AUCA STUDENTS AND PARENTS FACE INCREASED PRESSURE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 001070 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN, PPD E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/25/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV SOCI SCUL PHUM TX SUBJECT: AUCA STUDENTS AND PARENTS FACE INCREASED PRESSURE REF: A. ASHGABAT 0983 ¶B. ASHGABAT 1049 Classified By: Charge Richard Miles for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Turkmen authorities are ratcheting up pressure on the students of the American University in Central Asia (AUCA) and their parents. Several parents have either been fired or forced to resign after publicly questioning Ministry of Education (MOE) officials. Additionally, the GOTX apparently is inspecting the draft status of male students. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) During the week of August 17, MOE officials held two meetings with students and parents to discuss the ongoing issues of travel to AUCA (REF B). The meetings, apparently, were also a way for the authorities to collect more information to intimidate the parents and students. Prior to the meeting, students were required to fill out forms detailing their course of study, their place of residence, and their parents, full names and occupations. ¶3. (C) Despite threats by low-level officials prior to the meeting that the parents would "need to choose between their jobs and sending their kids to Kyrgyzstan," several parents courageously raised their concerns with MOE officials during the town hall-style meeting. Since then, one parent was dismissed from his job of 15 years at the oil company in Dashoguz, another was fired from his job at the Supreme Court in Ashgabat, and another woman was forced to resign from her position with the Ministry of Defense in Ashgabat. ¶4. (C) After last week's meetings, police contacted one male student and "invited" him to the local police station in Balkanabat. Suspecting that his draft status was under review, the student brought with him his military service records. Upon reviewing his successful military service, the local police said, "You can go study wherever you want." Interestingly, the student had not raised either his desire to study abroad or the recent troubles he,d had trying to leave Turkmenistan. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: It appears that the firings and intimidation are so far limited to those parents and students that had the temerity to show up and publicly question Ministry of Education officials at the recent meetings with AUCA students and their parents. It is now obvious that despite assurances to the contrary, the meetings were designed to identify potential troublemakers. We have heard that MOE officials were surprised by the vehement reactions of some of the parents. However, even in Turkmenistan, parents will defend their children, and what they view as an opportunity for a better life for their children. END COMMENT. MILES