On August 12, 2020, two groups of girls went out to protest in Minsk, the capital city of Belarus. They put on white clothes and went barefoot out into the street. In the morning, some went to Komarovskiy Market in the center of town. Later that day, the other group gathered with flowers at the eternal flame under the victory monument. They stood together holding hands, and they started to sing the Belarusian lullaby, waiting for the police cars to arrive. They knew the police would pick them up just like that: barefoot with flowers in their hands, that they would take them to the police station, beat them up and try to humiliate them. And yet they did it anyway.
Pada 12 Agustus 2020, dua kelompok gadis melakukan protes di Minsk, ibu kota Belarusia. Mereka mengenakan pakaian putih dan turun ke jalan dengan kaki telanjang. Di pagi hari, beberapa gadis pergi ke Pasar Komarovskiy di pusat kota. Kemudian, kelompok lain berkumpul sambil membawa bunga di api abadi di bawah monumen kemenangan. Mereka berdiri bersama, bergandengan tangan dan menyanyikan lagu pengantar tidur Belarusia sambil menunggu mobil polisi datang. Mereka tahu polisi akan langsung membawa mereka, dengan bertelanjang kaki dan membawa bunga, polisi akan membawa mereka ke kantor polisi, memukuli mereka dan berusaha mempermalukan mereka. Namun, mereka tetap melakukannya.
This year, something changed in Belarus, a country of more than nine million people that has been ruled by an authoritarian leader since 1994. These young women were protesting the latest rigged election result, which had taken [place] just a few days earlier. Their small expressions of protest very quickly expanded into massive, peaceful, women-led demonstrations all across the country.
Tahun ini, ada yang berubah di Belarusia, sebuah negara dengan lebih dari sembilan juta penduduk yang dipimpin oleh pemimpin otoriter sejak 1994. Para wanita muda ini memprotes hasil pemilu curang yang baru terjadi beberapa hari sebelumnya. Protes kecil mereka dengan cepat meluas menjadi unjuk rasa damai berskala besar yang dipimpin wanita di seluruh negeri.
Within just a few days, a few hundred thousand people took to the streets and demonstrations have continued ever since, the likes of which Belarus has never seen before. All this despite the fact that the president proclaimed himself reelected and that more than 10,000 people have been detained, hundreds tortured and at least six killed.
Hanya dalam beberapa hari, ratusan ribu orang turun ke jalan dan unjuk rasa masih terus berlanjut. Peristiwa seperti itu belum pernah terjadi di Belarusia. Unjuk rasa berlanjut walau presiden menyatakan dirinya kembali terpilih dan lebih dari 10.000 orang telah ditahan, ratusan orang disiksa dan setidaknya enam orang dibunuh.
Many people wonder why the people of Belarus are speaking up now. What makes them keep taking to the streets despite unprecedented police violence, despite state lawlessness? The answer I hear the most is that people have become fearless, and it's something we have become together.
Banyak orang bertanya mengapa warga Belarusia bersuara sekarang. Apa yang membuat mereka terus turun ke jalan meski terjadi kekerasan oleh polisi dan pelanggaran hukum oleh negara? Jawaban yang paling sering saya dengar adalah orang-orang menjadi tak kenal takut, dan itu sesuatu yang dicapai bersama-sama.
Because fear is the province of one. It feeds on isolation. It doesn't discriminate: men, women, children, elderly -- all of us can feel fear, but only as long as we are on our own. Fearlessness takes two. It only works if and when we show up for each other. Show up so that your neighbor, your colleague, your friend has courage. And they will do the same for you.
Karena rasa takut tumbuh dari kesendirian. Ia tumbuh dari isolasi. Ia tak mendiskriminasi: pria, wanita, anak-anak, orang tua. Kita semua bisa merasa takut, tetapi hanya ketika kita sendirian. Rasa tak kenal takut butuh kebersamaan. Hanya bisa dirasakan saat kita hadir untuk satu sama lain. Hadirlah agar tetangga, kolega, dan teman Anda memiliki keberanian. Mereka pun akan hadir untuk Anda.
A lot has been made of my own role in the presidential election of August 2020. How I stepped in to run for my husband, Sergei, when he was jailed and it became clear that the authorities would deny him his chance to run himself; how I rightfully won the election and became the elected leader of a democratic Belarus, but the official results only gave me 10 percent of the vote and I was forced into exile with my children; how I still fight for those who voted for me and whose voice the regime wants to steal; how "fearless" I am.
Banyak peran yang telah saya lakukan dalam pemilihan presiden pada Agustus 2020. Saya mencalonkan diri untuk suami saya, Sergei, saat dia dipenjara, dan tampak jelas bahwa aparat menghalanginya mencalonkan diri. Saya menang pemilu secara sah dan menjadi pemimpin terpilih untuk Belarusia demokratis, tetapi hasil resmi hanya memberi saya 10 persen suara dan saya terpaksa diasingkan bersama anak-anak saya. Saya masih berjuang bagi mereka yang memilih saya dan mereka yang berusaha dibungkam oleh rezim. Betapa saya "tak kenal takut."
But there were many moments when I was frightened, and I wanted to step down. I was threatened and forced to believe that I'm alone in this fight. And yet the more cities I visited, the more people showed up for the rallies, the less fear I had. And then in the days before the election in Minsk, 60,000 people came to show their support for me, and I was no longer afraid.
Namun, ada banyak momen ketika saya takut dan ingin mundur. Saya diancam dan dipaksa percaya bahwa saya berjuang sendirian. Namun, makin banyak kota yang saya kunjungi, makin banyak orang yang menghadiri kampanye, ketakutan saya makin berkurang. Lalu beberapa hari sebelum pemilihan di Minsk, 60.000 orang datang untuk mendukung saya, dan saya tidak takut lagi.
I never wanted to do any of this. I was never overly political, and I never planned to run for office. I wanted to be a mom and a wife. But by fate and the will of my people, I was elevated to this position. And I accept this with a sense of duty and pride. I will not give up. And I will show up for people, because they show up for me. Our courage is born from unity. Our solidarity is our strength.
Saya tak pernah berniat melakukan ini. Saya tak terlalu politis dan tak pernah berniat mencalonkan diri. Saya ingin menjadi seorang ibu dan istri. Namun, berkat takdir dan kehendak pendukung saya, saya diangkat ke posisi ini. Saya menerimanya dengan rasa tanggung jawab dan kebanggaan. Saya tidak akan menyerah. Saya akan hadir bagi masyarakat karena mereka hadir untuk saya. Keberanian kita terlahir dari persatuan. Solidaritas kita adalah kekuatan kita.
I also now understand that being fearless is a commitment. It is a decision you make every single day. It is a responsibility you take -- responsibility for one another. In this regard, I'm no different from my fellow Belarusians. Their support is tangible. Their solidarity grows in progression. When there are two of you, you are daring. When you're 100, you are brave. When there are thousands of you, you are fearless. And once you are tens of thousands, you become invincible.
Saya kini juga memahami bahwa tak kenal takut adalah sebuah komitmen. Itu adalah keputusan yang kita buat setiap hari. Tanggung jawab yang kita pikul, tanggung jawab untuk sesama. Dalam hal ini, saya pun sama seperti masyarakat Belarusia lain. Dukungan mereka nyata. Solidaritas mereka terus berkembang. Ketika ada dua orang, kalian tegar. Saat ada 100 orang, kalian berani. Saat ada seribu orang, kalian tak kenal takut. Saat ada puluhan ribu orang, kalian menjadi tak terkalahkan.
Thank you.
Terima kasih.