A general view of the New Belarus conference鈥檚 hall during Belarus鈥� exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya鈥檚 speech in Warsaw Poland, August 6, 2023. REUTERS
WARSAW 鈥� Exiled opponents of President Alexander Lukashenko met in Poland on Sunday, on the eve of the third anniversary of their unsuccessful post-election protests, to display unity and plan strategy including the issuance of 鈥淣ew Belarus鈥� passports.
Set up in August 2022 by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the self-declared government-in exile has opened more than 20 alternative embassies and information centers abroad.
Tsikhanouskaya, 40, a former English teacher who fled after running against Lukashenko in a 2020 vote critics called rigged, said the opposition would seek international recognition for the alternative passports.
Speaking at a hotel in Warsaw to several hundred activists, including independent media and civic groups, Tsikhanouskaya urged opposition forces abroad to unite and support the creation of a 鈥淣ew Belarus鈥� movement.
鈥淯nfortunately, the past three years have taught us to always prepare for the worst. We are used to the fact that the strongest desire is not enough to change a rotten system,鈥� she said at the opposition鈥檚 second annual gathering after last year鈥檚 meeting in Lithuania.
鈥淲e are used to the fact that due to the regime鈥檚 policy, our peaceful Belarus is today called an aggressor country 鈥� and put on the same level as Russia.鈥�
Russia used ally Belarus as a launchpad for its invasion of Ukraine.
鈥楶reserve identity鈥�
Tsikhanouskaya said the opposition was organizing initiatives to promote Belarusian-language theatre, book printing and education.
鈥淭his allows us to preserve our identity 鈥� and to pass on our national values to the new generation of Belarusians,鈥� Tsikhanouskaya said.
Russia has long been the de facto first language, with use of Belarusian viewed by authorities as being pro-opposition.
Protests over Lukashenko鈥檚 2020 election win, which was officially a landslide, lasted for several months before being snuffed out by security forces, triggering a mass exodus of Belarusians.
Lukashenko has ruled Belarus with an iron first since 1994, using security forces to intimidate, beat and jail his foes or force them to flee abroad.
Tsikhanouskaya鈥檚 husband Syarhei Tsikhanouski has been in jail since 2020 after being barred from taking part in the election that his wife contested instead.
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