IV

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 237

Voicing concern about the serious limitations on human rights and civil

liberties in Belarus, including lack of compliance with Organization for

Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) commitments, and urging

the President to take these into consideration in his determination of

most-favored-nation (MFN) status for Belarus.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 5, 1998

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. GILMAN, Mr. WOLF, Mr. PORTER,

Mr. HOYER, and Mr. MARKEY) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations,

and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to

be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee

concerned

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Voicing concern about the serious limitations on human

rights and civil liberties in Belarus, including lack of

compliance with Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) commitments, and urging the

President to take these into consideration in his determination of most-favored-nation (MFN) status for

Belarus.

Whereas the Republic of Belarus, a country of 10,000,000

people, is a participating state of the Organization for

Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE);
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Whereas the human rights record of Belarus has steadily deteriorated since President Alyaksandr Lukashenka took

office in 1994, reversing nearly all the advances in

human rights and democratization of the post-Soviet period;

Whereas President Lukashenka has steadily amassed excessive executive powers and has eroded the legislative and

judicial constitutional checks on his power;

Whereas the November 1996 referendum, which President

Lukashenka used to give himself sweeping powers over

parliament and the judiciary, was in contradiction with

provisions of the 1994 constitution and cannot be considered as legitimate;

Whereas the Belarusian Supreme Soviet, elected in 1995

under the 1994 democratic constitution, remains the only

rightful parliament in Belarus;

Whereas following the November 1996 referendum, President

Lukashenka disbanded the Supreme Soviet, formed the

National Assembly subordinate to his rule, and has used

it to ratify his own increasingly repressive decrees;

Whereas the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE recognizes

the Belarusian Supreme Soviet as the legitimate parliament of Belarus;

Whereas the ‘‘separation of powers’’ established by the 1994

constitution, and in conformity with principles observed

in democracies around the world, has virtually ceased to

exist in Belarus, and President Lukashenka has increasingly resorted to rule by decree;

Whereas the Constitutional Court has been brought entirely

under the control of President Lukashenka and independence of the judiciary is not guaranteed in Belarus;
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•HCON 237 IH

Whereas the Belarusian Government continues to violate its

OSCE human dimension commitments, especially in freedoms of expression, association and assembly, and media;

Whereas freedoms of expression and media continue to be severely restricted, including the subordination of some

major media organizations to the President Lukashenka’s

administration, the jailing of reporters, and the closing of

newspapers and independent radio stations;

Whereas in November 1997, the Belarusian-language

Svaboda, the largest independent newspaper in Belarus,

was closed down by the government;

Whereas the government of President Lukashenka is attempting to squelch all expressions of opposition to the

regime, and individuals who criticize the president or government are harassed, intimidated, or arrested;

Whereas nongovernmental organizations in Belarus have been

intimidated and harassed through the use of tax audits

and exorbitant rent increases;

Whereas the Belarusian Soros Foundation, which since 1993

has donated some $13,000,000 to educational, humanitarian, cultural, and media projects in Belarus, was

forced to close its office in Miensk in September 1997 as

a result of the Belarusian Government’s orchestrated

campaign of harassment;

Whereas restrictions on freedom of assembly dramatically increased in Belarus in 1996 and early 1997;

Whereas police have without justification broken up opposition demonstrations, and often resorting to violence, have

arrested protesters and bystanders;

Whereas the Government of Belarus agreed on September 18,

1997, to establish an OSCE Advisory and Monitoring
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•HCON 237 IH

Group in Belarus, whose task is to assist the Belarusian

authorities in promoting democratic institutions and in

complying with other OSCE commitments, and to monitor and report on this process;

Whereas on December 18, 1997, the Government of Belarus

signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the OSCE

on the OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group enabling it

to begin its work;

Whereas the OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group can

make a valuable contribution in assisting the Government

of Belarus in improving its human rights record, thus reducing its isolation from the international community;

and

Whereas Belarus enjoys most-favored-nation (MFN) status

under the annual waiver of the Jackson-Vanik amendment of the Trade Act of 1974: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That the Congress—

3 (1) voices its concern about the current and se4 rious limitations on human rights and civil liberties

5 in Belarus;

6 (2) calls upon the Government of Belarus to

7 follow the principles embodied in the 1994 constitu8 tion, both in practice and intent;

9 (3) calls upon the Government of Belarus to

10 abide by its commitments under the Helsinki Final

11 Act and subsequent agreements of the Organization
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1 on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and

2 other international commitments;

3 (4) urges the Belarusian President Alyaksandr

4 Lukashenka to restore the rights of the Supreme

5 Soviet;

6 (5) urges the President of the United States,

7 the Secretary of State, the United States Embassy

8 in Miensk, the United States mission to the United

9 Nations, and the United States mission to the

10 OSCE to utilize every appropriate opportunity, pri11 vately and publicly, to encourage the Government of

12 Belarus to respect its international human rights

13 commitments, including OSCE principles and norms;

14 (6) supports the development of independent

15 nongovernmental organizations in Belarus dedicated

16 to promoting democracy and respect for fundamen17 tal human rights and freedoms;

18 (7) welcomes the work of the OSCE Advisory

19 and Monitoring Group in assisting in the develop20 ment of democratic institutions in Belarus and en21 courages the Government of Belarus to cooperate

22 fully with the OSCE Advisory and Monitoring

23 Group; and

24 (8) urges the President to take into consider25 ation the human rights record of Belarus in his de-
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1 termination of most-favored-nation (MFN) status

2 for Belarus and, if sufficient improvements are not

3 undertaken, urges that the President not renew the

4 extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (most-fa5 vored-nation treatment) to the products of the Re6 public of Belarus.

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