US Urges Kazakhs To Stop Harassing Hare Krishna

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US Urges Kazakhs To Stop Harassing Hare Krishna

RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty - Prague,Czech Republic

December 7, 2006 -- The United States has urged Kazakh authorities to end what

it describes as an "aggressive" campaign against Hare Krishna followers. ...

 

http://www.rferl.org:80/featuresarticle/2006/12/DADA08E0-3FAC-4E8C-A85F-AD66C2D

A73E4.html

Radio Free Europe

U.S. Urges Kazakhs To Stop Harassing Hare Krishna

December 7, 2006 -- The United States has urged Kazakh authorities to end what

it describes as an "aggressive" campaign against Hare Krishna followers.

 

The call is contained in a statement released today by the U.S. Embassy in

Astana.

 

The statement questions the legal basis of a Kazakh court ruling ordering the

destruction of the Sri Vrindavan Dham, a sprawling farming commune near

Almaty.

 

Sri Vrindavan Dham is the only Hare Krishna commune in the CIS.

 

Kazakh police on November 21 began to bulldoze the residential buildings and

other property of Hare Krishna followers.

 

Judicial authorities say the land on which the commune is built was acquired

illegally. They reject suggestions that Hare Krishna followers are being

persecuted on religious grounds.

 

Experts advising the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

(OSCE) on religion issues on November 27 expressed concern at the demolition

work and offered to mediate between Kazakh authorities and commune members.

 

(Kazakhstan Today, AP)