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R 061606Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY MINSK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6989
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0082
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1861
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MINSK 000160 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ECON ENRG KIRF BO
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY POL/ECON REPORT - March 07, 2008 
 
¶1.  The following are brief items of interest compiled by Embassy 
Minsk. 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
Civil Society 
------------- 
 
- Opposition Leader Detained Seven Times in Two Days (para. 2) 
- Protestants and Youth Warned About Activities (para. 3) 
- Soligorsk Small Business Activist Jailed (para. 4) 
- Catholics Urge Return of Former Monastery (para. 5) 
- Opposition Youth Detained and Harassed (para. 6) 
 
Domestic Economy 
---------------- 
 
- Ukraine to Cooperate on Nuclea Power Plant Project (para. 7) 
- Government Adopts 2008 State Employment Program (para. 8) 
 
International Trade 
------------------- 
 
- China to Invest USD 700 Million in 2008 (para. 9) 
 
Quote of the Week (para. 10) 
----------------- 
 
------------- 
Civil Society 
------------- 
 
¶2.  Opposition Leader Detained Seven Times in Two Days 
 
olice detained For Freedom movement leader Aleksandr Milinkevich 
seven times during his tour of Brest Oblast.  On February 29, 
traffic police stopped his vehicle four times on the way to his 
destination, and ordered him to appear at a police station for 
questioning the same day following an unsanctioned meeting.  Police 
again stopped his car near Kobrin on March 1, but Milinkevich 
refused to go to the station, continuing his tour on foot.  Police 
then questioned him for one hour after his meeting in Kobrin.  The 
leader was released without charge and noted that authorities were 
apparently "lost" and unsure how to deal with him. 
 
¶3.  Protestants and Youth Warned About Activities 
 
Mozyr authorities issued a warning February 29 to the Jesus Christ 
Protestant community.  Local ideology and police officers visited 
their church service, collected passport information of 
parishioners, and warned the community about engaging in political 
activities.  The pastor filed a complaint with the prosecutor's 
office and local authorities.  Separately, Mozyr university 
administration March 3 warned opposition youth Yekaterina Manchuk 
against contacts with democratic activists.  The police had 
reviously detained Manchuk and associates February16 after linking 
her activities to the unregistered political organization Belarusian 
Christian Democracy.  Authorities at that time threatened Manchuk 
with expulsion and a jail term. 
 
¶4.  Soligorsk Small Business Activist Jailed 
 
A Soligorsk district court sentenced entrepreneur Vladimir Shilo 
March 4 to 15 days in jail for participating in an unsanctioned 
rally.  Two days earlier, Shilo had spoken at a rally to protest new 
small business regulations.  The police dispersed the demonstration 
and detained nine activists, releasing everyone but Shilo without 
charges. 
 
¶5.  Catholics Urge Return of Former Monastery 
 
The St. Joseph Roman Catholic community collected over 3,000 
signatures March 3 urging the return of Minsk's former Bernardine 
monastery.  The petition calls upon the GOB to abolish plans to 
convert the building into a hotel and entertainment center.  The 
community continues to hold daily prayers outside the monastery. 
Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court March 2 rejected a separate 
50,000-signature petition pushing for religious laws amendments. 
The court maintained it could initiate changes only upon requests 
from the President and GOB, but not from individuals.  The 
GOB-backed Belarusian Orthodox Church supported the current laws 
governing religion, and warned its believers against endorsing the 
petition. 
 
¶6.  Opposition Youth Detained and Harassed 
 
A Minsk district court March 5 sentenced youth activist Maksim 
Sergeyets to five days in jail.  The police detained Sergeyets the 
previous day and charged him with violating regulations governing 
 
MINSK 00000160  002 OF 002 
 
 
mass events by distributing leaflets for a March 25 demonstration. 
In a separate incident on March 2, the police seized Belarusian 
Social Democratic Party "Gramada" activist Ales Streltsov at 
gunpoint in downtown Minsk while he was unfolding a "Freedom for 
Kozulin" sign.  Streltsov's associate Aleksey Morozov escaped the 
scene, and Streltsov himself was released without charge. 
 
---------------- 
Domestic Economy 
---------------- 
 
¶7.  Ukraine to Cooperate on Nuclear Power Plant Project 
 
Belarusian Deputy Premier Vladimir Semashko announced February 29 
that Ukraine plans to cooperate in securing servicing equipment and 
fuel for Belarus' planned nuclear power plant and in handling 
nuclear waste.  Following a session of the Ukraine-Belarus 
Cooperation Committee, Semashko said Belarus' government signed a 
contract with Ukraine's Atomproekt to draft a feasibility study for 
the plans.  Semashko's counterpart in the Ukrainian government 
Aleksandr Turchinov said Ukraine is ready to support Belarus in this 
construction project. 
 
¶8.  Government Adopts 2008 State Employment Program 
 
The Belarusian Council of Ministers announced March 5 the adoption 
of its 2008 State Employment Program.  The program aims to lower the 
unemployment rate in 36 small Belarusian cities and to provide 
148,300 unemployed people with benefits.  A total of 155,000 jobs 
are to be created in 2008 under the program, including 22,100 in 
small cities and 5,200 in rural areas.  As many as 2,500 individuals 
seeking to start their own businesses are to receive financial 
assistance from the Fund for the Social Protection of the 
Population.  The central government allotted USD 83 million to 
implement the program. 
 
------------------- 
International Trade 
------------------- 
 
¶9.  China to Invest USD 700 Million in 2008 
 
The Presidential Administration announced February 29 that China 
plans to invest USD 700-800 million in Belarus' economy in 2008.  If 
the plans come to fruition, bilateral trade will reach approximately 
USD 2 billion, double the amount in 2006.  In addition, the 
Administration announced plans to open a Consulate General in 
Shanghai some time this year. 
 
---------------------- 
¶10.  Quote of the Week 
---------------------- 
 
Secretary of the Central Electoral Commission Nikolay Lozovik, 
 
SIPDIS 
observing that Belarusian opposition politicians are sore losers 
compared to opposition members in Russia: 
 
"The only difference is that [opposition] politicians there 
acknowledged the victory of the leader in Russia and are not intent 
on destabilizing the social and economic situation in their country. 
 Unfortunately, the situation here is different....  Belarusian 
[opposition] politicians need to learn not only how to win, but also 
how to lose." 
 
 
Stewart