MINSK (Reuters) - Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Sunday that public protests against his rule were part of a plan to overthrow the government -- which he would never allow.
The former Soviet republic has been struggling for months to overcome a currency crisis and devalued its rouble by 36 percent last month in an attempt to plug a large current account deficit largely caused by Lukashenko's populist policies.
This has led to price hikes and shortages of some goods. Belarus expects inflation of up to 39 percent this year, higher than any other country in the world.
With incomes and savings wiped out, thousands of Belarussians have started taking part in regular protest rallies coordinated through social networks.
Protesters in most cases don't chant any slogans or carry banners, but simply clap their hands in unison instead.
But Lukashenko has warned he would clamp down on such rallies and dozens of protesters have been detained and fined this month.
Speaking in Minsk before a military parade on Belarus's Independence Day, Lukashenko said he viewed public protests as part of a plot to overthrow him.
"(Somebody) is trying to copy a 'coloured revolution' scenario here," he said, referring to a series of peaceful protests that led to the change of leadership in ex-Soviet republics such as Georgia and Ukraine in 2003-2004.
"They want to put us on our knees," Lukashenko, dressed in military uniform," he told thousands of Belarussians who attended the parade. "This is not going to happen."
Young protesters had been urged through social networking websites to attend the parade in downtown Minsk and start clapping as soon as Lukashenko begins his Independence Day speech.
A Reuters correspondent saw at least one person who began clapping and was quickly led away by plainclothes policemen.
Lukashenko, 56, has run the nation of 10 million since 1994, keeping in place a Soviet-style economic system with government-dominated economy and a generous welfare net.
His government raised wages by 40 percent and stimulated the economy with cheap loans in the run-up to the December 2010 presidential election, helping him secure a fourth term in office.
However, his re-election was met with a large public protest and criticism from Western monitors over alleged vote-rigging.
At the same time, the overheated economy sharply increased imports, depleting the country's foreign currency reserves and leading to the current crisis.
(Reporting by Richard Balmforth and Andrei Makhovsky; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Michael Roddy)