Union of Poles in Belarus

Office of the organization in Hrodna

The Union of Poles in Belarus (Polish: Związek Polaków na Białorusi, Belarusian: Саюз Палякаў Беларусі) is an organization located in Belarus. The group, which has a membership of 20,000 people, represents the Polish minority in Belarus, numbering about 400,000, as per official data (and much higher according to unofficial estimates).

Lately, the group has received international attention due to the Belarusian Government cracking down on the group and their activities. The leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, has accused Poland and the European Union of trying to use the group to create an uprising similar to what took place in Ukraine, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan.

Since 2005, there are two groups using the above name. The first, is that led by Andżelika Borys which is prohibited by Belarus government. The second, has the support of the Belarus government, and is led by Stanisław Siemaszko.

External links

• Bordering on madness:Belarus mistreats its Polish minority, The Economist, Jun 16th 2005
• Polish-Belarusian relations STATEMENT OF THE POLISH MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, July 28th, 2005
• Embassy of Belarus in the USA - On State Policy of the Republic of Belarus in the Sphere of Interethnic Relations - Specifics of the Developments Around the «Union of Poles in Belarus»
• The Union Of Poles Mistreated In Belarus