Belorussian News

[2tallbill]

Political prisoners in Belarus
Today six political prisoners are behind bars

A week ago Viasna human rights center, Swiss-German association Libereco and
Freedom House launched a joint online petition with a requirement to Aliaksandr
Lukashenka to release all political prisoners. The existence of political prisoners
and persecution of dissidents are serious human rights violations, HRC Viasna
informs.

There is more read about it here
http://charter97.org/en/news/2015/5/26/153002/

[2tallbill]

Belarus Blocks Art, Lifestyle Website For 'Harming National Interests'
By RFE/RL's Belarus Service and Farangis Najibullah
June 18, 2015

The Belarusian Information Ministry has blocked access inside the country to an art and lifestyle website, kyky.org, accusing it of "distributing information that can damage national interests" and defaming certain groups.

In a statement on the site, the Kyky staff called the ban "incorrect" and hailed "the courage to ask awkward questions," vowing to "do everything in our power to restore normal operation of the site."

There is more read all about it here
http://www.rferl.org/content/belarus-art-lifestyle-website-harming-national-interests/27079737.html

[2tallbill]

Belarus Tests Rockets in China with Digs at Russia and NATO
June 18, 2015 - 8:50am, by Joshua Kucera

Belarus has announced that it tested its new rocket-launcher system in China,
the latest sign of an increasing military partnership between the two countries.
And Belarus's president Aleksandr Lukashenko took the opportunity to take
swipes at both Russia and NATO countries, suggesting Minsk may be more
comfortable with Beijing than with any of its neighbors in Europe.

The Polonez multiple-launch rocket system is Belarus's highest-profile defense
industry innovation, and took the spotlight at the country's May 9 Victory Day
parade this year. Many analysts have suggested that it bears traces of Chinese
origin and may use rockets (which Belarus doesn't produce) from China. So the
fact that it was tested in China certainly gives credence to that speculation.

But the press release announcing the test, which featured comments from
Lukashenko, was unusually feisty for the genre. "Our ally, Russia, is not so
active in supporting our aspirations. We will talk about that separately with the
Russian president," Lukashenko said, without citing which aspirations were not
being supported. "But we thank the People's Republic of China and its leadership
for this support."

There is more read all about it here
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/73926

[BillyB]

Belarus's president Aleksandr Lukashenko took the opportunity to take
swipes at both Russia and NATO countries, suggesting Minsk may be more
comfortable with Beijing than with any of its neighbors in Europe.

President Luka gets popularity points for looking like he's standing up to Putin and Russia but Putin has control of Luka. Russia has troops in Belarus and is openly threating to place more Russian troops and heavy weapons in Belarus to counter the West's buildup of troops and weapons in Eastern Europe. It seems to me Luka can't tell Putin what he can or can't do in Belarus.


http://www.ibtimes.com/russia-threatens-increase-military-presence-belarus-kaliningrad-if-us-puts-troops-1967033