FOREIGN MINISTER COMPLAINS AMERICAN ACTIONS,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BISHKEK 000374

SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y -- DECLAS INSTRUCTIONS ADDED

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN - GEHRENBECK

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/15/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV KG
SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER COMPLAINS AMERICAN ACTIONS,
INCLUDING AMBASSADOR'S, UNDERMINE BILATERAL RELATIONS

Ref: 06 Bishkek 460

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Classified by Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch, for Reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Foreign Minister Karabayev called in the
Ambassador April 15 to complain about three USG-sponsored
individuals, whose activities in Kyrgyzstan allegedly are
damaging U.S.-Kyrgyz relations. Karabayev also complained
about the Ambassador's March 26 speech on freedom of
assembly and freedom of the press. Karabayev charged that
two individuals were trying to create "ethnic strife" in
the minority Uzbek community, though he was not specific
about what they had done. Karabayev also complained about
the NDI Country Director for making "political statements"
that were outside the bounds of acceptable conduct.
Karabayev stressed that this was an "informal" meeting, and
asked that the Ambassador "control" these people.
Karabayev said that if he heard anything further about
their activities, he would initiate proceedings to remove
them from the country (he was not including the Ambassador
in this warning). End Summary.


2. (U) Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Karabayev called in the
Ambassador April 15. Karabayev was accompanied at the
meeting by Deputy Foreign Minister Ermek Ibraimov and MFA
Western Countries Department head Kanat Tursunkulov. Pol-
Econ Chief accompanied the Ambassador.


3. (C) Angry and emotional, Karabayev charged that the
activities of three U.S. government-sponsored individuals
in Kyrgyzstan were threatening stability in the country and
undermining U.S.-Kyrgyz bilateral relations. Karabayev
claimed that a "Fulbright scholar" with a stipend from
ACCELS, working together with a "Peace Corps volunteer,"
was trying to create "ethnic strife" in Kyrgyzstan.
Karabayev said that he had received reports that the two
were meeting with ethnic Uzbek NGOs and members of the
Uzbek diaspora, and they were "discrediting Kyrgyz
policies." Karabayev defended the government's policies
toward ethnic minorities, noting that there were ethnic
Uzbek members of parliament, as well as Uzbek-language
newspapers and television. Karabayev said that stirring up
ethnic tensions could lead to bloodshed, as it had in the
past.


4. (C) Note: Much of Karabayev's information regarding
names and affiliations appears to have been garbled. We
believe that the first individual Karabayev was referring
to is a Fulbright Hays Scholar, who is in Kyrgyzstan
studying Uzbek language. We believe that the second
individual is in Kyrgyzstan also studying Uzbek language as
part of the National Flagship Language Program, which is
managed by ACCELS. The second individual is a former Peace
Corps volunteer. We will ask the MFA for further
clarification. End Note.


5. (C) Turning to a separate case, Karabayev said that the
National Democratic Institute (NDI) country director had
made "political statements" against the Kyrgyz government
that were outside the bounds of acceptable conduct.
Karabayev referred to a recent open hearing on a draft law
on political parties. He noted that other international
representatives, including from the International
Republican Institute and the Adenauer Foundation, had made
"polite" presentations at the hearing, but the NDI country
director had made rude statements that "dumped mud" on the
Kyrgyz government. Such statements, said Karabayev, just
"feed the opposition" and hurt stability in the country.
Karabayev said that this conduct was unacceptable from the
representative of a U.S. government program.


6. (C) Karabayev protested that he and his ministry had

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done much to build up the bilateral relationship and to
defend the Manas Coalition Airbase, despite the skepticism
and opposition of some people in the government. Karabayev
complained that his efforts within the government, and with
President Bakiyev personally, to promote the U.S.
relationship are completely undercut by reports that U.S.
government-sponsored individuals carry out activities
threatening the stability of the state. Karabayev said
that it was difficult enough to build up the country and
the state, and such problems did not help.


7. (C) Karabayev stressed that he had called this
"informal" meeting -- there would be no official note on
the matter -- because of "our strong relationship."
Karabayev asked that the Ambassador "control" these
individuals and their activities. Karabayev said that
"everyone has the right to make a mistake," which is why he
was not rushing to throw them out, but these individuals
need to be careful. If he heard anything more about their
activities, he said, he would personally initiate steps to
remove them from the country.


8. (C) Karabayev also complained to the Ambassador about
her recent public remarks defending freedom of assembly and
free speech, and criticizing the city of Bishkek's new
restrictions on public gatherings. He said that such
statements "create enemies for the U.S" and undermine the
MFA's work. Karabayev defended the current conditions in
Kyrgyzstan, noting that the opposition had just staged a
large "kurultai" (people's assembly) without problems, and
claiming that the newspapers could print "anything." He
said that such official U.S. judgments and criticism hurt
the government's efforts to balance values and promote
development. Kyrygzstan, he said, was and always would be
a democracy. The Kyrgyz themselves knew their own
deficiencies; they needed time and the U.S. needed to be
patient. The Kyrgyz were addressing problems step by step;
for example, an ODHIR delegation would come to Kyrgyzstan
at the Minister's invitation to review the election law.
Karabayev asked that we focus on the "positive" aspects,
and added that progress could be made only in a quiet,
stable environment. "You'll see," he said, "once there is
stablity, external relations will get better too."


9. (C) The Ambassador requested further details about the
particular cases, but the Minister provided no additional
information. The Ambassador said that she would look into
the cases, and assured Karabayev that the U.S. had no
interest in stirring instability in Kyrgyzstan. She noted,
however, that the Minister needed to be very sure of his
facts before he made allegations that American citizens
were fomenting "ethnic strife" and made threats of removing
them from the country. She said that she was reminded of
the official complaints regarding her own visit to
Jalalabad and Osh in early 2006, when the MFA insisted that
her meetings with Uzbek groups was to organize opposition
to the government (Reftel).

10 (C) Turning to the concerns regarding her speech, the
Ambassador said she would send the Foreign Minister a copy
of her speech (emailed to SCA),which emphasized the rights
-- and the responsibilities -- of citizens in a free
society. She said that stability, in Kyrgyzstan and the
region as a whole, is an important priority for the U.S.,
as are helping the Kyrgyz develop democracy and a market
economy. The U.S. would continue to pursue these goals,
and sought to do so in a constructive and transparent
manner, working with the Kyrgyz.


11. (C) Following the meeting with the Minister, Western
Countries Director Tursunkulov said that the reports on the
individuals had come from "our colleagues." (Note: We
understood this to mean the GKNB. End Note.) He added

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that a large volume of reports on American activities was
sent to the Kyrgyz White House, and that the MFA did not
have the information to rebut them. He said he did not
know who, specifically, was behind the reports or what the
agenda was, but said he thought that the bilateral
relationship could be headed towards a repeat of summer
2006 (Note: When two American Embassy officials were
declared persona non grata with no warning and for no
reason. End Note.)


12. (C) Comment: Karabayev is an emotional man, but the
meeting today set a new benchmark. He is clearly under
pressure and gave the impression of someone who was worried
about his relationship -- and his credibility -- with
President Bakiyev and might even fear for his job. He
referred repeatedly to meetings with Bakiyev, where he is
forced to defend the Manas Air Base, and said that actions
and statements of American individuals, including the
Ambassador, undermined all his efforts to keep the
bilateral relationship moving forward.


13. (C) Next steps: we are seeking meetings with the three
individuals that Karabayev complained about, so we can gain
more clarity about the facts and so we can warn them to be
careful. Once we have a better sense of what took place
with the three individuals, we will respond to the Foreign
Minister. We will also seek meetings with others,
including GKNB Chief Sutalinov and Presidential Chief of
Staff Sadyrkulov to try to get a better fix on where these
allegations are coming from and what the agenda is.


14. (C) We note, however, that this is not a fight we can
win with mere facts: there is enormous suspicion here
about "Color Revolutions" and the role of the U.S. and no
understanding that the USG does not control NDI and other
American, nongovernmental organizations. Moreover, the
Minister's decision not to insist on the three Americans'
departure was clearly predicated on the hope that the
Ambassador will take action to muzzle the Americans.


15. (C) While we face complaints about American citizen
actions in Kyrgyzstan with some regularity, this is the
first time since 2006 that the issues have been raised to
the Foreign Minister's level and that the GOKG has
complained about the Ambassador. It is too early to tell
whether the relationship will see a repeat of the events of
the infamous summer of 2006, but it is possible that we
will have a difficult spring.

YOVANOVITCH