ELEVEN NEW NGOS REGISTERED IN TURKMENISTAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001145 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD, EUR/ACE, DRL AID/W FOR EE/EA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM EAID KDEM TX SUBJECT: ELEVEN NEW NGOS REGISTERED IN TURKMENISTAN REF: ASHGABAT 0754 ¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet. ¶2. (U) SUMMARY: On June 16, post requested an updated list of registered non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from Turkmenistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). A review of the list received on July 1 found that eleven new NGOs had been registered since post last officially requested this list in August 2004. The total number of registered NGOs remained constant at eighty-nine, since eleven organizations were deleted from the list. Of the eleven new organizations, the two most significant appear to be the Manufacturers' and Entrepreneurs' Association of Turkmenistan, which replaced the former Entrepreneurs' Union of Turkmenistan in March 2008, and the Ak-Bugday Gardeners' Association, a community group whose members have actively participated in USAID's Civil Society Support Initiative and Turkmenistan Community Empowerment Programs since 2005. END SUMMARY REVIEW OF LIST REVEALS THAT ELEVEN NEW NGOS REGISTERED ¶3. (U) In early June, post learned that Turkmenistan's Ministry of Justice registered the Ak-Bugday Gardeners' Association as a public association (reftel). Post believed this was the first non-governmental organization (NGO) registered by the Ministry since 2005, and it was the first community-based NGO registered in the country. In response to this development, post requested via dipnote an updated list of NGOs registered by the Ministry of Justice on June 16. (NOTE: The previous list, which contained eighty-nine NGOs, was received in September 2004, although Emboffs had been told as recently as 2006 by MFA officials that the 2004 list remained current. A USAID project that supported registration efforts of prospective NGOs was also not aware of any newly registered groups during this time. END NOTE.) Received on July 1, the updated list also contained eighty-nine entries. ¶4. (U) A comparison of the two lists showed that most of the registered NGOs from 2004 remained on the 2008 list. Most of these organizations, however, are not well known and many are lethargic entities remaining from Soviet times. Surprisingly, the 2008 list did include eleven new organizations registered some time since 2004, but presumably no earlier than 2007: -- Five provincial Councils of the Youth Organization named after Magtymguly of Turkmenistan (i.e., one for each province); -- Veterinary Association of Turkmenistan; -- Center to Support Disabled; -- National Movement "Galkynysh" (Revival) of Turkmenistan; -- National Center of Sports Games of Turkmenistan; -- Manufacturers and Entrepreneurs Association of Turkmenistan; and -- Ak-Bugday Gardeners' Association. ¶5. (U) The following organizations that on the 2004 list did not appear on the 2008 list: -- Shooting Federation of Turkmenistan; -- Motor-Car Enthusiasts Voluntary Association; -- Veterans Association of Turkmenistan; -- Independent Examination Center of Turkmenistan; -- Professional Wrestling (Sambo) Federation of Turkmenistan; -- Gymnastics Federation of Turkmenistan; -- Scientific and Technical Society of the Agricultural Sector of Turkmenistan; -- Turkmen Fund for Support of Science and Culture; -- Entrepreneurs Union of Turkmenistan; -- National Wrestling Federation of Turkmenistan; and -- Youth Organization of the Chandybil Etrap of Ashgabat. ¶6. (U) COMMENT: It is likely that the de-listed NGOs were either closed down by the government or deregistered due to their inactivity. For example, the Entrepreneurs' Union of Turkmenistan was closed by the Ministry of Justice's decision in early 2008 and replaced by the Manufacturers' and Entrepreneurs' Association of ASHGABAT 00001145 002 OF 002 Turkmenistan. While almost half of the new entities appear to be simply extensions of the existing government-affiliated Youth Union, the Ak-Bugday Gardeners' Association was the first community-based NGO registered in the country. This represents a very positive change in official attitudes toward the role of NGOs in a civil society, since the group's mission is to advocate for its members' interests. END COMMENT. CURRAN