The Belarusan National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum issued an statement in connection with the deaths of people in Odessa and Eastern Ukraine.

Statement

of Belarusan National Platform
of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum

in connection with the deaths of people in Odessa and Eastern Ukraine

May 6, 2014

We, representatives of public associations, initiatives, political parties, citizens of Belarus, express our condolences to the Ukrainian people in connection with the tragic events of May 2 entailing a large number of victims and casualties, as well as about the victims of the fighting, provoked by separatists in Eastern Ukraine.

The drama of these events is not only that citizens of Ukraine have died defending their natural, inalienable rights, the integrity of his country, but also the fact that the victims of the tragedy were people deceived by Russian propaganda and chose the path of war with their brothers for the dubious values.

Clashes in Odessa could be avoided, as well as other incidents in which people were killed or injured. Odessa events showed that the situation reached a critical point where ordinary citizens are united and protect their values and lives of other people facing the threat of separatism and terrorism, using all available means.

Separatism in Ukraine appeared on the multi-ethnic territories which have been peaceful before. This phenomenon in this case is an attempt of secession in favor of a neighboring state. The so-called rebels in the Eastern regions of Ukraine are well armed, use the state symbols of the neighboring state and operate under the same scenario, which allowed Russia some time ago to join the Crimea. In recent weeks, the separatists seized buildings, controlled territories and key objects, took hostages, and held them captive, tortured and killed.

The current situation requires the Ukrainian government to do everything in its power to protect its citizens and in the absence of such protection capabilities — to provide maximum assistance to their self-organization in order to ensure safety.

Ukraine should be an independent, democratic and integral state. In a situation where the citizens of Ukraine got the opportunity to decide the fate of their country, we encourage them to consolidation and peaceful political dialogue, for which all the necessary conditions are present. We invite refuse from the language of war imposed from the outside an choose the path of reconciliation.

We call on Russia to stop provocations, sabotage an illegal and aggressive propaganda rhetoric that denies the right for existence of a sovereign state, to give up the war against the fraternal Ukrainian people. War will not bring Russia neither moral nor economic dividends and would hurt for spheres; the possible costs of such a choice can be lives and fate of many Russians.

We urge the international community to take action to help resolve the situation, in particular to halt Russian aggression towards Ukraine.

Belarusan civil society organizations, participants of Belarusan National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (over 60 CSOs)

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