#14
RFE/RL (Un)Civil Societies
Vol. 4, No. 11, 30 April 2003
(Compiled by Catherine A. Fitzpatrick)
17TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHORNOBYL DISASTER.

Marches to mark the 17th anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster this year in Ukraine and Belarus were more muted than previous years, with turnouts far less than demonstrations in the region about current human rights and economic problems, such as the 16 September 2002 antigovernment marches in Ukraine and the 12 March and 25 March protests in Belarus.

In Kyiv, hundreds of Ukrainians laid flowers and lit candles at the Chornobyl victims' chapel, the "Kyiv Post" reported on 28 April, citing AP. They lifted glasses of vodka at 1:23 a.m., the time of the explosion at Reactor No. 4 at the Chornobyl nuclear-power plant.

Experts differ on the extent of the immediate and subsequent casualties of the disaster and its aftermath. Some 4,400 people in Ukraine alone were reportedly killed in the aftermath of the explosion and subsequent fire, succumbing to radiation-related diseases contracted after taking part in the cleanup effort, AP reported. In all, about 650,000 "liquidators" or members of cleanup crews came to Chornobyl from all over the Soviet Union to cope with the disaster. The diseases and deaths of these workers have not been systematically recorded, nor necessarily attributed to Chornobyl in some cases.

More than 2.45 million people have been hospitalized in Ukraine as of early 2002 with illnesses sparked by the disaster, including 473,400 children, according to the Health Ministry, AP reported. Russian Atomic Energy Minister Aleksandr Rumyantsev warned recently that the "sarcophagus" built over the destroyed reactor could collapse and alleged that Ukrainian officials were negligent in monitoring the facility (see "Ukraine: Ecologists, Analysts Puzzled By Russian Concern Over Chornobyl Safety," rferl.org, 23 April 2003).

In Belarus, where the fallout from the radioactive cloud is said to have caused much more extensive environmental and health damage, the government of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has suppressed follow-up research and even jailed one scientist on economic charges widely believed to be politically motivated in retaliation for his independent research.

On 26 April in Minsk, about 3,000 members of the opposition gathered for their traditional "Charnobylski shlyach," or Chornobyl Procession to commemorate the victims, charter97.org, Belapan, and other new services reported. This year's march was organized by the Belarusian Popular Front Party, the United Civic Party, the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Narodnaya Hramada), the United Social-Democratic Party, and other civic groups. The organizing committee was chaired by Ivan Nikitchenko, a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences and chairman of the Popular Front. Organizers sought a permit to march from Yakub Kolas Square to a square near the Opera Theater but were denied, although police agreed not to hinder the assembly on Yakub Kolas Square.

In the event, the police did not keep to their word, blocking movement and forcing participants to cross the street in groups of 50. Nevertheless, marchers made their way to the Academy of Science, where Nikitchenko gave a speech noting that 2 million Belarusians, including half-a-million children, were said to be living on the contaminated territory, and 400,000 disabled persons were not getting the help they need.

Vintsuk Viachorka of the Popular Front Party said the opposition was accused by officials of "politicizing" Chornobyl, but the government's forced placement of people in contaminated areas was itself a political act, charter97.org reported him as saying. Viachorka also spoke of the need to require compensation from Russia, which is believed to have induced clouds laden with radioactive materials to rain on Belarusian territory to spare other populated areas of the former Soviet Union. After the speeches, led by clergy carrying the portrait of the "Mother of God of Chornobyl" and ringing the "Chornobyl Bell," the Belarusians proceeded along Skaryna Avenue to pay their respects to the victims of the disaster.

Among those who took part in the procession were members of the Soj movement, with about 1,000 members primarily made up of people who worked to clear up the aftereffects of the nuclear disaster for seven months. These "liquidators" lost their special privileges of discounted or free medical care in 1995 by decision of Lukashenka, and two years ago, the Health Ministry reduced the list of medications available for free to "liquidators." Valery Yagur told RFE/RL's Belarusian Service that the government was only providing them discounted aspirin, which was cheap in any event. "We know very well that a lot of humanitarian aid comes to Belarus," he was quoted as saying. "Where does it all go?!" He and his colleagues were particularly upset that the government had claimed in the press around the time of the date of the anniversary of the disaster that "liquidators" were receiving special privileges, when this was no longer the case.

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