DISINFO: The Belarusian Union of Poles has not even tried to become officially registered
SUMMARY
The problem with the Belarusian Union of Poles led by Anzhelika Borys comes from the fact that it is not officially registered. This structure exists together with the officially registered Union of Poles after the division of this organisation in 2005.
Within the past ten years, this organisation has not made a single attempt to apply for official registration, claiming that the authorities will not register it. They should have at least tried! After the division of the Union of Poles in 2005, the [official] Union continues to function, promoting the Polish language and traditions in Belarus. At the same time, the unregistered Union of Poles functions as an opposition structure – Anzhelika Borys has an entirely political agenda. She needs to decide whether her organisation is a public union or a political party. There are no political goals in the statute of the Belarusian Union of Poles.
RESPONSE
This message is a part of Lukashenka’s regime targeting the Polish minority living in Belarus and Belarusian civil society in general.
In 2005, the Belarusian authorities tried to establish control over the independent Union of Poles in Belarus, creating its own “puppet” Union (composed of various subordinates of Lukashenka), while the genuine Union was announced as “unregistered”, so it was pushed underground. The predominant part of the Polish minority and Belarusian civil society refused to accept this officially registered “puppet” Union of Poles as not having any legitimacy.
For over 15 years, the activists of the unofficial Union of Poles have faced continuous repressions and political pressure. In March 2021, the Belarusian authorities started a massive wave of repressions against the representatives of the Polish minority, arresting the Head of the Union of Poles, Anzhelika Borys, a journalist Andrzej Poczobut and a number of other activists.
The claim that the unofficial Union of Poles in Belarus is mainly a “political” organisation with a strong oppositional agenda is ungrounded – this organisation is clearly focused on the promotion of the Polish language and culture among Poles living in Belarus.
The claim that the unofficial Union of Poles “has not even tried to get registered” is cynical mockery of this organisation which was pushed underground by Lukashenka.
Poland and the EU have appealed to the Belarusian authorities to stop political repressions and persecution against the Polish minority in Belarus.
See other cases connected to the current political dispute between Poland and the authoritarian regime of Lukashenka in Belarus: Polish historical policy disrespects Belarus; The Polish position on Belarus is exceptionally hostile and The Vatican does not intend to participate in the American and Polish “war games” around Belarus.