Riot Police threatened in Kazakhstan

[Guest guest]

The Hare Krishna devotees in Kazakhstan are anxiously waiting for a riot

police to invade their farm, jail them, destroy their homes and confiscate

their properties.

 

This week the court executives of the Karasai district intend to execute

their orders to demolish the homes of the members of the Society for Krishna

Consciousness.

 

Igor Rotar, journalist of the international religious watch organisation

Forum 18, was told on Friday April 28, 2006 by the court executive of the

Karasai district, R.G. Baimukhanbetova, that in the coming next week they

will demolish five homes of the Krishnaites.

 

She emphatically added, "If the Krishnaites offer resistance we will resort

violent measures."

 

Answering Igor Rotar's question about the date of the planned demolition,

the court executive said that she was not going to tell the date because,

"we do not need journalists and cameras here."

 

On April 25, 2006, the court executives of the Karasai district along with

the representatives of the local Hakim, police and KNB attempted to demolish

one of the five homes owned by the members of the Society for Krishna

Consciousness.

 

Their attempt failed because the members of the Society locked hands in

prayer, sat in the pathway and blocked the way leading to the building. Thus

the bulldozer could not pass through.

 

The policemen tried to clear the way and throw the members of the Society

into the police car, but failed, as the Krishna devotees were clinging to

one another and would not move.

 

The presence of journalists at the site from newspapers and television

played a restrictive role in the violence which could have been committed by

the officials.

 

However the authorities reacted badly to the people who filmed the events.

The Hakim of the Zhetisu country district struck one of the members of the

Society who had a camera in his hands.

 

At that time the local executives told the members of the Society for

Krishna Consciousness, "We were not properly prepared. But the next time we

are going to have two policemen from the riot squad for each of you, and

five bulldozers instead of one to destroy all the five buildings at once."

 

The Kazakh authorities, on all levels, are trying to assure the public that

this is not a case religious persecution.

 

Thus, on Thursday April 27, 2006 the chairman of the Department of Religious

Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Justice, Mr. Yeraly

Tugzhanov met with the president of the Krishna Consciousness Society, in

the nation's capital Astana. There he stated that all the events have no

connection with religion, but are simply economic controversy to be resolved

through trial.

 

However it is clearly stated in the decisions of the Karasai district court,

dated April 7, 2006, signed by judge Zhailybayev Z.K., relating to another

five cottages to be demolished that;

 

"The plots of land are used to accommodate the members of the Religious

Organization Society for Krishna Consciousness thus preventing the members

of the horticultural association from living normally and using their plots

of land."

 

In all court cases there have been lists presented detailing who are Krishna

devotees and who are not.

 

When the members of the Krishna society have attempted to register their

properties they have been told that you must sign a document stating, "I am

not a member of the Krishna Religion."

 

The Krishna Consciousness Society has good relations with the other members

of the cottages association. We have signatures of support from many of our

neighbours.

 

But the local officials, overcome with religious hatred and greed madly want

to eliminate our presence in order to take away our valuable properties.

They have never allowed discussion with us nor will they offer a system by

which the problem can be rectified.

 

Through the past seven years the Karasai Rayon officials have sent documents

full of incorrect information to the state authorities, who then pass the

information to the nation's capital, Astana.

 

This has been done to create misinformation "hysteria" among the higher

ranking officers of the government in regards to the Krishna Society's

presence in Kazakhstan.

 

The members of the Society for Krishna consciousness have been requesting

assistance from the Presidents Committee on Religions for many years, but

they have not offered a shred of assistance.

 

Officers of the government, who have vested interests, want to destroy

our homes, temple, and confiscate our land, which is worth two millions

dollars.

 

If it is "purely an economic controversy", how can the Kazakh Government

explain that 265 homes of the horticultural association Ptitsevod were

registered under the same procedure, but legal actions have been brought

only against the members of the Society for Krishna Consciousness?

 

Ryskul Zhunispaeva from the department of internal politics of Karasai

district said in interview to Galina Ryzhkina (Channel 31) on April 25,

2006:

 

"Actually, I think, the Krishnaites should be leave for India".

 

Andrey Grishin, the journalist of International Bureau of Human Rights

observed:

 

"Those words characterize the position of the officials of the Karasai

District officials in full."

 

On Friday April 28, 2006, in an interview given to INDIA TV, the assistant

Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan gave his assurance to millions of TV viewers

in India:

 

"The representatives of the major world and traditional religions have

freely operated on the territory of Kazakhstan and we initiated the congress

for religions of world and traditional religions will be held in September

this year in Astana in our new capital.

 

So on behalf of the Kazak's side I can assure you that the rights of any

conventional or ethnic groups living in harmony at peace in Kazak will be

protected and cannot tell now the details about this incident but will do

all of our best in order to investigate it and reach agreement for this

community as well as with any other communities established in Kazakhstan."

 

The members of the Society for Krishna Consciousness in Kazakhstan are being

persecuted on the basis of their religious faith and the land which they

legally own. We are being crushed due to the greed of powerful officials. We

are appealing to all sensitive and humane persons to do whatever is in your

power to stop this atrocity.

 

Please contact us at the following telephone numbers:

 

In India:

 

Mahamantra dasa +919810115648

BB Govinda Swami +919837045130

 

In Kazakhstan:

 

Maxim +7 300 740 79 43

Rati Manjari+7 300 716 49 67