Hanna Shaputska: Faced with the threat of war all should get united

Belarusian Committee for Solidarity with Ukraine calls for Belarusans in Ukraine to support pro-European choice.

“There are only two ways: back to the new pro-Russian ghetto, or to the European space, 'to be called human',” – is said in the appeal of Belarusans in Ukraine, recently published by the Belarusian Committee for Solidarity with Ukraine.

“Supporting the pro-European choice of the people of Ukraine, you support the future of Belarus! Remember that only the new Ukrainian authorities can and will guarantee the preservation of the national identity and historical roots of the ethnic minorities, among them the third largest minority of the Belarusians living in Ukraine,” – emphasize the leaders of the committee.

The appeal also urges Belarusan authorities to stop the persecution of Belarusans who support Ukrainians and express their solidarity with Ukraine.

Let us recall that the Committee was founded about a month ago, in March 2014. Its members are tens of people, including famous politicians and public figures Pavel Sieviarynets, Aliaksei Marachkin, Aliaksei Yanukevich, Zmitser Dashkevich, Ihar Rynkevich and others.

Hanna Shaputska, the head of the committee, the coordinator of the civil initiatives “Christian movement” and “For the rescue of Kurapaty”, told “EuroBelarus” Information Service about the future plans of the organization.

- In addition to the appeal to Belarusans in Ukraine we are going to invite the representatives of the Ukrainian civil society to take part in our “Marathon of solidarity” with Ukraine. We are preparing a round-table discussion about the issue of the presence of Russian army at the territory of Belarus; we will invite politicians and political scientists to discuss the grounds of such military presence and possible ways to further withdrawal of Russian troops from Belarus.

One more round table will be devoted to Ukrainian leaders – Bandera and Shukhevych. People have many questions regarding these historical personalities, which are depicted as entirely negative by the Russian propaganda.

We are also preparing an appeal to the mothers of the soldiers, who are now in the Belarusan army, and to the mothers of the young men of the military age. We want them to understand what threat is impending over their children, who can get involved in the hostilities of Russia against Ukraine. This appeal will be voiced at the committee meeting; soon it will appear on our Facebook page. We are hoping that the independent Belarusan media will spread our appeals. To stop Russian military aggression being spread from the Belarusan territory is the first and foremost task of the politicians and all those who are indifferent to this problem.

The organization also planning to travel to the Western Ukraine and to Kiev, Hanna Shaputska said.

- This trip is aimed at finding out what help do people there need in the first turn, and to establish cooperation with the respective organizations there. One more goal is to reach Ukrainian media, so that our actions are covered there.

At the meeting on March 26 we adopted an appeal to the governments of Belarus, Russia, Great Britain, USA and UN General Assembly, in which we condemn the military aggression of Russia against Ukraine.

The main thing now is to prevent Russia from drawing Belarus in the conflict, despite the fact that we are already drawn in it de facto, as we are part of the Union State.

But we still have a feeling that everything should be done differently; everything is not serious enough, everything is formalized. The work of the committee won’t have any sense if, faced with the threat of war, we, all of us – intelligentsia, politicians, activists – don’t manage to unite. Join us, we invite you! Write your suggestions to us, follow our news and events; let’s hope that our work will be successful.