OSCE/PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON RELIGIOUS

UNCLAS STATE 048118

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM OSCE KZ
SUBJECT: OSCE/PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON RELIGIOUS
FREEDOM IN KAZAKHSTAN



1. (U) Post is authorized to present the following statement
at the May 8 Permanent Council meeting in Vienna.

Begin Text:

Mr. Chairman,

The United States is concerned about recent reports that
reflect a disturbing trend in Kazakhstan regarding religious
freedom. While Kazakhstan has prided itself on its religious
freedom record and tradition of inter-faith tolerance, and
has on many occasions used this forum to remind us of that,
several factors lead us to raise concerns today about a
possible decline in the protection of religious freedom in
that country.

Over recent months, there have been reports of raids on
churches by the Committee of National Security, reputedly in
connection with investigation of alleged treason. A land
dispute with a religious minority community drags on.
Several state-controlled media outlets have recently
published or broadcast stories critical of
&non-traditional8 religious groups. Furthermore, political
leaders have made prominent statements critical of these
groups.

More recently, amendments to Kazakhstan,s religion law that
were introduced on April 2nd would, among other things,
require all religious groups to re-register under more
restrictive procedures; limit the activities of smaller
groups; establish a quota system to limit the number of
missionaries and require local government consent for
missionaries; and prohibit all financial and other
contributions from foreigners and anonymous donors.

Taken together, these developments paint a disturbing picture
of governmental attitudes toward the preservation of
religious freedom in Kazakhstan.

OSCE commitments on freedom of religion, as specified in the
Vienna Document from 1989, include the pledge that
participating States will &grant believers, practicing or
prepared to practice within the constitutional framework of
the State, recognition,8 and that they will &respect the
right of these religious communities to establish and
maintain freely accessible places of worship or assembly,
organize themselves according to their own hierarchical and
institutional structure ... and solicit and receive voluntary
financial and other contributions.8 In addition, at the
Maastricht Ministerial in 2003, we all decided that
participating States, laws, regulations, practices and
policies dealing with religion should be transparent and
non-discriminatory. These commitments reflect some of the
most sophisticated standards on religious freedom at the
international level, and all participating States should work
diligently to protect these provisions and ensure full
compliance.

It has been nearly 5 months since the Kazakhstani Government
assured its 55 counterparts in Madrid that Kazakhstan is
strongly committed to the OSCE,s human dimension, saying
that , &It is commonly recognized that one of the most
important achievements of Kazakhstan in the humanitarian
sphere is securing the inter-ethnic and inter-religious
accord. Additional emphasis on strengthening the dialogue
between religions and people is the imperative demand of our
time.8

In the spirit of these commitments reiterated in Madrid, we
urge the Government of Kazakhstan to request technical
assistance from ODIHR on the text of the draft amendments, as
it has done in the past. We further recommend that the
government consult with non-governmental organizations and
religious groups, registered and unregistered alike, to
ensure that laws regarding religious organizations in
Kazakhstan and the actions of its officials meet OSCE
commitments. In doing so, Kazakhstan would reflect the kind
of transparency and inter-faith tolerance the OSCE seeks to
embody.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
RICE