Belarusian internet users ask Aliaksandr Lukashenka to abolish Decree #60

A group of Belarusian internet users addressed President Lukashenka with an open letter requiring the abolishment of Article #60 About the measures to improve the use of the national segment of the internet.

The letter is places at the ukaz60.net website that was established especially for this purpose. This internet resource aims to draw the public attention to the problems and perspectives of the development of the national sector of the internet.

The initiators of the application remind that in April the Council of Ministers adopted a number of rulings called to explain this decree: Ruling #644 of 29 April, On certain measures to improve the use of the national segment of the internet, Ruling #646 of 29 April On introduction of amendments and supplements in the Rules of rendering telecommunication services, etc.

However, at present the decree has a number of weak points that are evident for internet users. The core of the problem lies in the different interpretations and even representatives of the responsible state agencies are not ready to answer all questions.

According to the letter, the decree can cause a withdrawal of capital from Belarus, as the international companies and the business resources that don’t have a definite geographical affiliation will try to transfer their actives abroad not to fall victims of different interpretations of the decree.

Moreover, the registration of small objects (e-mail addresses, sub-domains) will demand ‘colossal working efforts that are incomparable with the expected effects’, claim the activists.

’The decree liquidates the free professional and amateur hosting in Belarus (such as page.by), which deprives people of working places. Free hosting has always been a stimulus of the internetization of masses in Belarus, Russia and the rest of the world (narod.ru, ucoz.ru, blogspot.com, etc.)’ state the authors of the letter.

’Free wireless points will be outlawed in Belarus since 1 July, because it is impossible to check the passport data of the people you cannot see, The provision of access to the home Wi-Fi net for guests and friends will become illegal as well,’ emphasizes the letter.

Moreover, according to the activists’ opinion, internet is deprived of its main advantage – mobility, accessibility and quickness, as even the registration of an e-mail box would require quite a long term instead of the usual two minutes.

As of now, the document has been signed by more than 1,200 persons.