TURKMENISTAN'S COUNCIL ON RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001339

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PINR SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN'S COUNCIL ON RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS
SHOWING LITTLE MOVEMENT ON KEY ISSUES


1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.


2. (SBU) SUMMARY: DRL DAS Erica Barks-Ruggles met December
7 with the Chairman of the Council for Religious Affairs,
Charygeldi Seryayev to discuss religious freedom issues.
Seryayev emphasized the there is inter-confessional harmony
and respect in Turkmenistan, and he did not seem to be
well-versed on elements of the religion law. He pointed to
other government bodies, (including the Ministry of Justice)
as the ones that are responsible for difficult issues such as
registration of religious groups and alternative service for
conscientious objectors saying the Council simply provides
input. END SUMMARY.


3. (SBU) A delegation led by DRL Deputy Assistant Secretary
Erica Barks-Ruggles met December 7 with Council for Religious
Affairs Chairman Charygeldi Seryayev to discuss religious
freedom issues. Seryayev recited the progress Turkmenistan
has made in advancing religious freedom, including the
registration of ten religious groups since independence, as
well as two more this year. Turkmenistan has a policy of
respect for other religions, he said, especially in this
"period of revival" in Turkmenistan (NOTE: President
Berdimuhamedov has characterized in public speeches this
post-Niyazov period as Turkmenistan's termed this
post-Niyazov period as Turkmenistan's "new revival." END
NOTE.)


4. (SBU) Seryayev said religious education reform is
underway as well. He pointed to young assistants to his
right and left and indicated that they were both graduates of
Turkmen State University's religion faculty. There are
ninety-five students currently studying under the faculty,
and the number of students will be expanded soon. Upon
graduation, he said, these students will be guaranteed jobs.
Indeed, they will be qualified to operate as imams in Turkmen
mosques or in the Religious Affairs Council. He also said
students were permitted to study religious issues abroad and
return to Turkmenistan. In response to questions by the
delegation, Seryayev noted that the Ruhnama is not a part of
religious curriculum at the religious faculty. He said it is
only part of the curriculum in terms of the history and
identity of the Turkmen people.


5. (SBU) Turning to the issue of registration of religious
groups, Seryayev was quick to note that the registration
process was largely under the control of the Justice
Ministry, with the Council providing input along the way. He
said the primary reason the Ministry of Justice is refusing
to register many of the groups is the groups' small numbers.
When asked directly, he said that registration rules require
groups to have a minimum of 50 members, who are named in
registration documentation, in order to register as religious
organizations. (NOTE: During a subsequent meeting with
Ministry of Justice officials, they indicated that groups
with less than 50 members are allowed to register as
"religious groups." This was confirmed in a meeting with
religious leaders of both registered and unregistered
religious organizations and groups. Some of the registered
groups wee as small as 10 members. END NOTE.) When asked
whether unregistered organizations or groups are able to meet
and worship, Seryayev denied that such groups are followed or
monitored, and he maintained that they are allowed to meet in
private homes as long as their neighbors do not object.
Unregistered groups, he noted, are unable to have a permanent
place of worship, however, and may not lease or own property
for that purpose.


6. (SBU) DAS Barks-Ruggles asked Seryayev whether the
Council had any immediate plans to work with the OSCE Panel
of Experts on Freedom of Religion or Belief, which has helped
other countries with issues relating to minority group
relations and dealing with extremist groups as well. He

ASHGABAT 00001339 002 OF 002


responded that the Council had never encountered any
extremist groups, and had no problems with religious freedom
in general, but would be open to considering working with the
OSCE Panel of Experts in the future.


7. (SBU) The delegation asked about the religion law's
requirement that any religious group leader must be Turkmen.
Seryayev noted that the law does permit a naturalized Turkmen
citizen to lead a religious community, but did say that all
groups or organizations are supposed to be headed by Turkmen
citizens. The delegation, noting the positive movement in
the registration of tow groups this fall, pressed Seryayev to
move forward on other pending requests for registration,
noting in particular tat some requests had been pending for
years. Seryayev stated that "there should be no problem as
soon as groups meet the numbers required." (NOTE: Religious
leaders in a separate meeting complained about repeated
bureaucratic obstruction of applications for minor typos and
other non-substantive reasons. END NOTE.)


8. (SBU) The delegation also asked Seryayev to work to
reinstate an alternative to military service for
conscientious objectors. At first, Seryayev did not
understand the nature of the question, then said that two
years of military service is compulsory in Turkmenistan, and
everyone has to do it. When the delegation repeated the
question about restoring an alternative service option,
Seryayev responded that this was a Ministry of Defense issue,
not one for the Council. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
representative in the room corrected his response and said
that it was an issue for both the Ministry of Defense and
Ministry of Justice. (NOTE: The lack of an alternative
service option has been a major issue for Turkmenistan's
Jehovah's Witness community, who are probably the single
largest unregistered religious group in the country and are
conscientious objectors. END NOTE.)


9. (SBU) COMMENT: Seryayev led the meeting, which is
unusual. In all previous meetings with post and previous
delegations, meetings have been presided over by Deputy
Chairman Nurmuhammet Gurbanov, an older, more politically
savvy interlocutor who speaks fluent Russian. Seryayev may
not speak Russian, which may be part of the reason he has not
typically met with us. However, it is interesting to note he
is much younger and more soft-spoken than Gurbanov, who is a
quintessential politician. Seryayev presented himself much
more like a former seminary student, and seemed to be
unprepared to address some of the questions that were raised.
It may well be that although Seryayev has the religious
credentials to head the Council, Gurbanov is the face the
government more often wants to put forward in its dealings
with the outside world. This time, however, Gurbanov may
have instead accompanied President Berdimuhamedov and
visiting Turkish President Gul to Konye Urgench. END COMMENT.


10. (U) DAS Barks-Ruggles cleared this cable.



CURRAN