0.03
Alexander Lukaschenko has ruled Belarus for 11 years. It’s officially a democracy, but in fact this president is Europe’s last dictator. Lukaschenko dreams of reviving the old Soviet Union. Statues of Lenin still abound. Here the KGB is still called the KGB and dissidents are picked up at night only to disappear without a trace.
0.31
Talking to people in Belarus, you get a sense of how divided the country is. Young people, who don’t support the President, will only say so between the lines on camera.
0.43 SYNC woman with scarf
Lukaschenko is most popular with grannys and grandpas. Young people are neutral about him.
0.57
Lukaschenko enjoys real support from the old and the poor. He promotes collective farms. No one goes hungry. His authoritarian stance is has its supporters.
1.14 SYNC woman
He should be president for life. Our country is blossoming.
1.21 SYNC man
If the president didn’t put pressure on local politicians, everything would be corrupt here. He’s got them in hand.
1.29 SYNC woman
Our president looks after us and brings order.
1.35
Just a few dozen kilometres from this rural idyll lies the capital Minsk.
1.47
Nothing remains of the old Minsk. It was conceived as the socialist model city - a paradise of tower blocks. The old Soviet system is still all-pervading: 80 percent of people work for the state.
2.06
Those over 30 experienced Glasnost and Perestroika. They hope - after the revolution in the neighbouring Ukraine – that the winds of change will also blow through Belarus.
2.17
We visit the offices of the opposition people’s front. On the wall a sign reads “After Ukraine comes Belarus". They sell red and white flags here. It’s a flag that dates back to the Middle Ages and in 1991 became the national flag. Lukaschenko banned it four years later.
2.38 SYNC male student
It’s for the revolution - maybe next year.
2.43
Marina Bogdanowitsch knows what getting involved in politics in Belarus means. As Minsk chairperson of the civil party, she organized two demonstrations in the spring. She had to pay a 5,000 dollar fine and is now bankrupt.
2.58 SYNC Marina Bogdanowitsch, Chairperson Civil Party, Minsk
They will probably take my chandelier next. It’s my father’s. He already knows that it’ll eventually be confiscated.
3.12
The bookshelf was pawned a long time ago. The kitchen has been without a toaster and radio since then, and her daughter can’t afford a new desk. From that day she’s also been filmed from the house opposite. We took these pictures secretly.
3.48
SYNC Marina Bogdanowitsch
The repression is getting worse, that’s clear. There are so many people in prison now or whose freedom has been taken away. They’ve managed to put everyone who could lead a protest movement in prison.
4.06
The regime constantly finds new ways to silence its opponents. Demonstrations are broken up. There are arrests, labour camps and the death penalty.
4.24
Some people have been missing for years. Even the president’s personal cameraman, who knew probably too much.
4.46
There are still streets named after Lenin and Marx. On the houses are Soviet slogans like "prosper beloved Belarus". But on the street orange is popular - the colour of revolution in Ukraine. And as mark of protest, more and more people speak Belarussian instead of the Russian tongue forced by the regime – they speak with mistakes, but with much pride.
5.13 SYNC Maroussja Schokürowa, singer, Indiga (IN ENGLISH)
Even 4 or 5 years ago it was very difficult to meet a young person on the street who was speaking Belarussian. But now it became a point of fashion to speak Belarussian. It’s seen as cool and great to speak Belarussian. And that’s a real balsam on my heart.
5.43
Maroussja Schokürowa sings in Belarussian with her underground band Indiga. It can hardly ever appear in public and is not played on state radio.
6.06 SYNC Maroussja Schokürowa, singer - Indiga (IN ENGLISH)
Our government does not like those people who are trying to perform their art in Belarussian. Because then people start to think about our culture and our roots and with all these thoughts they are trying to analyse what is going on now.
6.26
A secondary school where Belarussian was taught was closed down two years ago. Since then teaching has taken place in private houses. Now students and teachers have come to their old school to fight for their national language and culture: with red and white bands and flowers.
6.48
The regime watches but tolerates this movement.
6.57 SYNC student
Belarussian is our mother tongue. At school we speak Belarussian. But we live in a country where we can’t speak our own language.
7.23
The bells in Grodno ring five times a day. People here are strong believers. The Polish minority in Belarus, which stands at 400,000, is in the dictator’s sights. He fears a wave of resistance from the Poles, which he will use any means necessary to stop.
7.46
At the heart of the conflict stands Angelika Borys, the newly elected chairperson of the Polish alliance, a minority organisation. Her house is watched around the clock by the secret police.
7.58 SYNC Angelika Borys, chairperson of the Polish alliance
I do no political work in the Polish alliance. We work to preserve the customs, the language and the rights of the Polish minority. But the KGB demands that we persecute all those who are politically active. I cannot do that.
8.20
The conflict surrounding the Polish minority has unleashed massive tensions between Poland and Belarus: the office of the Polish alliance here in Grodno was stormed 2 months ago by special units and closed down. The day after, the representatives of the Polish alliance claimed they were beaten. Both countries speak in terms of a deep crisis and each expelled the other’s ambassador. It’s a menacing conflict, only 15 kilometres from the border with the EU, with free Europe.
8.57 SYNC "Alisa", Polish minority
We Polish Belarussians support our chairperson. We want the truth to win out in the end.
9.04
Pawel Morosow is no Pole, but he is still pursued by the state. He runs a website which caricatures the president.
9.22
He’s at risk of a hefty jail sentence for “treason”.
9.27 SYNC Pawel Morosow, website operator
Many people have had enough of this system. They don’t know what democracy is, but they don’t want to live like this. And they know that this system no future.
9.50
In Europe’s last dictatorship change is brewing. No wonder the president is afraid of his own people.
MUSIC:
1) Small Records: Sofa surfers
CD: Encounters Track 8: "See the light" by Delgado Junior
2) Virgin Records; Massive Attack, Mezzanine Track 1 "Angel" - No author’s name
3) Colmbia: Fleetwoodmac Track: 10 "oh Well" by Peter Green
CREDITS:
Reporter: Katinka Nowotny
Associate producer: Tatjana Montik
Editor: Thomas Rützler
Alexander Lukaschenko has ruled Belarus for 11 years. It’s officially a democracy, but in fact this president is Europe’s last dictator. Lukaschenko dreams of reviving the old Soviet Union. Statues of Lenin still abound. Here the KGB is still called the KGB and dissidents are picked up at night only to disappear without a trace.
0.31
Talking to people in Belarus, you get a sense of how divided the country is. Young people, who don’t support the President, will only say so between the lines on camera.
0.43 SYNC woman with scarf
Lukaschenko is most popular with grannys and grandpas. Young people are neutral about him.
0.57
Lukaschenko enjoys real support from the old and the poor. He promotes collective farms. No one goes hungry. His authoritarian stance is has its supporters.
1.14 SYNC woman
He should be president for life. Our country is blossoming.
1.21 SYNC man
If the president didn’t put pressure on local politicians, everything would be corrupt here. He’s got them in hand.
1.29 SYNC woman
Our president looks after us and brings order.
1.35
Just a few dozen kilometres from this rural idyll lies the capital Minsk.
1.47
Nothing remains of the old Minsk. It was conceived as the socialist model city - a paradise of tower blocks. The old Soviet system is still all-pervading: 80 percent of people work for the state.
2.06
Those over 30 experienced Glasnost and Perestroika. They hope - after the revolution in the neighbouring Ukraine – that the winds of change will also blow through Belarus.
2.17
We visit the offices of the opposition people’s front. On the wall a sign reads “After Ukraine comes Belarus". They sell red and white flags here. It’s a flag that dates back to the Middle Ages and in 1991 became the national flag. Lukaschenko banned it four years later.
2.38 SYNC male student
It’s for the revolution - maybe next year.
2.43
Marina Bogdanowitsch knows what getting involved in politics in Belarus means. As Minsk chairperson of the civil party, she organized two demonstrations in the spring. She had to pay a 5,000 dollar fine and is now bankrupt.
2.58 SYNC Marina Bogdanowitsch, Chairperson Civil Party, Minsk
They will probably take my chandelier next. It’s my father’s. He already knows that it’ll eventually be confiscated.
3.12
The bookshelf was pawned a long time ago. The kitchen has been without a toaster and radio since then, and her daughter can’t afford a new desk. From that day she’s also been filmed from the house opposite. We took these pictures secretly.
3.48
SYNC Marina Bogdanowitsch
The repression is getting worse, that’s clear. There are so many people in prison now or whose freedom has been taken away. They’ve managed to put everyone who could lead a protest movement in prison.
4.06
The regime constantly finds new ways to silence its opponents. Demonstrations are broken up. There are arrests, labour camps and the death penalty.
4.24
Some people have been missing for years. Even the president’s personal cameraman, who knew probably too much.
4.46
There are still streets named after Lenin and Marx. On the houses are Soviet slogans like "prosper beloved Belarus". But on the street orange is popular - the colour of revolution in Ukraine. And as mark of protest, more and more people speak Belarussian instead of the Russian tongue forced by the regime – they speak with mistakes, but with much pride.
5.13 SYNC Maroussja Schokürowa, singer, Indiga (IN ENGLISH)
Even 4 or 5 years ago it was very difficult to meet a young person on the street who was speaking Belarussian. But now it became a point of fashion to speak Belarussian. It’s seen as cool and great to speak Belarussian. And that’s a real balsam on my heart.
5.43
Maroussja Schokürowa sings in Belarussian with her underground band Indiga. It can hardly ever appear in public and is not played on state radio.
6.06 SYNC Maroussja Schokürowa, singer - Indiga (IN ENGLISH)
Our government does not like those people who are trying to perform their art in Belarussian. Because then people start to think about our culture and our roots and with all these thoughts they are trying to analyse what is going on now.
6.26
A secondary school where Belarussian was taught was closed down two years ago. Since then teaching has taken place in private houses. Now students and teachers have come to their old school to fight for their national language and culture: with red and white bands and flowers.
6.48
The regime watches but tolerates this movement.
6.57 SYNC student
Belarussian is our mother tongue. At school we speak Belarussian. But we live in a country where we can’t speak our own language.
7.23
The bells in Grodno ring five times a day. People here are strong believers. The Polish minority in Belarus, which stands at 400,000, is in the dictator’s sights. He fears a wave of resistance from the Poles, which he will use any means necessary to stop.
7.46
At the heart of the conflict stands Angelika Borys, the newly elected chairperson of the Polish alliance, a minority organisation. Her house is watched around the clock by the secret police.
7.58 SYNC Angelika Borys, chairperson of the Polish alliance
I do no political work in the Polish alliance. We work to preserve the customs, the language and the rights of the Polish minority. But the KGB demands that we persecute all those who are politically active. I cannot do that.
8.20
The conflict surrounding the Polish minority has unleashed massive tensions between Poland and Belarus: the office of the Polish alliance here in Grodno was stormed 2 months ago by special units and closed down. The day after, the representatives of the Polish alliance claimed they were beaten. Both countries speak in terms of a deep crisis and each expelled the other’s ambassador. It’s a menacing conflict, only 15 kilometres from the border with the EU, with free Europe.
8.57 SYNC "Alisa", Polish minority
We Polish Belarussians support our chairperson. We want the truth to win out in the end.
9.04
Pawel Morosow is no Pole, but he is still pursued by the state. He runs a website which caricatures the president.
9.22
He’s at risk of a hefty jail sentence for “treason”.
9.27 SYNC Pawel Morosow, website operator
Many people have had enough of this system. They don’t know what democracy is, but they don’t want to live like this. And they know that this system no future.
9.50
In Europe’s last dictatorship change is brewing. No wonder the president is afraid of his own people.
MUSIC:
1) Small Records: Sofa surfers
CD: Encounters Track 8: "See the light" by Delgado Junior
2) Virgin Records; Massive Attack, Mezzanine Track 1 "Angel" - No author’s name
3) Colmbia: Fleetwoodmac Track: 10 "oh Well" by Peter Green
CREDITS:
Reporter: Katinka Nowotny
Associate producer: Tatjana Montik
Editor: Thomas Rützler