The Belarusian leader delivered a speech at the opening of the international conference “Imprisoned Rationality, Philosophy in Prison”, organized in solidarity with politically imprisoned Belarusian philosopher Uladzimir Matskevich. In her speech, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya emphasized the importance of knowledge and freedom of thought in a democratic society and emphasized the regime’s pressure on intellectuals in Belarus.
Here’s Ms. Tsikhanouskaya’s speech:
“Dear rector Petrauskas,
Excellencies, friends,
Дарагія беларускія сябры
It’s an honor to welcome you all to this powerful conference on “Philosophy in Prison”.
First and foremost, I extend my heartfelt thanks to the organizers — Vilnius University and Warsaw University — for your unwavering solidarity and deep understanding of the Belarusian cause. Your support means the world to our colleagues and friends in Belarus.
As we speak, the regime in Minsk wants our country to be isolated from the Western world and European civilization, politically and intellectually. Thank you for not letting this happen.
Our imprisoned philosopher Uladzimir Matskevich wrote that, in totalitarian societies, “anyone who puts in doubt dominating ideals and values is regarded as a criminal. Those who have different ideals and values are to be reformed and reeducated, and until then, isolated.”
You may say that Uladzimir predicted his own fate. But it was not so hard to predict. Such a brave intellectual, such a vocal defender of democracy as Uladzimir couldn’t stay free when the whole country became one prison.
And, unfortunately, it remains a prison. Thousands of political prisoners remain behind bars. Among them, there are scientists, artists and scholars. Our intellectual elite.
Today, Belarus is ranked 176th in the world for academic freedom, alongside dictatorships like Myanmar and North Korea.
This is just an alarming indicator of where our country could end up if there are no changes and no democracy.
Democracy can’t do without knowledge, and true knowledge requires freedom. Freedom to explore, to learn, to discover. Only democratic society guarantees this freedom.
But power in Belarus, today, doesn’t need knowledge! They don’t even need to know what the people really think. They don’t need experts, they need servants. Truth is sacrificed to the aggressive ideology of “russkiy mir”.
Dictators’ power isn’t based on knowledge of truth, it’s based on physical violence, in the first place. But violence is also performed on human reason.
When you are forced, in order to stay in your profession, to call “right” what is wrong, and vice versa, it’s violence against your mind and soul. You may preserve your chair, but you lose credibility as an intellectual. Unfortunately, this is the case with many academics in Belarus today.
Telling truth to power, this is the freedom that a real philosopher can’t give up. He or she must always speak up against injustice and madness of the powerful.
This is exactly what Uladzimir Matskevich did, what Tatsiana Vadalazhskaya did, this is what Ales Bialiatski, Valeryia Kastsiuhova, Aliaksandr Fiaduta, Jahor Lebiadok, Ihar Melnikau, Mikola Dziadok and many others did.
I can’t imagine how so-called pro-regime experts can have a sound sleep, when their former colleagues can barely sleep in cold cells, deprived of their basic needs, medical treatment, etc. It’s one of the basest things, when you make your opponent shut up by locking him in.
But you can’t lock the truth in. It will get out anyway, sooner or later.
Remaining true to yourself even in prison, this is what only a real philosopher can do. We are proud of our thinkers, and we demand their immediate release. It’s our duty to get them out of jail, together with all the political prisoners.
Let me once again thank Warsaw university and Vilnius university for their solidarity with our intellectual community.
Thank you for welcoming repressed professors and students from Belarus. We don’t want our intellectuals in exile to stay jobless and homeless. And we are grateful that you give them work, help them develop their skills.
The same important work you do teaching Belarusian students, our future intellectual elite. Thank you very much for providing them scholarships and a space to think. “Think Belarus”, as Uladzimir Matskevich put it.
We all dream of Belarus where thinking and telling the truth won’t be a crime. Where intellectuals won’t be marginalized and thrown behind bars.
And I’m certain that this dream will come true. Such creative and talented people as Belarusians can’t put up with tyranny for long.
As another imprisoned philosopher, Vaclav Havel, said, “Truth and love will prevail over lies and hatred”. Let’s work together toward this end.
Thank you, zhyve Belarus!”
