Human Rights and Democracy Promotion - Why it Still Matters
Jul 27, 2011
By Karl Altau, JBANC
Remarks prepared for CEEC Policy Forum and Reception in the United States Congress (Senate Russell Office Building, Rm 385)
July 26, 2011
Human Rights and Democracy Promotion remains a core CEEC (Central and East European Coalition) focus area. We can trace the evolution and go back to the 1970s and Helsinki Act days and see the long-term benefits of this.
One would think that when the Soviet Union collapsed 20 years ago, those days of worry and concern about human rights and democracy were over. But au contraire!
The CEEC is concerned that the Human Rights situation with regard to Central and Eastern Europe’s neighbors continues to slip. This has much to do with the 11-year old Putinocracy in Russia and Lukashenka’s 17-year backwards reign of unenlightened authoritarianism in Belarus.
Among Moscow’s numerous transgressions in this sphere - unsolved political murders, harassing of opposition parties, curtailing of freedom of speech, denial of historical crimes - I would like to point out two cases: that of Sergei Magnitsky and the recent developments with regards to former Soviet KGB General Mikhail Golovatov.
Golovatov is accused by Lithuania as being one of the leaders of the deadly January 1991 crackdown in Vilnius in which over a dozen Lithuanian citizens were murdered. The USSR took no responsibility for those actions 20 years ago. And Moscow continues to keep its hands washed of the matter. When Golovatov was arrested July 14 in Austria under a warrant for extradition issued by Lithuania, he was let go by the authorities, and the fear is that this might have been done under pressure from Moscow. This continues a long line of coercion, coupled with a lack of accountability by the Kremlin in coming to terms with historical wrongs wrought upon not only its own citizens, but the citizens of sovereign nations. It is also a sobering reminder that neo-KGB/FSB and intelligence arms may well have a dominating role throughout Europe.
Should one simply ignore this case? Or do we forget history? Let bygones be bygones? Without accountability in such matters, perpetrators of criminal acts and those who might become perpetrators will feel emboldened and thus protected by the absence of justice. We should continue to take a cold, hard look at the Golovatov case, and other cases where justice has not been brought to bear. We should not forget but we should also help keep figures such as Golovatov accountable.
Thanks to the efforts of Senators Ben Cardin and John McCain (S. 1039), Congressman James McGovern (H.R. 1575) and others, along with the ongoing attention of the Helsinki Commission, the offenders involved in the death of Sergei Magnitsky while he was under arrest are now singled out for their culpability through the Magnitsky Act. Some of you may have seen the article in today’s (July 26, 2011) Washington Post, “U.S. puts Russian officials on visa blacklist” about the Magnitsky Act. This legislation is a necessary and effective signal that such lack of regard for the rule of law should not and will not be disregarded. Even though there have been token murmurs about injustices by the Medvedev camp, real action remains ineffective and elusive. Much more needs to be done by Russia itself to bring those involved to justice. It would be an important first step.
The article mentions that the U.S. is “the first to have an active blacklist.” The United States continues to lead by example. Other countries need to follow to send the right signal. David Kramer, executive director of Freedom House, is quoted in the article by pointing out that despite some improvement in relations with Russia with regard to the reset, “at the end of the day we’re still dealing with the same Russia, which shows no respect for human rights, no accountability and no respect for rule of law.”
Now on to Belarus.
It has been disheartening to see signs of democracy in Belarus systematically being squashed by the Lukashenka neo-Soviet regime. The denim revolution at the time of the 2006 faked election has evolved into the “clapping demonstrations” following the similarly forged elections in December 2010. This takes continually absurd and Kafkaesque twists, like the recent arrest of a one-armed clapping demonstrator. If back in the day Berliners once voted with their feet, perhaps anything is possible.
Lukashenka‘s regime continues to terrorize civil society, and Belarusian jails are filled with political prisoners. About 2000 people have been detained by the government during recent peaceful demonstrations.
Many Belarusian activists and opposition leaders are still under arrest, including presidential candidates like Andrei Sannikou, who is reportedly being transported to another prison today for undoubtedly more suffering.
How do we react and counter these reprehensible transgressions? Again, by recognizing the problems and by acting responsibly and with conviction. The CEEC has been in close touch with Congress, the State Department, and National Security Council on Human Rights and Democracy Promotion issues, being particularly active this year with regards to the situation in Belarus. Belarus and Russia are too close for comfort (geographically speaking) to the lands of our heritage to allow this to go on. The CEE region is tied to the West. It seems Belarus and Russia are more concerned about tying up and trying its own citizens.
But there are positive developments to report with regards to what is being done about Belarus:
The Belarus Democracy and Human Rights Act of 2011 (H.R. 515) passed the House on July 6, 2011.
Sponsored and eternally championed by Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey, the original Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 is a United States federal law that authorizes assistance for political parties, non-governmental organizations, and independent media working for democracy and human rights in Belarus. The act was signed by President George W. Bush and passed unanimously by the U.S. Congress on October 4, 2004.
The law expresses the sense of Congress that the Belarusian authorities should not receive various types of non-humanitarian financial aid from the U.S. It also calls for the President to report to Congress on arms sales by Belarus to state sponsors of terrorism and on the personal wealth and assets of senior Belarusian officials.
Additionally, on June 14, 2011, President Barack Obama extended sanctions on Belarus for what he called the Minsk government's continued actions against the development of democratic governance, and for its human rights violations.
Besides kudos for Congressman Smith, the CEEC would also like to thank Senators Kerry and Lugar, along with Senators Lieberman, Durbin, and McCain, for their leadership and continued attention to this issue. A number of U.S. Members of Congress have gone to the region this year (mainly to neighboring Lithuania) to demonstrate support for democracy in Belarus. This has brought additional needed attention to the issue. Senator Kyl, for example, recently led a congressional delegation there.
So, in retrospect, we should:
(1) Not let authoritarian leaders like Lukashenka off the hook. The crimes they have committed, and their disrespect and disdain for the law, should not go unpunished.
(2) Continue keeping an eye on developments. While Europe and the U.S. are preoccupied with financial worries it might seem a good opportunity for such authoritarians to “slip one” past us. Congress and the U.S. government have been vigilant, along with the media, neighboring European countries, and our communities in the United States. Cyber security and cyber warfare might be the next frontier, but it seems tragically old school when brute force is brought to bear on concerned and peaceful citizens who have no doubts that they are being chiseled yet again by their not so benevolent leaders.
The Central and East European Coalition (CEEC) represents:
American Hungarian Federation
American Latvian Association in the U.S.
Armenian Assembly of America
Belarusan-American Association
Bulgarian Institute for Research and Analysis
Congress of Romanian Americans
Washington Chapter Czechoslovak National Council of America
Estonian American National Council
Georgian Association in the USA
Hungarian American Coalition
Joint Baltic American National Committee
Lithuanian American Council
Lithuanian American Community
National Federation of American Hungarians
Polish American Congress
Slovak League of America
Ukrainian Congress Committee of America
Ukrainian National Association
By Karl Altau, JBANC
Remarks prepared for CEEC Policy Forum and Reception in the United States Congress (Senate Russell Office Building, Rm 385)
July 26, 2011
Human Rights and Democracy Promotion remains a core CEEC (Central and East European Coalition) focus area. We can trace the evolution and go back to the 1970s and Helsinki Act days and see the long-term benefits of this.
One would think that when the Soviet Union collapsed 20 years ago, those days of worry and concern about human rights and democracy were over. But au contraire!
The CEEC is concerned that the Human Rights situation with regard to Central and Eastern Europe’s neighbors continues to slip. This has much to do with the 11-year old Putinocracy in Russia and Lukashenka’s 17-year backwards reign of unenlightened authoritarianism in Belarus.
Among Moscow’s numerous transgressions in this sphere - unsolved political murders, harassing of opposition parties, curtailing of freedom of speech, denial of historical crimes - I would like to point out two cases: that of Sergei Magnitsky and the recent developments with regards to former Soviet KGB General Mikhail Golovatov.
Golovatov is accused by Lithuania as being one of the leaders of the deadly January 1991 crackdown in Vilnius in which over a dozen Lithuanian citizens were murdered. The USSR took no responsibility for those actions 20 years ago. And Moscow continues to keep its hands washed of the matter. When Golovatov was arrested July 14 in Austria under a warrant for extradition issued by Lithuania, he was let go by the authorities, and the fear is that this might have been done under pressure from Moscow. This continues a long line of coercion, coupled with a lack of accountability by the Kremlin in coming to terms with historical wrongs wrought upon not only its own citizens, but the citizens of sovereign nations. It is also a sobering reminder that neo-KGB/FSB and intelligence arms may well have a dominating role throughout Europe.
Should one simply ignore this case? Or do we forget history? Let bygones be bygones? Without accountability in such matters, perpetrators of criminal acts and those who might become perpetrators will feel emboldened and thus protected by the absence of justice. We should continue to take a cold, hard look at the Golovatov case, and other cases where justice has not been brought to bear. We should not forget but we should also help keep figures such as Golovatov accountable.
Thanks to the efforts of Senators Ben Cardin and John McCain (S. 1039), Congressman James McGovern (H.R. 1575) and others, along with the ongoing attention of the Helsinki Commission, the offenders involved in the death of Sergei Magnitsky while he was under arrest are now singled out for their culpability through the Magnitsky Act. Some of you may have seen the article in today’s (July 26, 2011) Washington Post, “U.S. puts Russian officials on visa blacklist” about the Magnitsky Act. This legislation is a necessary and effective signal that such lack of regard for the rule of law should not and will not be disregarded. Even though there have been token murmurs about injustices by the Medvedev camp, real action remains ineffective and elusive. Much more needs to be done by Russia itself to bring those involved to justice. It would be an important first step.
The article mentions that the U.S. is “the first to have an active blacklist.” The United States continues to lead by example. Other countries need to follow to send the right signal. David Kramer, executive director of Freedom House, is quoted in the article by pointing out that despite some improvement in relations with Russia with regard to the reset, “at the end of the day we’re still dealing with the same Russia, which shows no respect for human rights, no accountability and no respect for rule of law.”
Now on to Belarus.
It has been disheartening to see signs of democracy in Belarus systematically being squashed by the Lukashenka neo-Soviet regime. The denim revolution at the time of the 2006 faked election has evolved into the “clapping demonstrations” following the similarly forged elections in December 2010. This takes continually absurd and Kafkaesque twists, like the recent arrest of a one-armed clapping demonstrator. If back in the day Berliners once voted with their feet, perhaps anything is possible.
Lukashenka‘s regime continues to terrorize civil society, and Belarusian jails are filled with political prisoners. About 2000 people have been detained by the government during recent peaceful demonstrations.
Many Belarusian activists and opposition leaders are still under arrest, including presidential candidates like Andrei Sannikou, who is reportedly being transported to another prison today for undoubtedly more suffering.
How do we react and counter these reprehensible transgressions? Again, by recognizing the problems and by acting responsibly and with conviction. The CEEC has been in close touch with Congress, the State Department, and National Security Council on Human Rights and Democracy Promotion issues, being particularly active this year with regards to the situation in Belarus. Belarus and Russia are too close for comfort (geographically speaking) to the lands of our heritage to allow this to go on. The CEE region is tied to the West. It seems Belarus and Russia are more concerned about tying up and trying its own citizens.
But there are positive developments to report with regards to what is being done about Belarus:
The Belarus Democracy and Human Rights Act of 2011 (H.R. 515) passed the House on July 6, 2011.
Sponsored and eternally championed by Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey, the original Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 is a United States federal law that authorizes assistance for political parties, non-governmental organizations, and independent media working for democracy and human rights in Belarus. The act was signed by President George W. Bush and passed unanimously by the U.S. Congress on October 4, 2004.
The law expresses the sense of Congress that the Belarusian authorities should not receive various types of non-humanitarian financial aid from the U.S. It also calls for the President to report to Congress on arms sales by Belarus to state sponsors of terrorism and on the personal wealth and assets of senior Belarusian officials.
Additionally, on June 14, 2011, President Barack Obama extended sanctions on Belarus for what he called the Minsk government's continued actions against the development of democratic governance, and for its human rights violations.
Besides kudos for Congressman Smith, the CEEC would also like to thank Senators Kerry and Lugar, along with Senators Lieberman, Durbin, and McCain, for their leadership and continued attention to this issue. A number of U.S. Members of Congress have gone to the region this year (mainly to neighboring Lithuania) to demonstrate support for democracy in Belarus. This has brought additional needed attention to the issue. Senator Kyl, for example, recently led a congressional delegation there.
So, in retrospect, we should:
(1) Not let authoritarian leaders like Lukashenka off the hook. The crimes they have committed, and their disrespect and disdain for the law, should not go unpunished.
(2) Continue keeping an eye on developments. While Europe and the U.S. are preoccupied with financial worries it might seem a good opportunity for such authoritarians to “slip one” past us. Congress and the U.S. government have been vigilant, along with the media, neighboring European countries, and our communities in the United States. Cyber security and cyber warfare might be the next frontier, but it seems tragically old school when brute force is brought to bear on concerned and peaceful citizens who have no doubts that they are being chiseled yet again by their not so benevolent leaders.
The Central and East European Coalition (CEEC) represents:
American Hungarian Federation
American Latvian Association in the U.S.
Armenian Assembly of America
Belarusan-American Association
Bulgarian Institute for Research and Analysis
Congress of Romanian Americans
Washington Chapter Czechoslovak National Council of America
Estonian American National Council
Georgian Association in the USA
Hungarian American Coalition
Joint Baltic American National Committee
Lithuanian American Council
Lithuanian American Community
National Federation of American Hungarians
Polish American Congress
Slovak League of America
Ukrainian Congress Committee of America
Ukrainian National Association