BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

10/08/2005

Awkward neighbour

State run media in the former Soviet republic of Belarus bordering on Poland have stepped up a campaign against the local Polish ethnic community and Poland with allegations of plotting a US backed revolution against the country's President Aleksander Lukashenko and his regime. Earlier this week four Polish MEPs were refused entry into Belarus.

The current row between Warsaw and Minsk has taken yet another turn for the worse with a Belarussian media hate campaign against Poland. The conflict started earlier this month when the authorities in Minsk used force to undo the election of an independent activist as head of the Union of Poles in Belarus. Polish Senate speaker Longin Pastusiak describes as rubbish Belarussian media allegations that Poland is conspiring with the US to overthrow the controversial president Luskashenko and his totalitarian regime.

Earlier this week four Polish members of the European parliament were refused entry into Belarus. They were accused of trying to interfere in the country's internal affairs. Last month Poland called on the EU to put pressure on Belarus. To the disappointment of many Poles, the EU only condemned human rights violations imposed by Poland's eastern neighbor by means of a diplomatic note.

Observers say that Belarus is unlikely to mend its ways in the near future. For now, is controversial president will probably continue his anti-Polish campaign in an effort to divert the attention of public opinion at home from the mess he's made of his own country.

Source:

http://www.radio.com.pl/polonia/article.asp?tId=26024&j=2