BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

20/03/2008

Belarus celebrates its Freedom Day

On March 25, Belarus celebrates its Freedom Day, which marks the 90th anniversary of the creation of the Belarusian People's Republic. Malgorzata Nocun writes: "Why did such an insignificant state become part of the national myth? It barely existed for a year; its demise began when the Red Army marched into Minsk. ... But it was in 1918 that a state entity called 'Belarus' emerged for the first time in history. This set a precedent. It paved the way for the proclamation of the Belorussian Socialist Soviet Republic - as part of the USSR. For 17 years now Belarus has been an independent state. On March 25 the people will take to the streets and stage their traditional protests against the despot, Lukashenko."

Source:

http://europe.courrierinternational.com/eurotopics/article.asp?langue=uk&publication=20/03/2008&cat=POLITICS&pi=3

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