Belarus Democracy and Human Rights Act of 2011

Floor Speech

Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 515, the Belarus Democracy Reauthorization Act of 2011, which will support human rights in Belarus by encouraging the free expression of ideas among pro-democracy activists.

I would like to commend Mr. Smith, the gentleman from New Jersey, for sponsoring this legislation and the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen and Mr. Berman, for their efforts in bringing this legislation to the floor.

Madam Speaker, Belarusians have the same right to self-government and free speech as their neighbors and through the reauthorization of assistance to their civil society, H.R. 515 will help them regain rights which have been repressed by the ruling regime.

Since he was elected as his country's first president in 1994, Aleksandr Lukashenko has steadily consolidated his power, reversing promising reforms put in place following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The CIA World Factbook describes Belarus as "a republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship.'' Former Secretary of State Condolezza Rice called it "the last true remaining dictatorship in the heart of Europe.''

Belarus has been criticized for its dismal human rights record by the U.N. Security Council, the U.S. State Department, the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the Council of Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Council, the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

As a result of its human rights violations and a steady record of state-sponsored political repression, Belarus is subject to numerous sanctions from both the United States and the European Union. In 2004, Congress unanimously passed the Belarus Democracy Act, which authorizes assistance for political parties, non-governmental organizations, and independent media toward democratic and humanitarian reforms.

This legislation affirms that it remains in the interest of our country that Belarus returns to its rightful place among its fellow European democracies. Unfortunately, recent events validate its current designation as a rogue state. The White House released the following statement regarding its last Presidential election which saw widespread violence and voting irregularities:

The flawed December 2010 Presidential election in Belarus and its aftermath--the harsh violence against peaceful demonstrators; the continuing detention, prosecution, and imprisonment of opposition Presidential candidates and others; and the continuing repression of independent media and civil society activists--all show that the Government of Belams has taken steps backward in the development of democratic governance and respect for human rights.

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