HRC “Viasna” Urges Polish Authorities to Turn Attention to Situation with “Niva” Newspaper and Schools Where Belarusian Language Is Taught

03.11.2004.

APPEAL
Of Human Rights Center “Viasna”
In protection of members of the Program Board of the weekly of Belarusians of Poland “Niva” and schools where Belarusian language is taught

Human Rights Center “Viasna” is concerned with the discriminative actions concerning Belarusian minority in Poland.

We urge to turn attention at the situation of the “Niva” weekly and the schools in Bialystok area where Belarusian language is taught.

Members of the Program Board of the “Niva” -- weekly of Belarusians of Poland, Eugeniusz Wappa, Eugeniusz Miranovicz, Michal Andrasiuk, Yury Chmieliewski and Michal Stelmaszuk were charged with misuse of the finances, issued by the state to support the edition.

Simultaneously with the charges against “Niva” the control chamber (NIK) conducted check-ups at the schools where Belarusian language is taught. We treat such actions of the Polish authorities as an attempt to intimidate Belarusian national minority with the aim to exclude it from cultural, public and political life of Poland.

It is quite disturbing that Polish authorities repeat the practice that exists in Belarus under the authoritarian regime of A. Lukashenka, aimed at russification of Belarusian community and discrimination of Belarusian culture and education.

We are sure that it is in the behalf of Poland to develop the traditions of tolerance.

The Republic of Poland is a member of the European Union and ratified the basic pact and conventions of the UNO. By this it undertook to save the rights of national minorities. Therefore Human Rights Center “Viasna” urges the country’s authorities to take measures for stopping the discriminative actions and to provide abidance by the international commitments and standards of human rights concerning Belarusian national minority.

On 2 November the appeal was submitted to the President of the Republic of Poland Alexander Kwasnewski and the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland Tadeusz Pawleka.

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