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RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSK #0201/01 0811346
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 211346Z MAR 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY MINSK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7042
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1884
RUCLRFA/USDA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MINSK 000201 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ECON ENRG EAGR BO
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY POL/ECON REPORT - March 21, 2008 
 
¶1.  The following are brief items of interest compiled by Embassy 
Minsk. 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
Civil Society 
------------- 
 
- Opposition Rallies in Support Of Political Prisoners (para. 2) 
- Pro-GOB "Belaya Rus" Membership Rises (para. 3) 
- BKGB Admits Control over Internet Access (para. 4) 
- Opposition Newspapers Temporarily Seized (para. 5) 
- Opposition Members Fired for Political Activities (para. 6) 
 
Domestic Economy 
---------------- 
 
- Industrial and Agricultural Output on the Rise (para. 7) 
- Chernobyl-Area Food Processors to Resume Work (para. 8) 
 
International Trade 
------------------- 
 
- Energy Imports to Rise, Potash Price Increases (para. 9) 
 
Quote of the Week (para. 10) 
----------------- 
 
------------- 
Civil Society 
------------- 
 
¶2.  Opposition Rallies in Support Of Political Prisoners 
 
Over 20 opposition activists demonstrated in downtown Minsk March 16 
to display solidarity with political prisoners Aleksandr Kozulin and 
Andrey Kim.  Police ordered the activists to disperse almost 
immediately.  Brest-based supporters rallied March 14 at a local 
stadium and called for the unconditional release of Kozulin.  Road 
police there briefly pulled over some activists to check their 
vehicles and belongings.  Unidentified plainclothes police observed 
and recorded the authorized demonstration.  No one was detained in 
either city. 
 
¶3.  Pro-GOB "Belaya Rus" Membership Rises 
 
Education Minister and Chairman of GOB-run NGO Belaya Rus Aleksandr 
Radkov reported March 15 that the organization's membership 
surpassed 50,000.  He emphasized that Belaya Rus established 
branches "in almost all organizations," and that a conference to 
develop an agenda will be held May 17.  Founded last November by 
well-known GOB officials, university heads, sportsmen, and political 
figures, Belaya Rus activities will focus on supporting GOB 
policies. 
 
¶4.  BKGB Admits Control over Internet Access 
 
Deputy Chief of the BKGB's Antiterrorism Center Vyacheslav Linenko 
admitted at a press conference March 14 that the BKGB exercises 
control over access to internet websites on the territory of 
Belarus.  He reiterated that "unnecessary knowledge" presented on 
various internet resources should be "classified" and "limited to 
individuals who can understand it correctly."  According to Linenko, 
the BKGB filters access to websites with content about terrorist 
activities or sites that incite such activities.  He confirmed the 
national telecom monopoly Beltelekom "has a police system of 
internet filters," and that "both filters and barriers are possible" 
to limit access in Belarus. 
 
¶5.  Opposition Newspapers Temporarily Seized 
 
Police seized 50,000 copies of opposition newspapers "Narodnaya 
Volya" and "Tovarisch" March 19 en route to Minsk from their 
printing house in Smolensk, Russia.  "Tovarisch" Deputy Editor 
Dmitriy Yanenko stated the prints were released two and a half hours 
later after a thorough check of the accompanying documents and 
content of the newspapers.  The police gave no explanation for their 
action, but Yanenko suggested authorities were interested in 
monitoring information about the upcoming March 25 demonstration in 
commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the Belarusian National 
Republic. 
 
¶6.  Opposition Members Fired for Political Activities 
 
Free Theater actresses Anna Solomyanskaya and Marina Yurevich were 
fired from state-run theaters March 18.  The National Academic Drama 
Theater administration did not renew Solomyanskaya's employment 
contract upon its expiration, and the Belarusian Army Drama Theater 
dismissed Yurevich due to her trip to London with the Free Theater's 
 
MINSK 00000201  002 OF 002 
 
 
international tour.  Free Theater has now only one actor also 
employed by a state theater.  In a separate case, administrators at 
a university in Mozyr fired Belarusian Christian Democracy activist 
Pavel Nozdrya March 14 over alleged absence from work.  Nozdrya 
argued he did not violate any terms of his labor contract and was 
sacked for his "active civil position." 
 
---------------- 
Domestic Economy 
---------------- 
 
¶7.  Industrial and Agricultural Output on the Rise 
 
Belarus' Statistics Ministry announced March 17 that the country's 
industrial output in January-February rose 12.9 percent on the year. 
 The fastest growing sectors were engineering and metalworking which 
rose 18.2 percent; pulp and paper, up 17.4 percent; and 
construction, up 15.2 percent. Belarus' light industry output 
decreased during the period by two percent.  The country's 
agricultural production grew 6.4 percent. 
 
¶8.  Chernobyl-Area Food Processors to Resume Work 
 
Prime Minister Sergey Sidorskiy announced March 19 that food 
processing companies in Chernobyl-affected areas should resume 
operation.  In the announcement, the premier said that since the 
government already spent significant funds on Chernobyl aid, "the 
money should pay off and enterprises should work."  Emergency 
Management Minister Enver Bariyev said that 27 farms changed 
location last year in order to make products with admissible levels 
of radiation.  BYR 625.3 billion (USD 292 million) in state budget 
expenditures are projected for Chernobyl relief efforts this year. 
 
------------------- 
International Trade 
------------------- 
 
¶9.  Energy Imports to Rise, Potash Price Increases 
 
Belarus' Statistics Ministry announced March 17 that the country's 
year-on-year imports of power supplies grew substantially this year. 
 Belarus imported 2.4 times more crude oil in January, 41 percent 
more oil products and 13.9 percent more natural gas.  The Statistics 
Ministry also announced that the average price for Belarusian-made 
potash fertilizers increased 21.2 percent on the year in 2007 to USD 
310 per ton. Belarus exported 9.9 percent more fertilizers in 2007 
amounting to a total of 4.3 million tons.  Exports increased to 
China (20.4 percent), Brazil (31.6 percent), and Poland (30 
percent), but decreased to the U.S. (30.6 percent) and India (23.2 
percent). 
 
---------------------- 
¶10.  Quote of the Week 
---------------------- 
 
Central Election Commission Chairwoman Lidiya Yermoshina, hinting 
about Lukashenko's plans for 2011: 
 
"I think he will take advantage of his right under the constitution 
to run for president again.  As long as he is supported by the 
people, and he has the strength for this difficult work, he will 
participate in the elections." 
 
 
Moore