VZCZCXRO6003
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSK #0661/01 2111345
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 301345Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY MINSK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6326
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1633
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MINSK 000661 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM BO
SUBJECT: AUTHORITIES DISPERSE JULY 27 DEMONSTRATIONS 
 
REF: A. MINSK 643 
     ¶B. MINSK 620 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) A large GOB security force aggressively, though 
non-violently, dispersed opposition demonstrations 
commemorating the 17th anniversary of Belarus' independence 
from the Soviet Union.  Nine activists, including United 
Civic Party leader Lebedko and Belarusian National Front 
(BNF) Deputy Ivashkevich, were briefly detained and released 
without charges.  BNF leader Vyachorka's son Franak and his 
fellow youth colleague Yaroslav Hryshchenya, who were 
arrested en route to the demonstrations, remained at the 
Okryestina detention facility over the weekend and were to be 
tried on July 30 for allegedly distributing illegal leaflets. 
 The EU immediately released a statement condemning GOB 
arrests and the government's crackdown on peaceful 
protestors.  End summary. 
 
Authorities Muscle Demonstrators Off Square 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Opposition activists and former Parliamentarians on 
July 27 at 16:00 were not quite able to hold a meeting on 
Independence Square to commemorate 17 years of Belarusian 
independence from the Soviet Union (ref A).  Well before the 
meeting was to begin, an overwhelming force of traffic 
police, police special forces (Spetsnaz), and Belarusian KGB 
(BKGB) sealed off the square and surrounding streets to 
traffic and pedestrians.  Plainclothesmen prevented anyone 
wearing opposition insignia from getting within 100 meters of 
the meeting site.  According to one Radio Free Liberty/Radio 
Europe reporter, the nearest metro stations were also closed. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Poloffs on the scene counted at least five green 
armored detention wagons and approximately seven city buses 
full of on-alert police units on the perimeters and numerous 
BKGB officers patrolling the square.  Before the meeting took 
place, poloffs observed three BKGB officers leading United 
Civic Party (UCP) leader Anatoliy Lebedko to a waiting police 
jeep that took him away without incident. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Belarusian National Front (BNF) leader Vintsuk 
Vyachorka and former MP and political prisoner Sergey 
Skrebets opened the meeting in front of independent 
reporters.  No more than a minute later, the 40-man strong 
black-uniformed Spetsnaz unit surrounded the 24 meeting 
participants and non-violently pushed them two blocks away to 
the Belarusian MFA building.  As they pushed the group away, 
police and BKGB officers formed cordons, preventing anyone 
from returning to the square. 
 
No Flowers For Yanki Kupala 
--------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) At Yanki Kupala Park at 17:00, approximately 30-50 
activists gathered to lay flowers at the Kupala memorial. 
Activists were not organized until a Spetsnaz unit, double 
the size of that at Independence Square, quickly approached 
the park.  Head of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party 
Narodnaya Gramada (BSDPNG) and former political prisoner 
Nikolay Statkevich hastily gathered the activists into a 
group, which the Spetsnaz immediately surrounded, not letting 
anyone escape.  Meanwhile, another Spetsnaz group attempted 
to seal off the park entrances.  Poloffs and OSCE, German, 
and Slovak diplomats -- who were observing from a distance -- 
managed to escape through the Spetsnaz cordon, which 
eventually pushed (non-violently) the crowd two blocks away 
to the Minsk opera house before retreating back to their 
buses.  Poloffs witnessed no detentions. 
 
Police Tell Young Park Visitors to Leave 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) At Bangalore Square, where event organizers 
originally planned to hold a concert at 18:00 before city 
authorities refused to grant permission, a large presence of 
green armored detainment vehicles, police buses and jeeps, 
and BKGB Volgas sat waiting.  By 18:15, two patrolling police 
officers with BKGB assistance approached the few teenage and 
older youth sitting on benches and ordered them to leave. 
Parents with baby carriages and the 10-year-old boys break 
dancing on the concert stage were allowed to stay. 
 
Detainments and Arrest: Surprise, Surprise! 
------------------------------------------- 
 
MINSK 00000661  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) By 19:00, the independent press reported that 
authorities detained 11 activists during the demonstrations, 
including Lebedko, BNF Deputy and demonstration planner 
Viktor Ivashkevich and BNF Head Vyachorka's son Franak. 
Similar demonstration events in Vitebsk and Gomel likewise 
resulted in detentions.  Nine of those detained were released 
three hours later without charges, but Franak Vyachorka and 
fellow youth activist from Baranovichi Yaroslav Hryshchenya 
were held over the weekend at the Okryestina detention 
facility.  On July 30, a Minsk court sentenced Franak to 15 
days in jail for petty hooliganism. 
 
¶8. (U) Others sentenced in the days leading up to the 
demonstrations, including Pavel Severinets and Aleksey Shein, 
remain jailed.  Malady Front Activist Dmitriy Fedaruk was 
sentenced on July 27 to 10 days.  Youth activist Yuriy 
Wolfson is scheduled for release on July 30 at 22:00. 
 
Sharp Responses 
--------------- 
 
¶9. (U) Spokesperson for the European Commission's external 
relations department Christiane Hohmann on July 27 condemned 
the authorities' actions that "defied an EU offer for Belarus 
to join its European Neighborhood Policy."  Hohmann's 
colleague Benita Ferrero-Waldner on July 26 lambasted the GOB 
for detaining/arresting approximately 60 activists in the 
lead up to the July 27 demonstration and urged the 
authorities to release all political prisoners "without 
delay." (Note: These followed the Embassy's July 24 statement 
denouncing the sentencing of Shein and Severinets and calling 
for an end to political repression.  End note.) 
 
¶10. (SBU) Lebedko on July 30 told Poloff that the 
overwhelming GOB response served two purposes.  First, it 
boosted the special services' self-esteem that they can 
effectively disperse demonstrations, keeping them motivated. 
Second, it served as a warning to the opposition that the GOB 
response to the March to Europe, planned for October, will be 
just as severe, or worse. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) This was the first time since the 2006 presidential 
elections that we have seen such an overwhelming security 
service response to such small opposition demonstrations. 
However, this was the new BKGB Chief Yuriy Zhadobin's first 
demonstration, and perhaps he wanted to show Lukashenko how 
well he could control any possible enticement to public 
disorder.  Other interlocutors have suggested mid-level 
officers acted aggressively to impress new superiors. 
Nonetheless, the heavy-handed crackdown is just another 
indication that Lukashenko and the GOB do not intend to 
implement basic democratic reforms. 
Stewart