Creating tensions between Poland and Lithuania is a geopolitical crime

We are with Ukrainians in Maidan, whom strive for democracy and we are here with you, because something wrong is happening with the rights of ethnic minorities in Lithuania- a member of the Polish Parliament has been convincing, it’s a person from Šalčininkai( Soleczniki) also a deputy chairman of ’Law and Justice’(a Polish political  party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość) – Adam Lipiński.

“ We have to execute  judgement of a court, but it is about foundations of our civilisation. Poland and Lithuania are in the European Union. In the Union there are rules, that one and all can speak their own language”- Mariusz  Błaszczak, a chairman of the Parliamentary Club of   the  Law and Justice’,  journalists informed.

Desperation in a community

The Polish representatives arrived in Lithuania, invited by  Lithuanian Republic’s vice chairman- Jarosław Narkiewicz,  to once again familiarise with the situation of ethnic minorities rights’ respecting in Lithuania. Politicians of the Law and Justice transferred 30 thousand zlotys  into a special bank account, to cover costs of Boleslaw Daszkiewicz’s punishment, whom being a director of Šalčininkai Region’s  administration hadn’t  executed  the court decision re removing bilingual signs  from  private estates.

“ We are grateful that these people responded to our probably not an appeal, but an invitation. The invitation was addressed to all of the leaders of the Polish parliamentary parties. The invitation was simple,  to realize the seriousness of a situation.”- said Narkiewicz during a meeting with Polish minority in the J. Śniadecki  Secondary High School in Šalčininkai. According to the politician of Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania, the riots will not be run in Lithuania as it has happened  in Ukraine, but the situation is serious and desperation of a society is growing.

Lithuanian law is wrong.

The Polish politicians before the meeting answered the question of Lithuanian journalists-     “ We believe that everyone should support those, whom champion respecting the rights of minorities, all the minorities in every country. In Poland it is like that, by the Lithuanian border, in Punsk, the names of places or schools are bilingual. This is a EU’s norm. This norm is followed in Poland. We think that it should be respected also in Lithuania”- Błaszczak declared in an introduction.  Questioned, by a journalist,  if court sentences have to be executed, the chairman of Parliamentary Club the Law and Justice, answered  like this: “ The judgement of the court has to be executed, but it is about foundations of our civilisation. Poland and Lithuania are in the European Union. In the Union there are certain rules, that everyone may speak their own language.”

“I wanted to say one thing unambiguously. In Poland, there was not and there will not be a case of punishing someone, whom in the area of their private property would place a non-Polish inscription. It does not fit in our political categories. We wonder a little bit , due to the fact, that there is such a praxis in Lithuania and we want to convince the Lithuanian parliamentarians to shift  the law in this particular case.”- Lipiński completed  the speech of his friend.

According to Lipiński, the actions of the Polish politicians are not directed against Lithuania, however, there are some points, which should be changed. “ In Belarus, exist the cases of penalizing people for their political views. These people are imprisoned and we also manifest solidarity with them. Hence, we can be charged with undermining Belarussian law. Sometimes a law is wrong and in this regard the Lithuanian law is wrong. It is wrong inter alia because it doesn’t contain the Law on National Minorities”- declared the Polish politician.

The Vilnius Region and Maidan

After a short meeting with journalists, the politicians of the Law and Justice met representatives of Polish minority.

“We answered the invitation because we want to be supportive towards our compatriots, whom are preserving Polish traditions, but simultaneously they are the citizens of Lithuanian Republic. From generations they live in the country.”- said Błaszczak to gathered people. “ I would like to thank you for the invitation and also apologise, that chairman Kaczyński couldn’t have arrived. Albeit, he is greeting all of you”- added Lipiński.

“Where does the interest of the Law and Justice, about Polish minority in Lithuania come from? Some accuse us of doing political businesses, by the way. From the start, our formation have been dealing with human right ’s protection and democratic values. The Law and Justice was established by the activists of the Centre Agreement and the people, whom have been functioning in democratic opposition, yet in 70’s. Later, they have been setting up the Independent Self-governing Trade Union “Solidarity”, and working for anticommunist opposition. We are extremely sensitive, when it comes to human right’ s respecting. The Law and Justice is present in these places of Europe, where something wrong is happening. Currently, we are in Maidan, where Ukrainians fight. We have been and we still are present in Belarus. We are also with you, because we tend to believe, that it is bad situation in Lithuania, with regard to rights of the Polish. We will do anything to change this situation”- Lipiński explained the aims of today’s meeting to gathered people.

The deputy chairman of the Law and Justice emphasised, that the current actions of Lithuanian government, which exacerbate tensions between the nations, are the geopolitical crime. “ Because creating tensions between Poland and Lithuania, owing to a citizen of Lithuania, whom poses on their house a sign in Polish, is perceived as the geopolitical crime. Too many things connect us, I’m talking about The Polish and the Lithuanian, to argue about such trivial matters as Polish signs on Lithuanian houses, whether Lithuanian signs on Polish houses”- declared the politician.

Source: http://zw.lt/wilno-wilenszczyzna/tworzenie-napiec-miedzy-polska-litwa-jest-zbrodnia-geopolityczna/

Tłumaczenie by Paulina Sulowska w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Paulina Sulowska within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.