Belarusian opposition leader Tikhanovskaya told VOA that the political crisis in Belarus is “absolutely an internal matter. She appeared to reject any idea of immediate intervention or help from the West.
The Belarusian people are responsible for the current situation,” Tikhanovskaya said Monday in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. We think we have to solve this problem by ourselves,” she said.
But if we ever need help from other countries to organize or possibly coordinate and negotiate, then any country willing to help us is welcome,” Tikhanovskaya also noted.
Tens of thousands of people in Belarus have staged demonstrations in the streets of the country’s cities in recent weeks, demanding that President Lukashenka step down. Lukashenko, who refuses to step down, claims to have won the Aug. 9 elections. The Belarusian opposition, as well as the U.S. and the European Union, say the election was heavily fraudulent.
More than 7,000 people were arrested, and there were reports of mass abuses and torture. At least four people were reported dead during the demonstrations.
Tikhanovskaya is now trying to coordinate a roadmap for the future of Belarus from Vilnius.
We strive for free, fair, and transparent elections in which every citizen of Belarus can participate,” Tikhanovskaya told VOA, “First of all, we will start negotiations as soon as (the authorities) release all political prisoners who are innocent and still in custody. A more relevant question is whether Mr. Lukashenko has the moral right to participate in these new elections after committing so many crimes,” he said.
Tikhanovskaya was briefly detained after the elections and then fled to neighboring Lithuania. She feared for her safety and that of her family. She declined to further explain her reasons for fleeing Belarus.
According to Tihanovskaya, “I have very good reasons for doing so. I can’t talk about it now. I may talk about what happened to me at some point in the future, but I can’t comment on it right now.
Tikhanovskaya’s husband, Sergei Chikhanovsky, a well-known YouTube blogger, was arrested in May and was unable to participate in the elections. As a result, Tikhanovskaya participated in the presidential elections. Several other opposition figures were also arrested, and their wives took part in the political campaign.
Tikhanovskaya praised the hundreds of women who participated in the recent protests. Many of the women participated in the march wearing red and white, the two traditional colors that have since become a symbol of political activism against Lukashenka’s rule.
It’s hard for me because I want to be with them,” said Tikhanovskaya, “and you know why? Because I couldn’t feel the atmosphere fully. I saw from this side that it was scary, and they seemed to be afraid, but the people who were there told me that they were encouraged”.
Tikhanovskaya also said, “We don’t want our women to be taken away from the streets. I wish (riot police) would not do such a lowly thing. But we have power. Our women in Belarus have power. I am worried for them, but they are so strong.
The Russian government has invited President Lukashenko to Moscow in the coming days. Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that a police reserve force is ready to intervene in Belarus.
Mr. Putin must understand that if he does anything against us Belarusians, it will seriously damage relations between Russia and the Belarusian people,” said Tikhanovskaya, “because we are allies and we are like brothers. This is neither in the interests of Belarus nor in the interests of Russia”.
Many outside observers have drawn parallels between the crisis in Belarus and the revolution that erupted in Ukraine in 2014. Russia invaded Ukraine after Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was overthrown in 2014. Anti-government protesters in Ukraine raised the European Union flag at the time and called for help from the United States and other Western countries.
Tikhanovskaya’s explicit refusal of foreign support for the Belarusian opposition contrasts with the situation in Ukraine back then. What position will she hold in the future government? What will be the outcome of the growing protest movement? These are currently fraught with great uncertainty.
Recent Comments