MINSK, BELARUS (AP) _ ABOUT 200 BELARUSIAN PARENTS AND PUBLIC ACTIVISTS RALLIED IN CENTRAL MINSK ON WEDNESDAY TO PROTEST THE INCREASING USE OF RUSSIAN AS THE PRIMARY LANGUAGE FOR EDUCATING CHILDREN.

ONLY 30 PERCENT OF BELARUSIAN PUPILS GO TO SCHOOLS WHERE THE PRIMARY LANGUAGE OF TEACHING IS BELARUSIAN, SAID ALEXANDER SIDYAKA, DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE BELARUSIAN LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION, WHICH ORGANIZED THE RALLY.

BELARUS' AUTHORITARIAN PRESIDENT ALEXANDER LUKASHENKO IS AN OPEN ADMIRER OF THE SOVIET UNION AND SEEKS TO REVIVE CLOSE TIES WITH MOSCOW. TWO YEARS AGO, HE MADE RUSSIAN AN OFFICIAL LANGUAGE, ALONG WITH BELARUSIAN.

BELARUSIAN SHARES A COMMON SLAVIC ROOT WITH RUSSIAN, BUT IS SUFFICIENTLY DIFFERENT THAT IT IS DIFFICULT FOR RUSSIAN SPEAKERS TO UNDERSTAND.

RALLY PARTICIPANTS CHARGED THAT AUTHORITIES HARASSED PARENTS WHOSE CHILDREN WENT TO BELARUSIAN-LANGUAGE SCHOOLS AND FORCEFULLY TRANSFERRED SUCH SCHOOLS TO RUSSIAN-LANGUAGE EDUCATION.

SIX YEARS AGO, AT THE START OF BELARUS' INDEPENDENCE FROM THE SOVIET UNION, UP TO 70 PERCENT OF THE NATION'S STUDENTS WENT TO SCHOOLS WHERE THE PRIMARY LANGUAGE OF TEACHING WAS BELARUSIAN.

16 SEP 98