Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “33 years ago, the Supreme Council adopted the Republic of Belarus as the official name of our country. Along with the country’s name, it also established the Pahonia coat of arms and the white-red-white flag as the state symbols, embodying Belarusians’ long path toward freedom and independence, pursuit of justice, and right to determine our own destiny.
Today, the regime is trying to take these symbols away from us, banning them as something foreign and hostile. But no pressure, violence, or threats can erase Belarusian culture, history, and identity. And no government can steal our self-determination as it belongs not to the state, but to the people. It is a part of who we are that cannot be erased.
I am confident that the day will come when the white-red-white flag will once again fly over our country as a symbol of a free Belarus. Long Live Belarus!”
