CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
March, 02, 2003
http://charter97.org/eng/news/
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BELTRANSGAZ AND TRANSNAFTA COULD SIGN GAS DELIVERIES AGREEMENT BY EVENING
15:43 02/03/2004

It is possible that Beltransgaz and Trans Nafta would sign an agreement on natural
gas deliveries to Belarus, a source close to the talks informs. By the evening
the agreement with Trans Nafta on gas supplies to Belarus could be signed, we
are waiting for it, the source said.
At the same time, as RIA Novosti was informed by the source related to Gazprom,
this information cannot be confirmed yet. However, everything is possible. This
would be a short-term contract, not a agreement for a long period, he said.
The source added that this is Trans Nafta and Beltransgaz relations, and Gazprom
serves as a transportation company in this case.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/03/02/gazz

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QUARTER OF MILLION SIGNATURES IN HUMAN RIGHTS SUPPORT
15:34 02/03/2004

On the occasion of the 10th of December 2003, the day of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights, the Dutch section of Amnesty International collected more than
250.000 signatures for the protection of human rights defenders all over the
world.  These are those men and women who alone or together with others promote
and protect universally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms. In
many countries they take great risks in doing so.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/03/02/copy

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BELARUS TO DECIDE FAST NOT TO BE WEANED FROM RUSSIA GAS
14:24 02/03/2004, Itar-Tass

Twenty-four hours are left to the Belarussian government for decision-making
on the issue of Russias gas exports. The Russian company Trans Nafta will stop
gas deliveries to Belarus on Wednesday morning. Experts told Itar-Tass that Belarus,
whose gas transportation company Beltransgaz dragged its feet on renewing a contract
for gas exports, is likely to sign a new deal by Wednesday. The intrigue of the
day lies in a news conference due to be held in Moscow on Tuesday by senior executives
of Russias gas company Gazprom and its subsidiary Gazeksport.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/03/02/gaz

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IDEOLOGY IN BUSINESS
11:29 02/03/2004, Olga Mazaeva, Nezavisimaya Gazeta (Russia)

Belarus is in danger to fall into ideological idiocy. In the country a vertical
line of authority was created. It is responsible for brainwashing among population.
A recent decree of the president Lukashenka a number of ideology staff in administration
of every oblast was determined  not less than 15 people. However, the ideology
as a set of ideas is not present yet, and nobody knows what ideas to put into
common citizens minds. Last week Lukashenka signed a decree, according to which
ideological work is to be carried out at enterprises of private ownership. The
director holds personal responsibility, and one of his deputy directors is to
implement the work. But how to compel the businessmen to carry out presidents
will, the bureaucrats have not invented yet. The ideological work department
of Minsk city administration refused to comment on it to the NG, though they
declared that they have certain ideas and they are studied and worked over now.

http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/03/02/ideolog

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BELARUS HAS 24 HOURS LEFT TO SOLVE GAS PROBLEM
11:15 02/03/2004

Belarusian government has 24 hours to solve the problem of Russian natural gas
export. On Wednesday, March 3, at 9 a.m., Transnafta company is to stop gas supplies.
But as experts told ITAR-TASS correspondent, by this time Minsk would sign new
agreements with Moscow, and probably not for a month, but for a longer term.
The main intrigue is the announced press conference of Gazprom and Gazexport
management in Moscow. As a source linked to the talks supposed, ITAR-TASS informs,
it could be announced there that Belarus sells shares of its state concern Beltransgaz
on Russian terms  for 600 million dollars. 
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/03/02/gas

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SOME 10,000 BELARUSIANS VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING ANNUALLY
16:18 02/03/2004

Some 10,000 Belarusians become victims of human trafficking annually, according
to Raman Pawlyuchenka of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The total number of Belarusian victims may have reached 50,000, Mr Pawlyuchenka
said at a three-day workshop last week. Organized by the United Nations Development
Programme [UNDP] and IOM, the workshop was held at the Rawbichy sports centre
near Minsk from Friday to Sunday [27-29 February]. 
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/03/02/some

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MARYANN DELEO WINS OSCAR FOR BELARUS, UKRAINE & IRELAND
13:04 02/03/2004, UAN

Chernobyl Heart [Chornobylske Sertse], a documentary film featuring the effects
of Chornobyls radioactive fallout in Ukraine and Belarus, won an Oscar Academy
Award in America on Sunday night. The film made by Maryann DeLeo covers the cancers,
birth defects, and heart conditions suffered by "Chornobyls" children. It portrays
their suffering today as the consequence of historys most devastating nuclear
catastrophe 18 years ago.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/03/02/oscar

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BELARUS-QATAR ATHLETES
13:03 02/03/2004, AP

The Belarussian Foreign Ministry said Monday that two athletes connected to Qatar
who were detained in Moscow were Belarussian citizens. Qatar last week said two
of its nationals had been detained after arriving in Moscow from Belarus. The
detention reportedly occurred Thursday, the same day that two Russians were charged
in Qatar with murdering former rebel Chechen leader Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/03/02/katar

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PROSECUTORS OFFICE WARNS HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST
11:08 02/03/2004

On March 1 Zmitser Salawiow, a representative f the human rights center Viasna
in Navapolatsk, was summoned to the prosecutors office of the town, where he
was informed that in case he would carry out activities on behalf of the unregistered
civil association Human Rights Center Viasna and in case of carrying out some
actions on behalf of this organization, administrative sanctions would be applied
against him.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/03/02/salawiow

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CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
March, 02, 2003
http://charter97.org/eng/news/