NO BIBLES IN TASHKENT BOOKSTORES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TASHKENT 001414

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN AND DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/02/2017
TAGS: PGOV KIRF UZ TX
SUBJECT: NO BIBLES IN TASHKENT BOOKSTORES

Classified By: CDA BRAD HANSON FOR REASONS 1.4 (B, D).


1. (C) Summary: On July 20, Poloff met with the Executive
Director of the Uzbekistan Bible Society, who explained that
his organization currently faces its most difficult
environment since opening in 1993. Since July 2006, the
Bible Society has only been able to officially import 500
books in the Uzbek language. In addition, the Bible Society
has experienced greater difficulty in distributing its books
within Uzbekistan, endured a particularly difficult audit
this July, and has been forced to hold its annual conference
outside of Uzbekistan for the first time in 15 years. In
September, the Bible Society will attempt to import a large
number of books in Uzbek, even though the Executive Director
admits that the plan is risky and could potentially put the
organization in risk of losing its legal registration. The
Executive Director added that it is becoming increasing
difficult to find any Bibles, even in Russian, in Uzbekistan.
The Executive Director also said that he would travel to
Ashgabat in September to explore the possibility of opening a
Turkmenistan branch of the Bible Society. The difficult
environment the Bible Society has endured in the past year
has been shared by several other Protestant churches and
organizations. End summary.

CRA LIMITS IMPORT OF CHRISITIAN LITERATURE IN UZBEK
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2. (C) On July 20, Poloff met with Bible Society of
Uzbekistan Executive Director Sergey Mitin, who explained
that his organization has faced greater restrictions this
year with importing Christian literature in Uzbek (Note: The
interdenominational Bible Society is one of seven
centrally-registered religious organizations which has the
right to publish, import and distribute religious literature
in Uzbekistan. End Note.) While the Bible Society has had
difficulties with the authorities in the past, the current
environment is the worst that the organization has faced. In
July 2006, the Bible Society attempted to import from Russia
5,000 copies of a work containing Uzbek translations of
several Old Testament books. But when the books arrived at
the border, the Committee on Religious Affairs (CRA) would
only permit 500 copies to clear customs, and the rest were
impounded at a warehouse (Note: The CRA must approve all
religious literature that is imported into the country. End
Note.) The CRA refused to explain their decision. Mitin
said that he eventually succeeded in bribing lower level
custom officials to release the remaining 4,500 books.
However, officials at the CRA are not aware that the books
have been released, and Mitin is worried that they might find
out and punish his organization. Since the July 2006
shipment, the Bible Society has not imported any Christian
literature into the country.

OTHER RECENT DIFFICULTIES FOR THE BIBLE SOCIETY
--------------


3. (C) This year, the Bible Society has faced greater
difficulty in distributing its material within Uzbekistan.
According to Mitin, there has been an increase in the number
of people who have been searched and detained while traveling
with Christian literature, including material that was
legally imported into the country by the Bible Society.
Mitin notes that on the road from Tashkent to Bukhara alone,
there are over 15 separate police checkpoints that travelers
must pass through. Currently, the Bible Society only
distributes materials through its small store in its Tashkent
office. The Bible Society would like to deliver materials
directly to churches in the regions, but they currently lack
a means of transportation. Mitin requested help from the
Embassy in securing funds to purchase a new minivan for this
purpose. After the meeting, Mitin provided poloff with a
quick tour of the Bible Society's small store, which included
some religious material that has not been sanctioned by the
CRA.


4. (C) On July 4, Ministry of Justice (MOJ) officials
conducted what Mitin described as a particularly stringent
audit of the Bible Society's official records. Mitin has not
yet received a response from the MOJ regarding the audit, and
he is afraid about the possible result. The Government
requires the Bible Society to report every three months on
its printing, publishing, translating activities and book
sales. After every report, the MOJ complains to Mitin that
his organization has not provided enough information and
requests the names of individuals who have purchased books
for their churches, but Mitin has refused to provide them the
names of his contacts.

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5. (C) For the first time in 15 years, the Bible Society was
forced to hold its annual conference in May in Chimkent,
Kazakhstan instead of Tashkent. Last summer, the Government
refused to renew the visa of an AmCit Bible Society project
coordinator who had lived in Tashkent for over ten years.
The AmCit was forced to relocate to Bishkek, where he
continues to work for the Society via the internet.

SEPTEMBER IMPORT "TEST CASE": ALL OR NOTHING?
--------------


6. (C) In September, the Bible Society plans to import 7,000
copies of a children's Bible in three different formats:
Latin Uzbek, Cyrillic Uzbek and Karakalpak. Mitin
acknowledged that the plan is provocative and that the vast
majority of the books are likely to be confiscated again.
According to Mitin, the September import will serve as a
"test case" to gauge the Government's reaction. The Bible
Society seeks to force the CRA into either allowing the
shipment to go through or openly acknowledge that
restrictions on importing Christian literature in Uzbek
exist. Mitin admits that the plan is risky, and the Bible
Society could be accused of missionary activity and
liquidated by the Ministry of Justice. But Mitin believes
that if the Bible Society is effectively not allowed to
import Christian literature in Uzbek, the native language of
the vast majority of Uzbekistan's population, the Bible
Society might as well close its doors.

NO BIBLES IN TASHKENT BOOKSTORES
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7. (C) Outside of the small shop at the Bible Society, it
has become increasingly difficult to find Christian
literature in any language in Uzbekistan. Mitin stated with
absolute conviction that it is impossible to find Bibles,
even in Russian, at Tashkent bookstores. Ten years ago, the
Bible Society tried to sell its wares through local
bookstores, but the owners were harassed by the authorities
and they have since refused to carry such material. The
Bible Society has sought permission from CRA leaders,
including current acting chairman Ortiq Yusupov and
ex-chairmen Shoazim Minovarov, to open another bookstore
outside of its office in Tashkent, but its entreaties have
been refused. Mitin added that the only place where it is
still sometimes possible to find Christian literature is at
small outdoor bookstalls (Comment: This is true. Charge saw
several Russian language Bibles on sale in bookstalls in
Tashkent's largest used market in mid-July. End Comment.)


8. (C) Over the course of an afternoon, poloff visited
several bookstalls scattered across Tashkent and talked to
vendors. Although there was a good selection of Orthodox
Christian literature in Russian, poloff was able only to find
a total of three Bibles, two in Russian and one New Testament
in Uzbek. One of the vendors told poloff that it was
virtually impossible to find Bibles in Uzbek, and while
Bibles in Russian used to be more commonplace in Tashkent,
they have become increasingly scarce, especially in the last
year.

BIBLE SOCIETY SEEKS TO OPEN TURKMENISTAN BRANCH
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9. (C) Mitin said that more than 40 countries in the world
have registered Bible Societies, including all of the former
Soviet states except Turkmenistan. With a new president in
power in Ashgabat, Mitin hopes that the government of
Turkmenistan will consider allowing a branch of the Bible
Society to register in the country. Mitin plans on traveling
to Turkmenistan in September to investigate the issue.

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE BIBLE SOCIETY
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10. (C) The Bible Society in Tashkent opened in 1993 and was
officially registered by the Ministry of Justice in 1994.
The Bible Society imports Christian literature for the
Orthodox, Evangelical, Seventh Day Adventist, Baptist,
Presbyterian, Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches in
Uzbekistan. Although the Bible Society works with
non-Protestant denominations, Mitin himself is a
representative of the Baptist Church and the organization is
seen by the authorities as Protestant. The Bible Society
also translates the Bible into Uzbek. The Bible Society has
already translated 15 books of the Old Testament into Uzbek,
and every year it translates a few more. Once the books are

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translated, the manuscripts are sent to Russia to be
published. Generally, the Bible Society publishes one book a
year, which collects together the Books of the Old Testament
that have been translated during the year. In addition, the
Bible Society periodically translates and imports other
Christian literature, including religious books for children.
On average, the Bible Society's books cost approximately 7
dollars to produce, and are generally sold for 3 dollars.
The books are sold for less or given away to those who cannot
afford them. Much of the expense of importing the books goes
towards paying import taxes. The Bible Society must pay 20
percent value-added tax (VAT) on all books it imports into
Uzbekistan, regardless of whether they are eventually sold or
given away.

COMMENT
--------------


11. (C) Like other Protestant organizations, the Bible
Society is currently facing an unfavorable environment in
Uzbekistan that has grown worse in the last year. We agree
that Mitin's strategy of trying to import more books this
September than last year is provocative and could potentially
draw the wrath of the Ministry of Justice. But it will be
interesting to watch the Government's reaction, especially
considering that the Government has recently engaged actively
with Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom
John Hanford. Despite the recent problems the Bible Society
has faced, the CRA may decide to allow the import of the
Christian material in September to demonstrate that it is
making progress on religious freedom.
HANSON