The Census Wants to Know Too Much About the Belarusians, the Lawyer Says

The event turned into a profanation.

Tomorrow, October 30, the population census will be completed in Belarus.

The events related to the census have already become a topic for scandals. Citizens were outraged by the questions asked, and many even stated that they would turn the scribes from the door.

To what extent is this "census" correct in the light of the rights and freedoms of citizens? What will happen to the information?

Harry Pahaniaila, chairman of the legal commission of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, answers the questions of Charter97.org:

- The mass media are increasingly publishing scandalous cases related to the census. For example, people report that a scriber asks only for his name, address and personal number and runs away, saying that all the rest will be written down on their own. How would you comment on that?

- Firstly, it is a real profanation instead of a census. The census forms have many questions that invade privacy that the state should stay away from. Many people who visited the website to answer questions online got convinced that the state went beyond the verge of powers.

The authorities want to know much more about Belarusians than the census needs.

Secondly, the very activity of the "scribes" - when they sometimes come with the police - worries people and even frightens them.

The fact that "scribes" ask only several questions and run away proves only formal nature of the census. After all, the authorities have enough personal data about Belarusians. If they know the identification number of our passport, they can come up with the rest.

As a result, they will then present the census forms allegedly on behalf of citizens and everything will be fine.

- The scribes approach people in public transport and start collecting data there. At the same time, they admit that many things are taken off the wall. Are such actions legal?

- This is a gross violation of procedures and rules. The census is confidential and the relevant rules must be respected. Therefore, it is unacceptable to fill in the census forms in public transport or other public places and to talk on these topics at all! This is another proof of the formal nature of this census and the fact that our country has no guarantee for the respect of citizens' rights.

The totalitarian regime needs formal answers. Then the authorities will finalize and present these statistics. Then, they will refer to these data in their political and ideological interests, explaining the "party policy line". It is allegedly aimed at ensuring the rights of citizens, their social needs and other things that the authorities are "going to" do to satisfy the will of citizens.

- In self-defence, the scribes say the following: "the application on the tablets constantly loses connection with the server, but the copied addresses do not disappear from the lists and we visit people again. They get nervous, so we take the data off the wall". What can we say about the quality of such a census?

- Regardless of Lukashenka's boasting of his "IT" technologies and aspirations in this area, all this is still in such an embryonic state that it is simply impossible to ensure the normal operation of their digital technologies used in the census. They miss to insure it on the technical level. Their specialists lack the skills to make everything properly. That's why everything goes wrong.

- It is common for people to take part in the census on the Internet. But a census taker comes and demands to do it again. They say, the system "did not accept" it. Those who refuse are threatened by the police. How legal are their actions?

- They go too far! The census takers are required to provide filled-in census forms. They cannot provide this for technical, organizational or other reasons. But the management puts pressure on them.

It is a problem of our state that it is not good for us. It's the wrong side the authorities started from. They did not prepare properly for the census, although they had 10 years for it.

Everything is done wrong.

- People pay attention to the fact that the census has no mechanism to control the subsequent manipulation of data. Namely, there is no original paper form filled in by a citizen, that has to go through the procedure of registration. To put it simply, not only a census taker can put any data on a tablet, but it can be distorted in the process of processing and one will not prove anything. What do you think about it?

- First of all, very comprehensive and substantial legislation on databases should be adopted. There is a violation of citizens' rights to privacy and family life.

The new legislation should stipulate the rights, first of all, of those who provide this data. These rights need to be protected in court as well. Now we have almost no provision for this.

Unfortunately, the authorities will use all the information they have in the "databases". For example, they will decide to use the database of "parasites". Hundreds of thousands of citizens have been unreasonably registered as "parasites". Already now they have to prove the opposite in a humiliating procedure.

- The Constitution guarantees the right of citizens not to testify against themselves. Is it possible to refuse to participate in the census based on this or any other grounds?

- This is a presumption of innocence. It is mainly used in criminal law. And the census is a matter of free will. I can provide data only if I want to. There shouldn't be any "obligation"!

The reaction of the majority shows that they do not want to cooperate with this bastard "state". That is all. There is no responsibility for the unwillingness of citizens to participate in the census.

I turned census takers from the door and told them: "As long as the government locates on Sovetskaya Street, and there is Lenin monument in front of the government house, I don't want to have any business with this "state". Change the essence of this state, then I will become its citizen.

That is, I do not want to be a formal citizen with a passport, but a real one. But so far, as they say, "I love the country, but I hate the state!"

If you like this article, you can support the website Charter97.org

MULTI-CURRENCY ACCOUNT FOR ASSISTANCE:

Bank's name: Bank Millennium S.A.
Address: ul. Stanislawa Zaryna, 2A, 02-593, Warszawa
IBAN: PL 97 1160 2202 0000 0002 1671 1123
SWIFT: BIGBPLPW
Name of the account holder: Fundacja “KARTA ‘97”
Purpose/title of payment: Donation for statuary aims

You can contact us by the e-mail [email protected]