Right before the Easter “Nasha Niva” got a letter from Minsk city executive committee. It has it: “the allocation of “Nasha Niva” in Minsk is not appropriate”. The motivation is as follows: “… it has been ascertained … that the 22th of March the editor-in-chief of “Nasha Niva” was put under administrative arrest for 10 days”. (18-APR06)

photo by ByMedia.net

It is worth while reminding that,  the editor was detained while getting off bus at Kastrychnickaja square on March, 21st (at the time of post-election protests), Later he was convicted of “foul language”.

The last link in smothering “Nasha Niva”.
The authorities try to close the last link in smothering “Nasha Niva”. Since January, 1st, distribution of the paper was banned under various pretexts by the monopolists “Bielsajuzdruk”, “Minharsajuzdruk”, “Minablsajuzdruk”; and “Bielposhta” did not let the paper into the subscription catalogue. On April, 10th, after a considerable delay, the Ministry of Communications didn’t comply with “Nasha Niva” request to acquire a license for independent subscription. That very date is put on the mail from Minsk executive committee, prepared by the department of ideology and signed by vice-chairman M.Ciciankou. It means the ban on “Nasha Niva” company existence.

Decision of “the department of ideology”
The authorities are cynically closing down “Nasha Niva” on the eve of its 100th anniversary. In 1915 the first “NN” was closed after Vilnius was occupied by German troops. In 2006 same thing is carried out by the Lukashenka administration.

The authorities used to keep some visibility of legal proceedings. Newspapers paused or ceased to exist according to court decisions and those of the Ministry of Information. Now a mere decision of “the department of ideology” is enough. Legally this is absurd. The Press law presupposes no permits for newspaper allocation from any kind of ideological departments. Furthermore, activity of an enterprise can not depend on administrative penalties imposed on its manager.

The extermination of cultural alternatives
“Nasha Niva” never broke the law. It is indicative that the paper hasn’t even had notifications from the Ministry of Information for the last four years.
The first Belarusan newspaper is being closed down.The last independent paper, fully in Belarusan, is being closed down.The attempt at “Nasha Niva” is a symbolical beginning of Alaksandar Lukashenka’s third term.
The last Belarusan-speaking lyceum is closed. Belarusan-speaking rock-groups are banned from the radio and TV. The process of closing up the Union of writers has been launched. Dozens of newspapers are banned, starting up own radio and TV in Belarusian language is illegal. The extermination of cultural alternatives is elevated to the rank of state policy. Single-level Soviet identity is imposed to people. Today it is a question of not saving “Nasha Niva” or independent press only. Salvation of Belarusan cultural identity as such is at issue now.

Age-old cultural tradition of a whole people mustn’t become extinct in the Europe of the 21st century.

Appeal to UNESCO
In such conditions we ask the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture to apply to UNESCO for including the newspaper “Nasha Niva” into the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Lithuania has the moral right to do it, since “Nasha Niva” was issued in Vilnius in 1906-1915 and 1991-1996. 100th anniversary of the paper which had set up Belarusian literary language, Belarusian classic literature, Belarusian state idea is a good occasion for that. We ask the governments of other countries, international and non-government institutions, which have such a right, to support this application with UNESCO. This symbolic step may be the last thing the world can do for the Belarusian press.

Appeal to international community
We also appeal to international community to immediately intensify their support of all independent Belarusan mass media ever existing.

Appeal to our readers
We appeal to our readers to be self-possessed and optimistic.
“Nasha Niva” is being closed, but “Nasha Niva” has to go on. As an edition read by thousands of people, as a national symbol.