Kazakhstan Update

[Guest guest]

Dear Devotees,

 

Please accept my obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

By now, most of you have received earlier e-mails describing the situation

in Kazakhstan's ISKCON community, Sri Vrindavana Dhama/Palace of the Soul.

 

In brief, the local court has passed an illegal ordinance, enforcing the

governments repossession and destruction of land legally purchased by ISKCON

and privatised through government approved means.

 

People are losing theirhomes, their livelihood, their possesions, and

their dignity. This is an embarrasing and pronounced violation of human

and religious rights.

 

Please find footage of the forceful, and illegal, attack, on the Kazakhstan

devotees, and their homes, earlier today, here:

 

http://www.palaceofthesoul.com/media/confrontation/confrontation320x240.wmv

 

(The footage may take a few moments to load. If clicking the link does not

work, please cut and paste it into the address bar of your web browser.)

 

In this footage, you will see the residents of Sri Vrindavana Dhama/Palace

of the Soul peacefully protesting while they are attacked, harrassed, and

assaulted by police and court officials and while bulldozers roll onto their

property to destroy their homes.

 

This must end. We must all get involved and we must do it now.

 

Please consider doing any of the following:

 

(1) Contact your local branch of Amnesty International (www.amnestyusa.org

<http://www.amnestyusa.org/> or www.amnesty.org <http://www.amnesty.org/>

) and describe the situation to them. Ask what can be done and speak with

their advisors to determine how to take, and inspire, action for restoration

of the Kazakhstan devotees' religious and human rights.

 

 

(2) See the below list of telephone and fax numbers and make an endeavour to

contact the government of Kazakhstan and its associated branches, to voice

your protest. The numbers are often difficult to get through to. Keep

trying! When you do get through, INSIST on speaking to someone who speaks

fluent English (unless, of course, you are fluent in Russian or

Kazakhstani).

 

Presidential Office: +7 (3172) 152634, 152920, 152107 +7 (3172) 324558

Presidential PR department: +7 (3172) 744051

 

Administration of the President: +7 (3172) 151203, fax +7 (3172) 324480

 

Prosecutor's office of RK +7 (3172) 712868, 214025, 712500

 

Senate +7 (3172) 153195, 153239, 327710

 

Senate PR department: +7 (3172) 153295, 153505 fax +7 (3172) 334639

 

Committee on Religious Affairs Mr. Yeraly Lukpanovich Tugzhanov +7 (3172)

152497, 152217, 152690 fax +7 (3172) 328356

 

Prime Minister Mr. Danial Akhmetov +7 (3172) 152035, 152027

 

Almaty Regional Land Department Mr. Nauryzbai Asanbayevich Taubayev +7

(3272) 270125

 

Almaty Regional Hakim Mr. Serik Abikenovich Umbetov +7 (3282) 271753

 

Karasai District Hakim Bolat-bi Satynbayevich Kutpanov +7 (32771) 21142,

21709

 

Karasai District Court: +7 (32771) 20899

 

Court executive Ms. R. Baimukhanbetova +7 (32771) 22030

 

As earlier communiques from Kazakhstan have already explained, the following

arguments may be presented:

 

"(A) Law-obedient citizens are deprived of their homes and thrown to the

street. All of them have lawfully acquired the right of ownership for their

plots of land, they have paid all the taxes and membership charges.

 

(B) The Hakim (Governor) of the district accuses the owners that they never

had their property privatized. However the members of the community

repeatedly applied to the Hakim for his permission to make the acts of

ownership for their cottages and plots but he repeatedly refused. Without

his sanction for privatization one cannot make needed documentation for the

cottages.

 

© The devotees' houses are located on the territory of a Consumers

Cooperative. There are 120 members of this Cooperative. However the claims

are brought only against the members of the religious society. In each and

every claim the connection of the defendants to the Religious Organization

Society for Krishna Consciousness has been illustrated. This is a direct and

flagrant violation of human rights and freedoms which are guaranteed by the

Constitution of Kazakhstan.

 

(D) Confiscation of property without compensation is possible only in a

criminal case. Ours is a civil case. It is not a criminal case.

 

(E) According to the law, the citizens whose property is confiscated are

given at least 5 days to prepare for the execution of the court decision. In

our case we have another transgression of the law as we were given less than

one day."

 

Please contact any media connections you may have. Public knowledge of

conspiracy and exploitation often serves well to eliminate it.

 

Please also contact the government of Kazakhstan in writing at:

 

Presidential Headquarters

 

To the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan

 

Mr. Nazarbayev N.A.

 

Government Palace, Levoberezhye,

 

Astana, 010000, Republic of Kazakhstan

 

Presidential Residence

 

To the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan

 

Mr. Nazarbayev N.A.

 

Akorda, Astana, 010000, Republic of Kazakhstan

 

Or, by e-mail at:

 

President's e-mail: sitePRK (AT) global (DOT) kz

 

Please contact Sri Vrindavana Dhama/Palace of the Soul directly, at:

director (AT) palaceofthesoul (DOT) com

 

Thank you for your immediate attention to this very serious problem.

 

With Kindest Regards,

 

Sundara nanda-gopala dasa

 

Silk Road Foundation

 

Managing Director/Trustee/Sec./Treas.

 

610.704.7274

 

http://www.srivrindavandham.com/