The World Prays for Belarus: column by BNR President
Novy Čas has published a column by Ivonka Survilla, President of the BNR Rada in exile.
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The security forces subordinated to Aliaksandr Lukašenka are ready to shoot at their peaceful and law-abiding compatriots. This was now stated directly by one of Interior Minister Karajeŭ’s deputies.
Belarus has been under authoritarian rule for more than a quarter of a century, and it seems that after all these years we could have gotten used to anything. But I still can’t contain my shock and outrage at this statement.
After all, the current Belarusian protest is especially characterised by incredible peacefulness and wisdom shown by the people of Belarus. The whole world admires this peacefulness, this wisdom and bright creativity of the Belarusians, which we see all this time. We, thousands of Belarusians and descendants of Belarusians scattered around the world, are proud of our origin now more than ever. Other nations, who unknowingly sometimes thought that Belarusians were happy with their sad fate, now look at Belarus in a new way; they worry about Belarusians and are proud of them.
And what arouses the respect and admiration of the whole world is what arouses the rage and hatred of those who know that their time has passed irrevocably. They can comfort themselves as much as they want with artificial figures from the official election results. They will hate, will lie and threaten from the TV, will beat and shoot.
The Belarusian people are one step away from freedom. A step away from what generations of our ancestors fought for, including the heroes of the Sluck Defence Action, the century of which we will celebrate in a little over a month.
All our prayers, all our thoughts these days are with Belarus. With Belarus are all our tears of indignation at the brutality of the executioners.
And so are our tears of joy when we see thousands and thousands of people every week on the streets of Belarus: old and young, women and men, residents of Minsk and residents of small towns.
The revolution takes place not in the administration, but in the souls and hearts of the people. This revolution has already taken place. This revolution takes place every day, every time Belarusians go out of their homes, smile at their neighbours, sing, march together under our national flag – joined in common joy, in a common sense of belonging to their land, in a common demand for justice and truth.
Belarus has come to life and will definitely win. Do not stop, do not be afraid, and know: the truth is behind you and the whole world is behind you, from Europe to Canada and Australia.
Long live Belarus!
Ivonka Survilla
President of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic
