Chernobylski Shlyach 2014

No to nuclear threat! We won't allow to make our native land, the country, the planet a new Chernobyl!
The 20th century is called nuclear for a reason. In the 20th century the mankind invented, made and tested various types of atomic weapons, including the most destructive ones. In the 20th century the nuclear bomb was given a "peaceful sister" in the form of the nuclear power. It allowed to provide the nuclear industry a dual purpose under the guise of satisfaction of daily needs. In the 20th century nuclear technologies became a cause of death and diseases of hundreds of thousands of people, turned fertile lands, beautiful places of the planet into deserted radioactive "zones".

In the second half of the 20th century there were more than 1000 explosions of nuclear and hydrogen bombs of high power which wiped off islands and unique natural complexes. In regions of nuclear weapon tests people are still ill and die from cancer and children are born disabled.

In the 20th century in the so-called local conflicts in Yugoslavia, Chechnya, Iran, Libya ammunition on the basis of the grown poor uranium was applied. These zones will remain "hot spots" vastly long: the highly toxic uranium dust remains hazardous for 4,5 billion years! In these regions an epidemic of oncological diseases have already begun. In Chechnya about 70% of children have pathologies.

In the 20th century there was the largest for all history of mankind radiation accident at the Chernobyl NPP which affected not only Ukraine but also countries of Western Europe and most of Belarusian territory. Consequences of this accident in Belarus are suppressed to this day. The state develops lands polluted with dangerous radionuclides and makes them agricultural; it stimulates former inhabitants to return to these lands. In turn, such organizations as IAEA and WHO seek to convince people in absence of significant consequences of Chernobyl's disaster, reinterpreting official data on hundreds of thousands of victims.

The radiation accident on the Fukushima plant-1 happened at the beginning of the 21st century, the consequences became comparable to Chernobyl. To the water area of the Pacific Ocean hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of radioactive water still continue to leak, the most part of farmlands in Japan is polluted with dangerous radionuclides, children's oncological incidence sharply grows.

In the 80th of the last century the mankind realized that it came to a dangerous line which could lead to disappearance of civilization and, probably, of life on Earth. The USA and the Soviet Union began a program for disarmament which proceeded after collapse of the USSR. Belarus and Ukraine removed nuclear weapons and declared a nuclear-free status.

After Chernobyl the refusal of nuclear power in the world began. Norway, Denmark, Austria and other European states concentrated on nuclear-free development. Particularly after Fukushima this tendency found new breath - in nuclear Japan 48 of 50 reactors were stopped. In Italy and Lithuania with national referenda and in Poland with a local one decisions were made against nuclear power plant construction. Germany, Belgium and Switzerland declared the wish to move towards a refusal of "peaceful atom". France declared a reduction of the share of nuclear power from 75% to 50%. Venezuela ceased to consider prospect of construction of the nuclear power plant. The totalitarian countries only seek to take control of nuclear technologies today. It is obvious that political, military or corruption interests are behind it. Besides Lukashenko's dictatorial ambitions the nuclear power plant construction in Belarus is supported by the Russian nuclear expansion with purpose – to put our country (Belarus) in economic and political dependence. Such 'nuclear' dependence, in addition to already existing ones (monetary and resource), will lead Belarus to full loss of the sovereignty.

The decision on nuclear power plant construction in Belarus was made not by the people of our country but by its government. The construction of the Ostrovets nuclear power plant goes in inadmissible haste, with numerous violations of laws, technical norms, and it was launched before development of the project, its examination and licensing for construction. The nuclear power plant in Belarus is under construction on experimental Russian technology, and its risks are hidden from the Belarusian people and the international public. Nuclear threat finds today real outlines – this threat proceeds from imperial ambitions of Russia focusing to borders with Ukraine military formations, placing military facilities and aircrafts capable to bear on board tactical nuclear weapons on Belarus territory. It is the threat of the next ecological disaster due to a possible accident on the nuclear power plant which in Belarus started building on experimental Russian technology, before completing of the project and its expert examination, by the accelerated breakneck speed, with violation of laws. It is threat of Chernobyl which continues to kill Belarusians, but by suppressing real consequences of accident government promotes actively development of polluted lands and return inhabitants back there.

All these components – a threat of war, risks of the Ostrovets nuclear power plant, consequences of Chernobyl disaster are integrated by the Russian imperialism, dictatorship in Russia and Belarus, depreciating life, health and safety of people.

We as citizens of Belarus don't want to be hostages of imperial ambitions of dictators! We won't allow to make a new Chernobyl in our city, land, country and the planet! We come on April 26 to the Chernobyl Shlyach to demand:
 * 1) To stop immediately the construction of the nuclear power plant! To cancel the decisions connected with the Belarusian nuclear power plant and decisions accepted with violations of the Belarusian and international legislation. To make investigation of the violations of laws that were allowed at construction of the nuclear power plant and to punish those who are guilty. To develop and discuss in public a strategy of sustainable nuclear-free development of Belarus.
 * 2) To open information on consequences of Chernobyl in Belarus. To stop economic development and settling of the polluted territories. To restore action of the law "About Social Protection of Citizens of Republic of Belarus Which Was Injured from the Chernobyl Accident" adopted in 1991 and to take real measures for its implementation, by providing opportunities for resettlement of people from the territories polluted by Chernobyl.
 * 3) To remove the Russian military battle planes, capable to bear on-board tactical nuclear weapons from the territory of Belarus. To take the Russian military formations away from borders with Ukraine from the Belarusian territory which are creating a threat of war with participation of Belarus. To observe the neutral nuclear-free status as the Constitution of Belarus orders!
 * 4) To give  citizens a chance to decide on questions concerned with Belarusian environment, cities and the country itself! To carry out democratic reforms by providing a freedom of speech, meetings, creation of public organizations and political parties, carrying out free and transparent elections. To release all political prisoners!

We are for a nuclear-free world! We are for steady and safe power! We are for power independence! No to nuclear power plants! No to war!

Update on Chernobyl Shlyach
Minsk municipal government allowed 'Chernobylski Shlyah' - a manifestation in memory of Chernobyl disaster - on April 26 in form of march and meeting, but changed the proposed format: gathering of participants from 16.00 till 16.30 near "Oktyabr" cinema, march along Nezavisimosti Avenue and Surganov Street to the park of Friendship of the People where meeting will take place from 17.30 till 18.30.

These changes were done by municipal government without coordination with the organizing committee of the action. Officials told that the changes were made because in applied documents the chosen route would go along buildings where mass actions are forbidden by the law.

"Chernobylski Shlyah" — a street action which Belarusian opposition holds annually since 1988 in Minsk in a format of the manifestation that ends with meeting of representatives of democratic forces. The exception was made in 2011 when authorities of Minsk forbade the action, having granted a permission only for carrying out a meeting.

Report
April 26 - one of the darkest days for Belarus. In 1986, the accident occurred at Chernobyl, which divided the world into periods "before" crash and "after". The action "Chernobyl Shlyach", which is held in Belarus since 1988, is meant to remind that even the peaceful atom in unskilled hands can cause huge trouble.

"Chernobyl March" is a reminder not only to people, but also to the authorities, that the radiation from the Belarusian land over the past years has not gone anywhere that silencing effects of the disaster, f.e. the growth of cancer in Belarus. The construction of nuclear plant is a crime against the Belarusian people, part which namely, a million people, still today live in the contaminated territories.

Some of Belarusian officials seem to live in the past, and still "measures" the achievements of their plans and five-year plans. Therefore, the state news agency today reported the most important information on NPP construction is that it is built ahead of schedule. What will be the Belarusian nuclear power plant and that it will give the country? It is obvious that such a huge project flatters vanity authorities, but very intimidating ordinary people, who have promised energy independence from Russia, but once again told the whole truth.

Construction of nuclear power plants with Russian money and Russian project - whether it is a new, regular full binding of Belarus to Russia. What sort of energy independence can be discussed if the station of their own money the country does not, the economic situation very badly, and the construction of nuclear power plants is due to the Russian injections, and destructive to the economy of credit.

The action took place in Minsk under the slogan "No Belarusian nuclear power plant". Organizers' traditional processions note that station construction threatens the country repeating the tragedy that occurred nearly 30 years ago, because the Belarusian station was originally built with violations, and talk about the transparency of information about it in the future is not necessary: it is obvious to all that trouble happened - Belarusians know nothing, as once in the now distant 1986 people did not know that the sun April 26 was deadly, and the wind "carried" on the Belarusian lands massive doses of radiation.

The action was attended by Belarusian opposition politicians: the leader of "Tell the Truth!" Nyaklyayeu, chairman of the United Civil Party Anatol Lyabedzka, co-chairman of the BCD Vitaly Rymashevski, BPF representatives Alexei Yanukevich, Yuri Hubarevich, Dmitry Saloshkin.

As ecologist Tatiana Novikova told, the action on April 26, 2014 is not only confined to the events of 28 years ago, it is designed to draw attention to the problems that exist today, despite the fact that the authorities ignore this date.

"The authorities' behavior seems illogical and wrong, because the problem of Chernobyl in Belarus is the number one problem. Authorities now want to gloss over what happened, ignore the consequences of Chernobyl, pretend that everything is fine. But this is creating a very dangerous visibility because of Chernobyl continues to kill and power instead of Belarusians mitigate consequences of Chernobyl, they only aggravate. Chernobyl land development, construction of nuclear power plants without the project (that is, they began to build its long before architectural design) in violation of international law. This is all certainly creates a lot of additional risks, and if at least some of these risks, these threats work, you just will not Belarusians as a nation. Scientists say that there is no tolerance, no immunity in relation to the damaging effects of radiation."

Coordinator Belarusian anti-nuclear campaign noted that the meeting is held in Minsk in order to point out the risks of nuclear war in the world, which is exacerbated in recent times as never before. T. Novikova emphasized that nuclear weapons continue to threaten the world.

"Another threat against which we stand today is the threat of nuclear war and the threat of war with the use of nuclear materials. This threat has now got a full-length, is a threat of military action by Russia, even if Russia will conduct their activities without tactical nuclear weapons, it would be the use of depleted uranium. He gives the zone of ecological disaster by 4.5 billion years - so much years it retains its destructive properties, it is converted to uranium dust that is especially toxic, carcinogenic. This all leads us today to say "no" to nuclear threat. We want a nuclear-free world, we want to live in a normal, civilized society. Now became particularly relevant topic arms, they all say that it is necessary to arm you need nuclear weapons to return. We want to say "no." Never nuclear weapons was not the pledge of peace, never such a weapon was not a guarantee that will not happen "event". When no nuclear weapons when all refused him when countries that have renounced nuclear weapons blocked the international community, only then can occur relatively quiet time, and there will be some probability that it will not be used."

As for nuclear plant construction, the ecologist noted that the project can still be folded, and the power to stop construction, but they can not stop a single action, and lots of action together.

"If civil society show its solidarity, its unity, it can stop the government", - said Tatiana Novikova.

Once near the cinema "October" has gathered a lot of people (usually for protesters observed numerous men in plain clothes, all filmed), the column marched through the streets to the park Surganova Friendship of Peoples. Not without detentions: Activists Detained Yuri Rubtsov (he once again came to the T-shirt with the inscription "Lukashenka, Step Down!") And Leonid Smovzh is written about the media. Until their fate is unknown, but last action was also detained Yu.Rubtsov and received three days of arrest.

In the park of Friendship of Peoples rally was held, following which a resolution was adopted. Later, a few dozen people brought flowers and candles to the Chernobyl Chapel. About 19 hours the people dispersed.