Please send this letter to: vice_president@whitehouse.gov

[Guest guest]

Dear Vice President Cheney,

 

Greetings.

 

We are members and supporters of the Hindu Religion. We are writing to

request your strong assistance.

 

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, the Hare Krishna

Society, in the country of Kazakhstan, is being persecuted by the

Kazakhstani Government.

 

The Society purchased a farm outside of the city of Almaty in 1999.

Since that time large amounts of cash have been invested and the society has

developed a beautiful yoga and meditation center.

 

Despite the fact that the President of Kazakhstan promotes religious

plurality we are being persecuted. Since October 2004 the Kazakh government

has held us in litigation with the attempt to confiscate our holdings.

 

Our property value has increased tremendously since the purchase. The

government is creating a pretense that we are breaking the laws of the

nation in order to confiscate what is legally ours.

 

The situation is bizarre. At the time of writing this letter, April 25,

2006, are members are being driven from thier homes and thier homes are

being razed.

 

They have no other place to live.

 

Sir, we have been informed that you will be visiting Kazakhstan in the near

future. We am requesting that you will help to stop the persecution which is

taking place.

 

Please help the faithful followers of Hinduism to be able to live upon thier

own property and practice thier religion with freedom of conscience.

 

I am requesting that you will bring up this point with President NA

Nazarbayev during your upcoming visit to Kazakhstan.

 

With deep respect and gratitude,

 

God bless you, Hare Krishna,

 

.............................................................................

 

Brief history of the situation:

 

In 1999 the members of the Krishna Confession of Kazkhstan purchased a

beautiful farm outside the city of Almaty, Kazakhstan.

 

Since that time substantial strides have been made in creating an

agricultural community, a home for the faithful, and the venue for a

wonderful seminars attended by devotees from Central Asia and Russia.

 

Since October 2004 there have been many attempts from the government of

Kazakhstan to push us from this property. This has been done by smear

campaigns in the media and ongoing litigation in the courts.

 

On March 29, 2006 a case was conducted in the Almaty Oblast Court. Prior to

issuing the ruling the judge declared that the legal arguments of the

government land agency had no substance and that the arguments presented by

the advocates representing our society were correct and in accordance to the

Kazakhstan legal code.

 

But after private discussion in their chambers the judges emerged and issued

a ruling against our society in which it is stated that the land be

confiscated and returned to the government. This ruling was illegal and not

based on legislation of the government of Kazakhstan.

 

We purchased the land at the market value in 1999. In 2004 we privatised the

land according to the laws of Kazakhstan in. Since this time the value of

this land has increased dramatically. The situation we have is that the

powerful government land barons want to eliminate us by any illegal process

that they may possess the land, again sell, and make astronomical profit.

 

We have neither time nor options left. Our last option is the Supreme Court

of Kazakhstan, but need-less-to-say, the legal system does not work in this

country. It is either a matter of paying for the decision or having a

powerful person order the decision.

 

The President of Kazakhstan has gained international respect for having

hosted an international religious forum in 2003. Yet, despite the talks of

religious equality and openness, he is allowing a religious society to be

illegally evicted from their legally acquired property.

 

It is an injustice performed in the name of religious equality.