Cablegate: Osce/Permanent Council: Statement On Freedom Of

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TO RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE IMMEDIATE 7797
INFO ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS STATE 017285

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OSCE PREL PGOV BO
SUBJECT: OSCE/PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON FREEDOM OF
ASSEMBLY AND ASSOCIATION IN BELARUS

1. (U) Post is authorized to deliver the following statement
at the February 25, 2010 Permanent Council meeting in Vienna.

Begin text:

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

On numerous occasions, the United States has taken the floor
to address serious and specific concerns regarding the
fundamental freedom of assembly and association in various
OSCE countries. As we all know, this fundamental freedom is
outlined succinctly in the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights, and many specific OSCE commitments. The most notable
of the latter come from Copenhagen 1990, which the
Chairmanship and the Government of Denmark will celebrate
with a special event this summer. Specifically, all
participating States committed at Copenhagen that "everyone
will have the right of peaceful assembly and demonstration,"
and this "...right of association will be guaranteed
...including the right to form, join and participate
effectively in non-governmental organizations...."

Likewise at Copenhagen, participating States committed that,
"Persons belonging to national minorities have the right
freely to express, preserve and develop their ethnic,
cultural, linguistic or religious identity, and to maintain
and develop their culture in all its aspects."

It is for these reasons that we must voice our concern over
recent, very troubling developments in Belarus. This is not
an attempt to politicize the situation, as some participating
States might suggest. We must point out that participating
States likewise expressed their commitment at Copenhagen to
"respect the right of everyone, individually or in
association with others, to seek, receive, and impart freely
views and information on human rights and fundamental
freedoms." This is one step, in accordance with our OSCE
commitments, we are taking today.

For a few months, we had observed incidences that we hoped
showed positive Belarusian government reaction to peaceful
assembly and association. Monthly solidarity demonstrations
were allowed to occur without interference and without
incident. Unfortunately, the recent treatment of
demonstrators has reversed the more positive approach. On
February 8, 14, and 16, peaceful demonstrations were
forcefully disrupted by Belarusian security forces, many of
whom refused to identify themselves, and demonstrators were
harassed, man-handled, arrested and detained. Moreover,
there were deliberate attempts to block media coverage of the
actions, in violation of Belarusian law.

At the same time, there appears to have been increasing
action by the Government of Belarus to systematically
marginalize and repress selected portions of the Polish
minority in Belarus, most recently in Ivieniets outside of
Minsk. This has raised serious concern in the United States,
as it has in Europe. We hope that the Belarusian government
will take a constructive approach to reaching a fair and
lasting solution to this issue.

We note that the Government of Belarus has failed to abolish
criminal code provisions that penalize activities by
unregistered organizations, contrary to its commitments to
the OSCE. We continue to urge the Government of Belarus to
review these laws and their implementation to ensure they are
in compliance with OSCE commitments regarding the fundamental
freedom of assembly and association and the rights of
national minorities. In accordance with our OSCE
commitments, we stand ready to work with the Government of
Belarus, by whatever means necessary, in this endeavor.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

End text.
CLINTON

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