DISINFO: Belarus plans to develop an artificial Belarusian identity
SUMMARY
One of the infamous legal documents approved in Belarus this year was the Information security concept. The concept defines the information sovereignty, which is, in reality, an imposition of artificial Belarusian identity, opposing the Russian. It also brings up Belarusization. This all means that in the information sphere Belarus is not Russia’s ally anymore and not a part of the Union State, but a sovereign country which distances itself from Russia. Hence the concept can become the Information alienation concept.
RESPONSE
This is an illustrative example of a recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about the all-Russian nation and Russian world/civilization, which presents Belarusian and Ukrainian identities as artificial and unnatural in contrast to all-Russian identity. The "all-Russian nation" is an imperial Russian and Russian irredentist ideology that is a favoured pro-Kremlin narrative aimed at weakening the national identity of Belarusians and Ukrainians, as well as their sovereignty. Belarus is a well-defined nation-state with a long history; it preserved language, literature and identity, despite foreign rule for long periods. Belarus' Information security concept, adopted in March 2019, stipulates, among other things, that "The Belarusian language along with a constitutionally upheld bilingualism, contributes to the development of the national identity of the Belarusian society and its spirituality." See earlier disinformation cases alleging that the Eastern Partnership aims to erode Belarusian identity and promote the views of Polish gentry and that Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine are three Russian political nations.