How the World Leaders Failed to Bring Democracy to Belarus
After some remote condemnation statements, the world leaders have shown their helplessness while security forces continue to suppress the dissenting voices in Belarus.
By Rakesh Raman
After issuing casual statements in support of protesters in Belarus, the weak European and U.S. leaders as well as the UN bureaucrats have given up. Now, the defenseless people of Belarus who have been struggling for the past many months to enjoy their democratic rights in the country are on their own, without any support.
Although Belarusian opposition groups are holding sporadic demonstrations, they are too weak to dethrone President Alexander Lukashenko who continues to hold power after a controversial election.
Belarusian opposition contends that Lukashenko, 66, won the election fraudulently in August last year, but dictator Lukashenko has dismissed the allegations and refused to resign. Instead, the police are using force to derail the protests.
A UN report released in February 2021 on Belarus reveals that the preliminary investigation bodies received 4,644 complaints about use of physical force and special measures by the personnel of interior affairs interrupting unsanctioned protest actions. However, it goes on to observe that over 1,050 of these complaints were rejected.
Meanwhile, the exiled opposition figure Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya tweeted today (March 25), “I congratulate my fellow Belarusians on Freedom Day! We are writing the history of new Belarus. We are the power of changes. Let’s make our future brighter together & celebrate the next Freedom Day in free & democratic Belarus under…flags.”
She also asked protesters to hold rallies and use social media to express their resentment. But such statements have no impact on Lukashenko who has tacit support from Russia and China.
After some remote condemnation statements, the world leaders have shown their helplessness while security forces continue to suppress the dissenting voices in Belarus.
As usual, the UN Human Rights Office failed to protect the people of Belarus. Similarly, the European Union (EU) has failed to protect people’s rights despite its decision to impose sanctions on Belarus for election frauds that led to the re-election of Lukashenko in August last year.
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Failure of UN Human Rights Office The UN human rights officials can only release random reports and meaningless statements about conflicts. But they repeatedly fail to save the lives of the victims of human rights violations and other crimes perpetrated by cruel authorities in different countries. Since the UN human rights office has lost its relevance, it must be shuttered immediately. ~ Rakesh Raman |
The European Council had also condemned the violence by Belarusian authorities against peaceful protesters, as well as intimidation, arbitrary arrests, and detentions following the presidential elections.
I congratulate my fellow Belarusians on Freedom Day! We are writing the history of new Belarus. We are the power of changes. Let’s make our future brighter together & celebrate the next Freedom Day in free & democratic Belarus under ❤️ flags.
Жыве Беларусь! #StandWithBelarus pic.twitter.com/N8Y0SoDoTQ— Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (@Tsihanouskaya) March 25, 2021
However, such casual condemnation statements and weak-kneed measures taken by the UN, EU, independent human rights organizations, etc. are ignored by the rogue states that are supposed to follow them.
As a result, human rights violations and crimes against humanity committed by the elected governments are increasing all across the world. Similar situations persist in other authoritarian states such as Russia, China, India, Thailand, and Myanmar where the UN and other leaders have failed to protect citizens and their rights.
Since the vulnerable Belarusians will not be able to face the excesses of the Lukashenko regime, they will soon succumb and democracy will not come to Belarus.
By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. He is the founder of a humanitarian organization RMN Foundation which is working in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society.
