KAZAKHSTAN: ALMATY NOTES, SEPTEMBER 2 - 12, 2008

UNCLAS ASTANA 001798 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL KZ SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: ALMATY NOTES, SEPTEMBER 2 - 12, 2008 ¶1. The "Almaty Notes" series is intended to maintain focus on developments in civil society, the media, and the opposition in Kazakhstan's "southern capital" following the move of the Embassy to Astana. Unique Protest -------------- ¶2. The Talmas youth movement, a group of young activists, organized an original political protest against the ruling Nur Otan party on August 30, Kazakhstan's Constitution Day. Satirizing devotion to President Nazarbayev, the group marched down one of the main streets of Almaty wearing sheep's masks and carrying posters that said in Latin "the king's will is the highest law." In comments to the media, the participants referred to themselves as the "Nur Otar" movement -- "Otar" means "flock of sheep" in Kazakh -- and called on Nazarbayev to disband the Parliament as "a useless body." "We have neither faces nor names," said one protestor, "Kazakhstani society should seek the same facelessness: only numbers, sheep number one, sheep number two, etc." ¶3. Police broke up the protest and detained participants for several hours. On September 4, an Almaty administrative court sentenced the leader of the Talmas movement, noted civil society activist Aynur Kurmanov, to 15 days in jail for organizing a rally without proper authorization. Three other protest participants were fined between 17,000 and 23,000 tenge (approximately $140 to $190). Libel Suits Against Opposition Newspaper Taszhargan -------------- -------------- ¶4. In August, a court ordered the opposition newspaper Taszhargan to publish a second retraction of an article that ostensibly defamed Beket Turgarayev, chairman of the North Kazakhstan oblast court. Turgarayev was allegedly not satisfied with a previous retraction published in May. In addition to Turgarayev's suit, the paper is being sued for libel by parliamentarian Roman Madinov, two businessmen, and the head of a civil society organization. Taszhargan maintains that if the courts find the paper liable in any of these cases, it would not be able to cover the damage claims and would thus be forced to close. Masimov Tells Contractors to Speed Up -------------- ¶5. On September 8, Prime Minister Masimov visited several of the sites which will host the Asian Winter Games in Almaty in 2011. He toured the Medeu skating rink and the Chimbulak ski resort. Masimov asked contractors to step up their construction and renovation work, explaining that President Nazarbayev is not satisfied with the pace of their efforts. MILAS