Statkevich: A tragedy happened to our people five years ago

Five years ago, a tragedy happened to our people — as a result of a special operation, through mass demonstrative repressions, targeted intimidation, and the organization of corresponding public examples and an information campaign online, at least half a million of our fellow citizens were coerced into emigration from Belarus. For example, this is analogous to more than 7 million people suddenly leaving Russia.

Any European state, in the situation of a pan-European demographic crisis, strives to encourage its citizens to remain in their homeland, create families there, give birth to and raise children. Because every person, regardless of their political leanings, is a value for their country, which, after all, paid money to their parents in infancy, educated them for free, and treated them when necessary.

Considering the quality of these people expelled from Belarus, their average level of education and activity, enormous damage has been inflicted on our country's economy and its development prospects.

Essentially, the ruling regime, at the expense of our people's future, made a free gift to other states.

The reason for this, at the very least, irresponsible action is not only revenge for the fear experienced in 2020. Not only the desire to permanently retain control and power over the country at any cost, which was clearly formulated in the phrase spoken by the main local boss some four years ago in Moscow regarding the mass emigration of Russian men due to mobilization: "There's no need to regret that they left. They were never for us anyway."

I think that the mass "cleansing" of Belarus in 2021 also happened as pre-war preparation for the invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine from our territory. To prevent protests or active actions in the rear of the Russian grouping on our land.

The "cleansing" was carried out. And now hundreds of thousands of our compatriots live outside Belarus. These people can be a potential for the future development of a free Belarus, or they can be our loss. Therefore, it is very important that we do not lose the sense of unity and shared responsibility for the future of Belarus.

But life is life. People have to settle in the conditions they found themselves in. Often very different from what they were used to here. These are different concerns, different people, a different state. Even a different community — the diaspora. Which, like any other community, divides everyone into "their own" and "not their own" and strives for "their own" to become more numerous. And directs its attention and solidarity primarily towards "their own." A certain alienation between us on different sides of the border is inevitably growing, and this must be resisted.

First and foremost, it is important that we respect each other's choices and not consider each other strangers.

However, if Belarusians abroad ever want to return to their homeland without risk to themselves and without self-humiliation in some "commissions," if they, in general, want their homeland to stand behind them, then it must be understood that all of this, to the greatest extent, depends on those Belarusians who remained in their land. Therefore — stop the insults towards them on social networks, stop complaining to your acquaintances or relatives that they "are fools because they haven't left yet." Just be grateful to those who have made and are making this currently dangerous choice in favor of their country, because they are the main chance for the liberation and preservation of Belarus.

I will not hide that I was struck not only by the solidarity of the Belarusian diaspora towards each other, and towards deported political prisoners, but also by significantly fewer manifestations of such solidarity towards those who remained in Belarus after release in an incomparably more difficult situation — under constant threat of re-imprisonment, without the right to even a bank account or phone number, without the possibility of finding normal work (I am not talking about myself here at all). Let's recall, for example, the unsuccessful fundraising for released political prisoners who remained in Belarus, compared to the solidarity fundraising for those deported.

I do not want to delve into the issue of organizing the diaspora's leadership. This is, first and foremost, the diaspora's own business. But there is a question that concerns all Belarusians.

Now, Belarusian independent internet resources connect all of us into one nation. And they should set an example of truly independent professional journalism. However, a clear bias and even self-censorship of some resources are striking.

I have sufficient experience to understand that this bias, like once in our homeland, is connected with funding sources. But now, supposedly, this funding is provided by European structures as part of supporting all Belarusian democracy.

As I understand it, the distribution of support among specific Belarusian resources is handled by the leading structures of the diaspora, which also receive the most attention from these resources. Everything is as it once was here — "he who feeds the girl, dances with her."

Only the bustling activity of "offices" and "cabinets" is primarily of interest to the owners and occupants of these properties. Most Belarusians here are indifferent to it.

Well, it's nothing — people will endure for the opportunity to see other, important information for themselves. But on the other hand, when our country liberates itself, will teams of Belarusian journalists come to us as an example of European professionalism, objectivity, and a critical attitude towards abuse of influence, trained professionally to show black as white or vice versa for money? Thanks, no need. There are too many of them here already. Learn something better.

It is obvious to me that the issue of distributing aid to Belarusian democratic internet resources by EU structures should be resolved by an independent, non-political body and based on objective criteria. I believe that representatives of these resources are capable of jointly developing such criteria.

And to all Belarusians on both sides of the border, I want to say: "Let's be together, so that Belarus lives!"

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