The Council of the Belarusian Language Society named after F.Skaryna states with alarm and disturbance that recently the state television forces out the Belarusian language from the broadcasting. A lot of popular programs as well as educational ones were closed. Among them "Rodnae Slova", "Siadziba", "Take a song with you". The editorial staff of the literary and dramatic programs has actually stopped the preparation of the programs devoted to the history literature and art of our Motherland. Announcers and journalists use Russian instead of Belarusian even when reading news bulletins. And new programs that appear on the sreen are in Russian.
    Belarusian Language Society named after F.Skaryna consider such actions of the lately appointed board of the national radio and television company to be infraction of the Language Act and neglect of the people's rights. At the last population census 81,9% stated themselves Belarusians and 85,6% named Belarusian their native language.
    We require that the violent russification of the television should be stopped in our country.
    We appeal to the state authorities of the Republic of Belarus to take the necessary measures towards the Board of the national radio and television company in order to follow constitutional norms that touches on the place of the Belarusian language in our society. It is a well-known fact that language is the soul of a people. And it should be respected, especially by state mass media.

BLS Council
Mensk,3 February 2001