What did Lukashenka mean by control of information channels?
A new law on information control is being worked out in Belarus, Alyaksandr Lukashenka suddenly announced answering MPs’ questions on April 21.
"We want the Internet to be controlled by an international organization according to certain rules. Otherwise, every country would start defending its national interests on its own. Ananich (Minister of Information Liliya Ananich – Euroradio) and others are working on it now. They will present their legislative initiatives to me,” Lukashenka announced.
Belarus supports the idea of the creation of a new global mechanism for the regulation of the Internet. It may be some international organization. However, it is difficult to create it now so it is necessary to control information distribution within the country, Alyaksandr Lukashenka believes.
What could it mean? Belarus is already in the 167th position in the freedom of mass media rankings. The authorities already control the Internet in Belarus, media expert Paulyuk Bykouski thinks. However, they cannot do it everywhere and all the time. There is a list of resources that should not be visited and employees of state organizations cannot visit them at work. The authorities want to make a list of resources blocked for all Belarusians, Bykouski said. The current restrictions apply only to state institutions or may be created for users if the personally ask for it.
The government may introduce responsibility for the distribution of rumours or false information, Paulyuk Bykouski admitted:
"They may decide to struggle with the distribution of rumours and libel like they did after the blast in Minsk metro when they promised to punish people for the distribution of false information.”
The request to work out a new approach to the control of information channels corresponds to the general policy of the country’s development, lawyer and chairperson of the Belarusian Association of Journalists Andrei Bastunets said:
"They are imposing new restrictions on various sources of information distribution. Unfortunately, this is the country’s policy,” the chairperson of the Belarusian Association of Journalists said.
BAJ is preparing to send an inquiry to the Ministry of Information in order to ask officials to explain the new law. We will wait for the reply.
