CREES-FMSO: A Round of Applause from the Belarusian Opposition

More than four hundred participants have been detained in Belarus in connection with the “Revolution Through Social Networks” protests from June 23 through July 3. The protests are motivated by civil opposition to the economic policies pursued by Aleksandr Lukashenko’s government that have put the country in an economic crisis. Unable to make payments in a timely fashion the state of Belarus’ civil society has worsened in recent weeks as the government cracks down on the protesters, their tools of organization, and civil liberties. Despite the high number of arrests the ‘silent protesters’ continue to be a thorn in Lukashenko’s side, prompting the Belarusian authorities to restrict access to social networking sites, namely Facebook, Twitter, and the Russian Vkontakte. This action represents a traditional approach to silencing the opposition; severing protesters’ means of organization before dissident actions can take place.

This method is not commonly reserved for limiting Belarusian citizens’ access to the Internet, but instead contributes to the various government actions taken in the global war on terrorism. The April 11, 2011 Minsk Metro bombing at the Oktyabrskaya station is a recent example of the realistic threat terrorism plays in Belarusian policy and its proclivity for meddling in civil liberties. The Internet restrictions imposed by the Belarusian government play a role in the cyber security that is included in the political and military security of many nations at present, which these states adopt for all intents and purposes to protect its social, political, economic, and military interests. While this arrangement generally has positive implications for civil society, Belarusian citizens now face greater scrutiny, repression, and restricted access to technologies that hold great capabilities for keeping the public well-informed and well-developed democratically.

The media has also faced greater scrutiny in the wake of Belarusian crackdowns on protestors, as large numbers of journalists have been detained prior to routine credential checks (according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports and the Committee to Protect Journalists, many of these journalists have been released excluding nine others that are serving sentences and will appear in Belarusian courts. The charges against these nine journalists remain unclear). Though journalists are often constrained by their editors or the media’s owners, they continue to play a crucial role in post-Soviet politics and power dynamics. A trend in the former Soviet Union seems to be developing, that of a double (or possibly triple) standard for mass media. On one hand, traditional media and its online counterparts contribute to the development of civil society in the former authoritarian states, providing greater access to ideas and opinions. On the other hand, these media provide governments with valuable information that officials can use to improve the lives and liberties of civil society. In a discussion of Russian security measures taken in advance of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Andrei Novikov, head of the CIS Anti-Terrorist Center, noted “that 80 percent of all the valuable information is obtained from the media. In these times, maybe more.” When asked what was being ‘stored’ (skladirovat’), Novikov replied “We’re not storing anything – we’re analyzing.” While this analysis contributes to the security of the CIS as Russia continues its preparations for the Sochi Olympics, a third standard emerges. This trend involves the continued use of the media as a source for governing, but instead of improving civil society it contributes to new methods for governments to police their citizens.

Articles referred to in this post:

«Более 400 человек задержаны во время акций протеста в Белоруссии» (“More than 400 people detained during protests in Belarus”)