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Kazakhstan: USCIRF Denounces Demolition of Hare Krishna Property

and Moves Against Religious Freedom

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Angela Stephens, Assistant

November 30, 2006

Communications Director,

(202) 523-3240, ext. 114

 

Kazakhstan: USCIRF Denounces Demolition of Hare Krishna Property

and Moves Against Religious Freedom; Calls on the U.S. Government to Reject

Kazakhstan's Bid to Become OSCE Chair in 2009

 

WASHINGTON: The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom

(USCIRF), a bipartisan, independent federal agency, is concerned about

actions taken by authorities in Kazakhstan that fail to live up to

international standards of religious freedom. "Recent steps against the

Hare Krishnas and members of other religious communities indicate that the

government of Kazakhstan, regrettably, is moving in the wrong direction

with regard to respecting the universal right to freedom of religion or

belief," said Felice D. Gaer, Chair of the Commission.

 

"In view of Kazakhstan's deteriorating record of respect for human rights

and religious freedom, the Commission calls on the U.S. government to

oppose the current bid by Kazakhstan to become the Organization on Security

and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) chair in 2009, and to protest the various

actions undertaken by the government of Kazakhstan which fall short of its

international obligations to respect freedom of religion or belief."

Commission Chair Gaer continued. "Such a bid should only be considered at

next week's OSCE Ministerial in Brussels if Kazakhstan takes immediate

verifiable steps to implement its OSCE human rights pledges, including on

freedom of religion or belief."

 

On November 21, 2006, Kazakh riot police reportedly demolished 13 of the 66

homes owned and occupied by members of the Society for Krishna

Consciousness in their agricultural community outside the city of Almaty. A

spokesman for the Hare Krishna community expressed concern that their

temple may also be slated for destruction. Although Kazakh officials claim

that the dispute is purely economic in nature, only homes owned by Hare

Krishna members were destroyed.

 

During the raid, two buses of riot police closed off all access to the

site. Police also launched a news blockade about the action; a camera was

confiscated and officials from the OSCE Center in Almaty were prevented

from reaching the farm. This was not the first time Kazakh authorities have

tried to confiscate this religious community's land. In April 2006, Kazakh

authorities had tried to bulldoze the homes belonging to the Hare Krishnas,

but retreated in the presence of journalists.

 

This time, the houses were demolished, although the Hare Krishna community

had been told that no action would be taken before the report of a state

Commission set up to resolve the dispute was made public.

 

The demolition of the Hare Krishna-owned houses occurred on the same day

that President Nursultan Nazarbayev was in London for a meeting with

British Prime Minister Tony Blair seeking his support for Kazakhstan's bid

to be the OSCE chairman-in-office in 2009. In London, some 10,000 members

of Britain's Hindu community protested the demolition of the Hare Krishna

property in Kazakhstan.

 

This action against the Hare Krishna community is the latest in a series of

developments over the past two years that signal a retreat from

Kazakhstan's previously positive record of respect for the right to

religious freedom. These developments include:

 

-- In July 2005, President Nazarbayev amended the "national security" law

requiring all religious groups to register with the government. Activity

by unregistered religious organizations is banned. Although most groups do

not report difficulties in obtaining registration, the pre-2005 Kazakhstan

Law on Religious Associations did not require a religious community to

register with the state. Only 10 signatures were needed to register a

religious association.

 

-- In February 2005, President Nazarbayev signed new legislation on

extremist activity by granting increased oversight authority to a state

agency. According to the OSCE, these anti-extremism measures lack a clear

definition of "extremism" and could be arbitrarily applied to religious and

other groups.

 

-- Beginning in late 2004, Kazakh authorities took measures to increase

control over mosques and imams in south Kazakhstan who want to remain

independent of the state.

 

-- Baptists, Pentecostals and other Protestant Christians have been

subjected to heavy fines for unregistered religious activity in the past

year. State institutions, including schools, actively discourage children

from attending religious services, particularly in the case of Protestants.

 

 

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the

International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of

freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined

in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international

instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the

President, Secretary of State, and Congress.

Visit our Web site at www.uscirf.gov

 

Felice D. Gaer, Chair Michael Cromartie, Vice Chair Elizabeth H.

Prodromou, Vice Chair Nina Shea, Vice Chair

Preeta D. Bansal Archbishop Charles J. Chaput Khaled Abou El Fadl

Richard D. Land

Bishop Ricardo Ramirez Ambassador John V. Hanford III, Ex-Officio

Joseph R. Crapa, Executive Director

 

800 NORTH CAPITOL STREET, NW SUITE 790 WASHINGTON, DC 20002 202-523-3240

202-523-5020 (FAX)