In an exclusive interview with Rti in Lithuania, Coordination Council of Belarus President Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya shared what motivates her to fight for democracy and freedom, and how she helps Belarusians maintain their identity by promoting cultural preservation and the Belarusian language while in exile.
Tsikhanouskaya says that her biggest reason for continuing as a Belarusian opposition activist is the responsibility to help those who have sacrificed their freedom as political prisoners of the Lukashenko administration. She emphasizes that millions of Belarusian people continue to fight despite the oppression and tyranny they are experiencing, and that she strives to build a new democratic country for their children’s sake.
The opposition activist explains that the Belarusian language, which has faced near-erasure by dictatorship governments since the Soviet era, is now mainly taught underground. She elaborates that their language is their identity and what sets Belarusian people apart from the rest of the world, as well as a tool against the authoritarian regime. Tsikhanouskaya is currently trying to open a Belarusian school for children in exile, in hopes that they can return to their home country soon.
Tsikhanouskaya states that Taiwan and Belarus understand each other because both countries are fighting against dictatorships and pursuing democracy. She says that Belarus and Taiwan can share tools to fight against authoritarianism and its propaganda, and that it is the obligation of democratic countries to help those who are not free.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya ran for presidency of Belarus in 2020 on a platform of constitutional reform, free and fair elections, and presidential term limits, but was forced into exile after Alexander Lukashenko was announced the winner. The election has been declared fraudulent and Tsikhanouskaya currently leads the oppositional government from Lithuania and Poland. She has met with many world leaders and continues to advocate against the Lukashenko regime.