Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BISHKEK504
2006-04-17 10:55:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bishkek
Cable title:  

GOVERNMENT STICKING TO PARTY LINE ON BAISALOV

Tags:  PGOV PREL KCRM KCOR KG 
pdf how-to read a cable
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C O N F I D E N T I A L BISHKEK 000504 

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C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (CLASSIFICATION - NATO)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/17/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KCRM KCOR KG
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT STICKING TO PARTY LINE ON BAISALOV
ATTACK

REF: BISHKEK 495

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Donald Lu, reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L BISHKEK 000504

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (CLASSIFICATION - NATO)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/17/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KCRM KCOR KG
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT STICKING TO PARTY LINE ON BAISALOV
ATTACK

REF: BISHKEK 495

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Donald Lu, reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d)

1. (U) This is an action request. See paragraph 12.


2. (C) SUMMARY: In a series of meetings with Ambassador
Yovanovitch to discuss the April 12 attack on civil society
leader Edil Baisalov, government officials largely stuck to
the party line, calling the assault "an unfortunate incident"
and "a provocation" intended to destabilize the country.
This line largely hews to the talking points used by
President Bakiyev during his only public comments on the
attack, made during a government meeting on April 13. No
Kyrgyz officials characterized the assault as an attempt to
silence or intimidate civil society. END SUMMARY.


3. (SBU/REL NATO) On April 14, the Ambassador held separate
meetings with and passed an Embassy press release and non-paper
(reftel) to National Security Service (SNB) Chairman
Tashtemir Aitbayev, National Security Secretary Miroslav
Niyazov and Prime Minister Feliks Kulov, and spoke with
Foreign Minister Alykbek Jekshenkulov. The Ambassador also
met with the Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, and discussed
the Baisalov case with representatives of other OSCE
countries represented in Bishkek.

SNB AND MFA: LET'S NOT RUSH TO JUDGMENT
--------------


4. (C/REL NATO) SNB Chairman Aitbayev went out of his way to
assure the Ambassador that the attack on Baisalov was not a
crisis. He said the SNB and Interior Ministry (MVD) were working
together to find the person who attacked Edil Baisalov
(reftel). He agreed with Ambassador's statement on the
important role that civil society plays in Kyrgyz society.
Although Aitbayev cautioned against rushing to any
conclusions about who might have assaulted Baisalov, he
speculated that the attack could have been carried out "by a
crazy person." Following the meeting with Aitbayev,
Ambassador discussed the attack with Foreign Minister Alykbek
Jekshenkulov over the phone. The FM said he too was alarmed
by the criminalization of society, but added that President

Bakiyev was "taking control of the situation." Jekshenkulov
said that the President had given instructions to the law
enforcement bodies to solve this case.

NIYAZOV: WELCOME TO FANTASY ISLAND
--------------


5. (C/REL NATO) National Security Secretary Miroslav Niyazov
said the attack was regrettable, but urged the Ambassador not
to rush to judgment on who might be responsible. Niyazov
characterized the incident as a provocation, designed to sow
panic in society or even discredit organized crime figure
(and frequent target of Baisalov's criticism) Ryspek
Akmatbayev. He lamely speculated that the attacker might
have mistaken Edil Baisalov for parliamentarian Erkin
Baisalov (no relation). Niyazov told the Ambassador that a
group of "five or six politicians have seized on the incident
to cause panic" and said that "such hysteria (on the part of
the politicians) would be understandable coming from women,
but for men to behave that way is just embarrassing."
Nevertheless, Niyazov said that the MVD would work hard to
solve the case. He then reiterated his strong belief that
the assault on Baisalov was a "premeditated act designed to
create hysteria," and said a rushed investigation is not the
best way to solve the case.


6. (C/REL NATO) Warming to the subject, Niyazov then entered
into a disjointed but spirited defense of indicted murderer and
mafia kingpin Ryspek Akmatbayev. Niyazov claimed that
Akmatbayev was the victim of a smear campaign in the media,
and repeatedly speculated that the assault on Baisalov had
been carried out by someone seeking to discredit Akmatbayev.

Niyazov glanced down at a copy of the Embassy press statement
condemning the assault and said, "I'm sure your theory of the
crime will be proven wrong soon."

PRIME MINISTER KULOV: ATTACK "POLITICALLY MOTIVATED"
-------------- --------------


7. (C/REL NATO) Prime Minister Feliks Kulov seemed to be one
of the very few senior government officials to understand (or
at least admit) the seriousness of the attack. Kulov visited
Baisalov in the hospital only hours after the attack, and in
an April 13 government meeting he called the assault
"politically motivated." Kulov told the Ambassador he is
"deeply concerned" about what is happening in the country,
and said that he has demanded from the law enforcement
agencies a concerted effort to find the people responsible
for the attack on Baisalov.


8. (C/REL NATO) Referring to an April 7 statement by the
Russian MFA expressing muted concern over Ryspek Akmatbayev's
impending election to parliament, Kulov said that he had told
President Bakiyev "this is the first time in history that the
U.S., Russia, and Kazakhstan have had a common position on
Kyrgyzstan and the need to tackle organized crime." Kulov
said the Russian Government had never expressed such concerns
before.

MVD: ASSAULT WAS A MURDER ATTEMPT
--------------


9. (C/REL NATO) On April 14, while two Embassy FSNs visited
Baisalov in the hospital, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs
Omurbek Suvanaliyev came in to update Baisalov on the
investigation. He told Baisalov in the presence of the FSNs that
the assault was a murder attempt, and not intended solely to
intimidate him. Suvanaliyev said that the likely weapon used, a
piece of pipe wrapped in newspaper, was the murder weapon of
choice for inmates in Kyrgyz prisons.

DIPLOMATIC COMMUNITY: OUTRAGE, YES. ACTION, MAYBE
-------------- --------------


10. (C/REL NATO) On April 14, the Ambassador met with the
Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan. The Chinese Ambassador agreed
that the attack was aimed at intimidating all of Kyrgyz civil
society. However, when Ambassador Yovanovitch suggested
raising this point with the Kyrgyz government, the Chinese
Ambassador balked, saying such action would be premature.
The Chinese Ambassador also stated his personal view that
mobster Ryspek Akmatbayev was somehow linked to either
President Bakiyev or the Presidential Administration.


11. (C/REL NATO) In a separate session, the Ambassador met
with representatives of other OSCE countries to discuss the
attack (the Russians were notably absent from the meeting).
Everyone present agreed with the Ambassador's assessment that
the assault was aimed at silencing civil society in general.
OSCE Ambassador Markus Muller said his mission would begin
drafting a statement. The German Ambassador (also
representing the EU) said he had suggested the EU chair issue
a statement, but worried that the impending Easter break
could get in the way. The Kazakh Counselor (in place of the
Ambassador, who was out of town) gave a scathing assessment
of the current situation in Kyrgyzstan. However, he was
unwilling to take any further action, including asking Astana
to express its concern to the Kyrgyz government.


12. (C) Post requests the Department ask the Kazakhs to
approach the Kyrgyz and express their own well-founded
concerns to the Kyrgyz over the attack on Edil Baisalov, as
well as the growing and destabilizing role played by
organized crime groups in Kyrgyzstan.


13. (C) COMMENT: Although certainly disappointing,
Niyazov's defense of Akmatbayev was hardly surprising.
Besides President Bakiyev himself, no other government


official has done more to publicly and privately defend
Akmatbayev since he first slithered into the public eye last
October. Fortunately, Niyazov appears to have little
influence these days in Bakiyev's inner circle. Aitbayev's
disappointing statements were also not surprising, given
widespread rumors that he is somehow linked to Akmatbayev.


14. (C) COMMENT CONT'D: More disturbing is the government's
seemingly total lack of understanding of (or willingness to
admit) the assault's larger significance. Instead, Aitbayev
and Niyazov denied even the possibility that the attack on
Baisalov was intended to silence his outspoken criticism of
organized crime and the government. They also stubbornly
refused to admit that organized crime is obviously out of
control, or that there is a need to defend Kyrgyzstan's
vibrant yet fragile civil society. Instead, these officials
drew out President Bakiyev's comments to a ridiculous degree,
spinning fantasies and denying reality in a futile attempt to
divert attention from the fact that the government lacks the
political will necessary to confront organized crime.
YOVANOVITCH