The Iron Fist Returns - Belarus

Aug 1998
The end of the Soviet Union was supposed to end mindless suppression, but in Belarus, some say Stalins's ghost is rising.

After 4 years of increasingly dictatorial rule, President Lukashenko has rolled back personal liberties and put back the iron fist of the state. For Belarusians it's as if Glasnost and independence never happened. In a rare protest, old men and head-scarfed mothers are bundled into the back of police vans. One man is not even fit enough to step-up into the van, yet the truncheon battering at his back is unceasing. This is a president who rules with the police and the KGB by his side. The former Deputy foreign minister now fears Lukashenko has become mentally unbalanced. This is after all a man who expresses ardent admiration for Hitler. And, after preaching the rhetoric of Belarusian nationalism, stunned everyone with moves to re-unite with Russia. For film director Yuri, Lukashenko is a perfect vehicle for comedy. His satirical profile of the president was instantly banned but shown to wide acclaim in Western Europe. Predictably for Belarus, it took only two days for some government thugs to wipe the smile off Yuri's face. Many believe Lukashenko's moves to Russian re-unification are simply a veiled attempt to open the doors to the Russian presidency. We wait to see how far this Belarusian strongman's career can go.

Produced by ABC Australia
Distributed by Journeyman Pictures

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Belarus
• Soviet
• Union
• Stalin
• President
• Lukashenko
• KGB
• Journeyman
• Pictures
• news
• documentary
• current affairs
• journeyman
• journeyman pictures

[lynus111]

Belarus is a nice place, Ok Lukashenka is an idiot, but I would hate to see this country lose what it has,

The reason he survives is because so many Belarusians don't want the west/east tug of war like what happened in Ukraine and watching that country go down the toilet, financially and economically. I can't really blame them.

[wnxsilence]

Another EXTREMELY biased Western documentary, these lieing English journalists denounce anyone who refuses to be NATO's whore.

Why don't you Anglo-American propagandists go critisize Saudi Arabia? A theocratic dictatorship, and monarchy which beheads people in public....Oh I forgot, you guys kiss Saudi ass for their Oil.

The U.S and U.K have supported countless brutal dictators, world wide. Shah Pahlavi, Saddam Hussein, Batista, Trujillo, Mobutu, Pinochet...all good friends of the West.

[AntyakupanKcod1]

Fuck Lukashenko! Fuck Dictator!

[StellandBlood]

Well done Belarus,you can´t even imagine how valuable are the things you possess,wich my country was like Belarus,free from american poison.

Suppress all democrats and capitalists,they will guide you to great riches,until dropping you in the mud,having sacked and enslaved your whole country,and poisoning everybody mentally with the consumerist fever,then there is no return.

[RbVDK]

@CCCPSovietSoldier

It must be awful for communists like you. You have to use a capitalist computer, a capitalist internet and post on a capitalist website :( poor you

[lesleyhenriquez]

@wnxsilence Pahlavi, Batista, Pinochet. They were good guys. The others were not, agreed.

[bogda011288]

я хуею с вас америкосов,куда вы лезите епт?

[TruthApple88]

This Documentary= "No Macdonalds or decadent consumerism???? Blasphemy!" 

[UAPLNL]

@eulex10 YES, REALLY GOOD REMARK!!!

IS UK AS SAFE ON STREET IN THE EVENING AS BELARUS? ONE CAN BE STABBED TO DEATH AFTER 5 PM IN UK. BELARUSSIANS SURELY WOULD NEVER BELIVE THAT ITS HAPPENING IN THE COUNTRY OF GENTELMEN, THE UK....

[UAPLNL]

I wonder when reat UK will declare itself radical islam- free country..??????????

´

The only escape to convert and then you for sure please all pakis whoalready fuck your bloody british ass!!!!

[jethro035181]

i just want to let all of you guys who don't like lukashenko, that george w. bush is free and available

[James89RL]

fuck your shitty commie gov and your dumb ass people who know shit just like you stupid soviet dumb asses!