VZCZCXRO5739
OO RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHC #4397/01 3402357
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O P 062338Z DEC 07
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHSK/AMEMBASSY MINSK IMMEDIATE 0023
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 164397 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/05/2017 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KHUM
SUBJECT: THE SECRETARY'S DECEMBER 3 MEETING WITH BELARUS 
DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS 
 
(U) Classified by EUR Kurt Volker, Acting, 
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (U) Participants: 
 
U.S. 
--- 
The Secretary 
Ambassador Karen Stewart 
Deputy Assistant Secretary David Kramer 
EUR Stephen Gee (notetaker) 
 
Belarus 
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Enira Bronitskaya, Human Rights Advocate 
Dmitriy Fedaruk, Acting Leader of NGO, "Youth Front" 
Sergey Kalyakin, Leader of Belarusian Party of Communists 
Anatoliy Lebedko, Leader of United Civic Party 
Anatoliy Levkovich, Acting Leader of Belarusian Social 
Democratic Party, "Hramada" 
Aleksandr Milinkevich, Leader of "For Freedom" NGO; 
Pavel Severinets, Leader of Belarusian Christian Democracy 
 
¶2. (C) SUMMARY. A delegation of human rights advocates 
and pro-democracy political opposition from Belarus 
described difficulties they face in carrying out their 
activities. They expressed determination to continue their 
work and asked the Secretary for continued U.S. financial 
and moral support, and for firm and well coordinated 
messages from the U.S. and EU toward the regime of 
Aleksandr Lukashenka. Secretary Rice encouraged the group 
to face future elections as a unified force, and assured 
them the United States would continue to speak out for the 
cause of freedom in Belarus. END SUMMARY. 
 
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Difficult Platform for Democracy 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) Each member of the delegation praised U.S. support 
for the cause of democracy and human rights in Belarus and 
offered perspectives on the difficulties faced by 
political opposition and pro-democracy NGOs in Belarus. 
Aleksandr Milinkevich raised the plight of Belarus 
political prisoners and also of large-scale detentions of 
civil society activists in advance of pro-democracy 
demonstrations. He compared current conditions in Belarus 
to other parts of Central Europe five or more years ago, 
and said Russian pressure on Belarus through energy prices 
is contributing to deteriorating living conditions. Pavel 
Severinets described increased repression by the regime of 
Christian Protestants and Catholics. Enira Brontiskaya 
said that young people -- particularly students -- were 
being targeted by the regime and threatened with expulsion 
and loss of financial assistance. 
 
----------------- 
U.S. Assistance 
---------------- 
 
¶4. (C) At the same time, each member of the delegation 
said they are determined to continue their work, and at 
the invitation of Secretary Rice, offered suggestions 
about how the United States could help in their efforts. 
Anatoliy Lebedko pinpointed the need for assistance for 
three areas: independent media (including satellite 
television); specific support for groups who are fighting 
for democracy such as students, entrepreneurs, and 
 
political prisoners; and what he termed the 
"infrastructure" of pro-democracy organizations. Asked by 
Rice to clarify infrastructure, Milinkevich offered an 
example that it is difficult to find funds to pay for 
paper for printing and office rent, and there is 
insufficient access to independent media. 
 
¶5. (C) The Secretary asked how our assistance could be 
more effective--specifically whether the coordination with 
the EU on assistance is as effective as the coordination 
on political issues. Lebedko said that assistance 
programs for Belarus need to be carried out inside 
Belarus, not in Europe. He acknowledged the difficulties 
of delivering assistance in Belarus, given harassment of 
NGOs and political parties that receive Western 
assistance. He noted, however that past efforts by the 
U.S. and EU to deliver strong messages jointly to Minsk 
and in Minsk, had been very effective as strong signals of 
 
STATE 00164397  002 OF 002 
 
 
Western unity in opposition to Lukashenka's repression. 
 
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Unity 
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¶6. (C) Anatoliy Levkovich stressed the need for the 
individual political forces to remain unified. He pointed 
out that the Unified Democratic Forces were still working 
together, despite leadership disagreements they had after 
the 2006 presidential election. Dmitriy Fedaruk pointed 
to the growing success and profile of the "Young Front" 
NGO, which he attributed to a large number of young people 
who are becoming fed up with the regime. 
 
¶7. (C) Secretary Rice agreed that unity is essential, and 
pointed out that Milinkevich had a much stronger showing 
than had been expected in the 2006 election. This was 
due to the Unified Democratic Forces supporting a single 
candidate. She encouraged them to support joint 
candidates in future elections. She said she was 
encouraged by their current joint trip to the U.S. as a 
positive sign of their unity, and with the inclusion of 
the younger generation both in their work and in this 
delegation. 
 
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U.S. Support 
------------- 
 
¶8. (C) Kalyakin, echoed by others, stressed the signal 
importance of a meeting with the Secretary of State with 
pro-democracy representatives from such a small country as 
Belarus. The Secretary responded that completing Europe's 
democratic transformation is an important U.S. foreign 
policy goal, and that it would most certainly be carried 
on by the next President, regardless of political party. 
Picking up on Kalyakin's point, she said it doesn't matter 
that Belarus is a small country-- wherever people are 
struggling, the U.S. will speak out for their cause. 
RICE