NO NEWS BAD NEWS FOR INTERNEWS

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUSHANBE 001646

SIPDIS


NSC FOR MERKEL; PLEASE PASS TO USAID

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/7/2015
TAGS: KDEM PGOV TI
SUBJECT: NO NEWS BAD NEWS FOR INTERNEWS


CLASSIFIED BY: Richard Hoagland, Ambassador, US Embassy
Dushanbe, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b)

CLASSIFIED BY: Richard Hoagland, Ambassador, US Embassy
Dushanbe, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Internews is the third major NGO to encounter
serious registration problems with the Tajik government. In
addition, a key Internews project to establish community radio
stations may collapse without the registration and licensing of
its local partners. Government officials have confided to
Internews staff that Ministry of Security officials forbade the
Ministry of Justice to re-register Internews, allegedly
declaring that Internews is "the enemy". The increased
government obstruction of independent media bodes poorly for
Tajikistan's image as an emerging democracy on the road to
reform. END SUMMARY


2. (C) On October 5, Country Director Troy Etulain reported
Internews attempted to re-register with the Ministry of Justice
after a May investigation revealed Internews was operating under
the wrong legal status. The Minister of Justice was prepared to
accept Internews' new application, but at the last minute
rejected it on technical grounds. MoJ officials told Internews
the Ministry of Security directly intervened on the basis of
"national security."


3. (SBU) In addition to the issue of registration, an $887,000
State Department-funded project to establish six independent
community radio stations throughout the country may not get off
the ground due to bureaucratic obstacles. None of the local
organizations have been able to register as legal organizations,
let alone obtain a license to broadcast. Without the
registration and license, they cannot broadcast legally. The
long delayed new licensing regulations have been issued but not
the implementation documents.


4. (C) Etulain reported local state media stations have started
to refuse to accept programming from Internews directly and
stopped broadcasting Internews materials months ago. However,
the new second state television channel, Safina, has used
Internews materials during its programming. He noted that as
recently as last week, the Deputy Director of Safina approached
him about a "creative partnership" to help with programming and
technical training.


5. (C) According to Etulain, Safina has already cost the
government $1 million in new equipment and further funds to
renovate the historic old philharmonic building in central
Dushanbe as Safina's new production studio. He passed along the
rumor that Safina may be sold to private investors early in
2006-and that the purchaser may be First Brother-in-Law Hasan
Sadulloyev. (COMMENT: It has long been rumored that Sadulloyev
would gain a license for the first private TV channel with
national coverage in Tajikistan, but that he could not afford,
or did not want to pay for, the start-up costs. END COMMENT)


6. (SBU) Etulain expressed frustration at his programs being
"stuck" and admitted there was little Internews could do, short
of withdrawing all the equipment from Tajikistan. This would
however, eliminate almost any independent broadcast media in
Tajikistan. "We are contractually obligated to do things we
cannot do legally. We are trying to follow the law, but the
Tajiks themselves are not following their own laws."


7. (SBU) Internews' licensing problems touch on a larger issue
of the government's new licensing regime. According to Etulain,
it explicitly states that foreign nationals or organizations
"under the control" of foreign nationals cannot receive a
license. The licensing regime applies to stations and well as
production studios. The interpretation of "under the control"
remains to be determined, but Etulain doubted the MoJ would
recognize agreements like programming requirements attached to
grants as anything other than direct control.


8. (SBU) NOTE: The licensing issue, including of production
facilities, raises profound problems for Internews with its
USAID-funded "Satellite Transmission Program." Independent Tajik
television stations broadcasting "unlicensed" Internews-provided
material direct from satellite would risk being closed by the
government for violating licensing regulations. END NOTE



9. (C) COMMENT: Post agrees with Etulain's assessment that a
concerted governmental campaign against Internews is underway.
The clear and consistent pattern of government obstruction,
using legal pretexts for a political result, sends a dangerous
message the very few journalists and civil society members
willing to go to the mat for a free press and access to
information. However, some in the government seem to understand
that NGOs are not the source of "Color Revolutions" and help
maintain a balance against the true hardliners. END COMMENT

HOAGLAND


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