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Belarusian MFA bans entry to Belarusian emigrants

2012 2012-12-10T16:26:00+0300 1970-01-01T03:00:00+0300 en

The unofficial ban spreads on all who demonstrate a critical attitude towards Aliaksandr Lukashenka. Yauhen Vapa and Alena Hlahouskaya from Poland have been denied Belarusian issues recently. These days the same happened to the head of the Belarusian Culture Society in Vilnius Khvedar Niunka.

The visa denial to Mr. Niunka was issued on 6 December at the Belarusian Embassy in Vilnius. Khvedar Niunka was invited to Belarus by the World Association of Belarusians “Batskaushchyna”


At first Mr. Niunka received a telephone call from the Embassy and invited for a meeting for receiving a visa. However, when he came there it was found that he could be given only a three-month visa and whereas for a one-year visa it was necessary to present additional documents confirming cooperation of the Belarusian Culture Society in Vilnius and “Batskaushchyna”. Mr. Niunka filed such documents, but on 6 December the Embassy officers told him he was denied visa.

“I came to Belarus last time two years ago on a single entry visa, during the period of liberalization which ended with Square-2010,” says Khvedar Niunka.

“We consider the visa denial to Khedar Niunka in one line with the visa denials to other key persons of the Belarusian Diaspora – Yauhen Vapa and Alena Hlahouskaya, which can witnesses at a systemic approach of the Belarusian MFA. We don't know whether the people who stand behind such decisions are conscious of the possible consequences. We think that in case it is a conscious and consequent position of MFA, it can lead to the inspiration of an artificial division of Belarusians into “loyal” and “disloyal” ones. We will strive for the reconsideration of these decisions which doubtlessly do harm to the Belarusian movement outside Belarus,” says the head of the “Batskaushchyna” Alena Makouskaya.

Khvedar Niunka has headed the Belarusian Culture Society in Lithuania for more than 20 years already. He is also a member of the Council of the Belarusian People's Republic – successor of the state formation that existed on the territory of Belarus for a short time before it became a part of the USSR.



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