut off pieces of jeans with the number 16 printed on it to hang on trees.
'Sin and slander'
In Belarus, the U.S. Embassy said a ........
...... program on state-run television "deliberately distorted" comments by U.S. Ambassador George Krol.
The "Panorama" program earlier this month accused Mr. Krol of "sin and slander against Belarus" because he has criticized the authoritarian
government.
The program "continued its crude and unconscionable effort to misinform Belarusians about the views and activities of the United States and American diplomats," the embassy said.
Call Embassy Row at 202/636-3297, fax 202/832-7278 or e-mail : jmorrison@washingtontimes.com.
Note - For more about Anatoly Krasovsky, please see : http://wwwa.house.gov/international_relations/108/kra031004.htm
JOINT BALTIC AMERICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE, INC.
Representing :
Estonian American National Council, Inc.
American Latvian Association, Inc.
Lithuanian American Council, Inc.
400 Hurley Avenue
Rockville, MD 20850
Tel : (301) 340-1954
Fax : (301) 309-1406
E-Mail : jbanc@jbanc.org
Net : http://jbanc.org
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