Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07NEWDELHI4253
2007-09-17 12:22:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy New Delhi
Cable title:
INDIA AND BHUTAN IRF REPORT: DELIVERY, POSTING AND
how-toVZCZCXRO9299 OO RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHLH RUEHPW DE RUEHNE #4253 2601222 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 171222Z SEP 07 FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8290 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS NEW DELHI 004253
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR DRL, SCA/INS, SCA/PPD, IIP, G
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL KDEM PGOV KIRF IN
SUBJECT: INDIA AND BHUTAN IRF REPORT: DELIVERY, POSTING AND
TRANSLATION
REF: SECSTATE 128772
UNCLAS NEW DELHI 004253
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR DRL, SCA/INS, SCA/PPD, IIP, G
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL KDEM PGOV KIRF IN
SUBJECT: INDIA AND BHUTAN IRF REPORT: DELIVERY, POSTING AND
TRANSLATION
REF: SECSTATE 128772
1. (U) Per Reftel, Post is pleased to report that the
International Religious Freedom Report's Introduction,
Executive Summary and individual country reports for India
and Bhutan were posted in English on the Embassy's website
immediately upon release and clearance from the Department.
PolOff also hand-delivered the report to MEA American Deputy
Secretary Randhir Jaiswal and Bhutanese Second Secretary
SIPDIS
Karma J. Thinlay late on September 14.
2. (U) Embassy New Delhi does not plan to translate the IRF
report into local languages in India or Bhutan. Every year
since 2003, India and Bhutan have been exempted from this
requirement because English is one of India's official
languages and effectively the country's lingua franca. It is
commonly used and understood by upwards of 500 million
Indians, including this report's target audience of
government, NGOs, activists and opinion-makers. Furthermore,
India is a country with 18 official languages and over 300
local languages. Translation would be extraordinarily costly
and a political misstep as selecting one or two additional
official languages would be negatively viewed as a US
prejudice for or against certain ethnic language groups.
Embassy New Delhi's justification for not translating the
report into the Bhutan's official language is because the
United States does not have official diplomatic relations
with Bhutan and there is no American presence in Thimphu, nor
do we have any Bhutanese language translation capacity.
3. (U) Post will package public and media reaction to these
reports and send via email to DRL/SEA, DRL/IRF and SCA.
MULFORD
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR DRL, SCA/INS, SCA/PPD, IIP, G
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL KDEM PGOV KIRF IN
SUBJECT: INDIA AND BHUTAN IRF REPORT: DELIVERY, POSTING AND
TRANSLATION
REF: SECSTATE 128772
1. (U) Per Reftel, Post is pleased to report that the
International Religious Freedom Report's Introduction,
Executive Summary and individual country reports for India
and Bhutan were posted in English on the Embassy's website
immediately upon release and clearance from the Department.
PolOff also hand-delivered the report to MEA American Deputy
Secretary Randhir Jaiswal and Bhutanese Second Secretary
SIPDIS
Karma J. Thinlay late on September 14.
2. (U) Embassy New Delhi does not plan to translate the IRF
report into local languages in India or Bhutan. Every year
since 2003, India and Bhutan have been exempted from this
requirement because English is one of India's official
languages and effectively the country's lingua franca. It is
commonly used and understood by upwards of 500 million
Indians, including this report's target audience of
government, NGOs, activists and opinion-makers. Furthermore,
India is a country with 18 official languages and over 300
local languages. Translation would be extraordinarily costly
and a political misstep as selecting one or two additional
official languages would be negatively viewed as a US
prejudice for or against certain ethnic language groups.
Embassy New Delhi's justification for not translating the
report into the Bhutan's official language is because the
United States does not have official diplomatic relations
with Bhutan and there is no American presence in Thimphu, nor
do we have any Bhutanese language translation capacity.
3. (U) Post will package public and media reaction to these
reports and send via email to DRL/SEA, DRL/IRF and SCA.
MULFORD