THE ESSAY ON THE MARCH OF HATE
Mygood Jewish friend has called me from Canada:
“Mr.Pazniak, you are constantly defending the Polish people. Well, looknow how the Polish fascism is dancing on the Belarusian bones inHajnowka. Look at the Internet, your Svaboda is showing this”.
Ihave looked at the Internet. I didn’t find any fascism, but theshow was regretful. I’d say it’s extraordinary for XXth centuryand for an EU country. The point is that February 24, this year thePolish chauvinists have carried on a march to commemorate the Polishorganizer of the genocide of the Belarusian population in Bialystokregion Romuald Rajs (alias “Bury”), the chief of the ArmiaKrajowa (Home Army) detachment. They have presented him as a hero anda fighter against the communism. By his order the members the ArmiaKrajowa burned the Belarusian villages with the inhabitants in theBialystok region in 1946. They killed the small children, requiredthat the Belarusian population escaped on the other shore of theriver Bug, shoot the persons in accordance with their nationality andreligion. The Polish Institute of the National Memory has qualifiedthese actions as the killings defined as the genocide.
Themarch of hate in Hajnowka is shocking. It is a cynical and immoralaction. Its participants have chosen a criminal motto We Don't CareAbout the Grief of Others as a slogan of their behavior. They came toglorify a killer to the region where are the tombs of his victims andlive the witnesses of the tragedy.
Suchbehavior is deeply immoral and is provoking the hate. Theadministration of any democratic country would institute proceedingsagainst the organizers of such march of hate. But the stateadministration doesn’t react. This fact raises considerations.
Themembers of the organization Citizens of RP have saved the Polishhonour to some extent. They have created a sensitive and intelligentvideo clip in Belarusian language and come to Hajnowka to support thevictims. And what we have seen? The police surrounded a small groupof these activists which have come to support the Belarusian peoplein this region of Poland. The police forces have opened the road tothe chauvinists. But the more notable action took place after thecolumn of the pseudo-fighters in stylized military uniforms hadwalked away. Without any reason the police begun to grasp theprotesters against the chauvinist march and pull them to the policecars. Moreover, the police acted mostly against the women. All thisreminded me of the Lukashenka regime.
Itis no doubt on which side is the state power (by the way, theadministration could forbid this march of hate). Nevertheless, thehuman blood is not water. This event is a disturbing message for allthe Belarusians. The Polish state power should explain thissituation.
TheBelarusian journalists have asked some Polish intellectuals about theglorification of the acts of genocide carried on by Rajs. Theiranswers were shocking. It seems, these persons are not educated. Theydo not know the elementary norms of the jurisprudence. They have saidthat Rajs had fought against the communism and that he had done notonly the bad things, but good things as well. This is XXth century.The chauvinism always made stupid.
Thecriminal is on trial for his criminal act. It is no provision madefor the fact that he has made some good things as well. Hitler hasfought against the communism as well. The talented producer, who hascreated the works of art, is on trial because he had raped theminors. Any merits could not save him of the responsibility beforethe Law for his criminal acts, moreover for his criminal acts againstthe humanity.
RecentlyPoland has complicated relations with all its neighbours, even withthe EU. Poland has good relations only with Belarus – with Belaruswhich represents an alternative to the Lukashenka regime. Probably,the marches of hate are intended to get rid of this friend in theEast. And, well, that's when Russia will remain the unique friend.This seems a paradox, but the history has many paradoxes.
Matterof fact, the repentance is the unique road to put out of the hateagainst the humanity. It is necessary to repent and to draw the line.The Germans are the unique nation which has made this. Their countrywas annihilated, destroyed and humiliated. After the war Germany wasforced to pay the colossal reparations for generations. Well, as aresult the God has compensated so generously their sincererepentance.
ZianonPAZNIAK
Chairmanof the Conservative Christian Party – BPF and
TheBelarusian People’s Front “Adradzhennie”,
Chairmanof the parliamentary Opposition of the Belarusian People’s Front
inthe Supreme Soviet of Belarus of 12thconvocation
February26, 2018