Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ASHGABAT1675
2009-12-30 12:10:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
DRUGS IN TURKMENISTAN: BURN, BABY, BURN
how-toVZCZCXYZ0020 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHAH #1675 3641210 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 301210Z DEC 09 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3984 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 6061 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3755 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3614 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 4303 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RHMCSUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 4240 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1361 RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 001675
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV SNAR SOCI UN TX
SUBJECT: DRUGS IN TURKMENISTAN: BURN, BABY, BURN
REF: A. ASHGABAT 1261
B. ASHGABAT 1301
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Sylvia Reed Curran. Reasons 1.4 (B) a
nd (D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 001675
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV SNAR SOCI UN TX
SUBJECT: DRUGS IN TURKMENISTAN: BURN, BABY, BURN
REF: A. ASHGABAT 1261
B. ASHGABAT 1301
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Sylvia Reed Curran. Reasons 1.4 (B) a
nd (D).
1. (SBU) On December 24, POLOFF attended a drug burning
ceremony run by the Turkmenistan State Counternarcotics
Service (SCNS) in cooperation with the UN Office on Drugs and
Crime (UNODC). Turkmenistan conducts these ceremonies twice
a year, and, according to government officials, burns all the
drugs they have confiscated in their country during the
six-month period. At this event, one ton and 279 kilograms
of hashish, opium, and heroin were burned. Neither the
Turkmen government officials nor the UNODC representatives
stated where the confiscated drugs came from, but the
diplomat from the Afghanistan Embassy said he assumed that
most originated in Afghanistan. Locals say that some hashish
is domestically produced in Turkmenistan, but the majority of
narcotics in the country come from across the southern border
with Afghanistan.
2. (SBU) The diplomatic community was invited to participate
in this drug burning ceremony, as they have at previous such
events. The head of the SCNS in his opening remarks credited
aid from UNODC as well as foreign governments, including the
United States, for helping Turkmenistan bring its
counternarcotics methods up to international standards. The
diplomats were then invited to look at samples of the
confiscated hashish, opium, and heroin and also encouraged to
throw the packets of drugs into the fire.
3. (U) State-run newspaper Neutral Turkmenistan reported on
the drug burning ceremony, saying that it was part of the
Turkmenistan Government's decision to take active steps
against drug addiction. The newspaper also noted that
Turkmenistan is doing its part to fight a global threat. In
addition to the law enforcement angle, the newspaper article
claimed that the state-sponsored youth organization
"Galkynysh" is spreading information about the harmful
effects of drugs, and that more youth are now doing sports
and living a healthy lifestyle.
4. (C) COMMENT: Despite the publicity surrounding the drug
burning ceremony and other counternarcotics efforts in
Turkmenistan, drug addiction remains a large problem. During
the 1990s many young people started using drugs because of
increased availability and rising unemployment. President
Berdimuhamedov has focused on increasing law enforcement
capacity to counter the drug problem (ref A) and has taken a
more punitive stance towards drug-related crimes than former
President Niyazov, refusing to amnesty people arrested on
drug-related charges (ref B). While (unlike his predecessor)
the current president has admitted that there is a drug abuse
problem, he has done little in the way of prevention. For
example, schools still do not have anti-drug education
programs. END COMMENT.
CURRAN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV SNAR SOCI UN TX
SUBJECT: DRUGS IN TURKMENISTAN: BURN, BABY, BURN
REF: A. ASHGABAT 1261
B. ASHGABAT 1301
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Sylvia Reed Curran. Reasons 1.4 (B) a
nd (D).
1. (SBU) On December 24, POLOFF attended a drug burning
ceremony run by the Turkmenistan State Counternarcotics
Service (SCNS) in cooperation with the UN Office on Drugs and
Crime (UNODC). Turkmenistan conducts these ceremonies twice
a year, and, according to government officials, burns all the
drugs they have confiscated in their country during the
six-month period. At this event, one ton and 279 kilograms
of hashish, opium, and heroin were burned. Neither the
Turkmen government officials nor the UNODC representatives
stated where the confiscated drugs came from, but the
diplomat from the Afghanistan Embassy said he assumed that
most originated in Afghanistan. Locals say that some hashish
is domestically produced in Turkmenistan, but the majority of
narcotics in the country come from across the southern border
with Afghanistan.
2. (SBU) The diplomatic community was invited to participate
in this drug burning ceremony, as they have at previous such
events. The head of the SCNS in his opening remarks credited
aid from UNODC as well as foreign governments, including the
United States, for helping Turkmenistan bring its
counternarcotics methods up to international standards. The
diplomats were then invited to look at samples of the
confiscated hashish, opium, and heroin and also encouraged to
throw the packets of drugs into the fire.
3. (U) State-run newspaper Neutral Turkmenistan reported on
the drug burning ceremony, saying that it was part of the
Turkmenistan Government's decision to take active steps
against drug addiction. The newspaper also noted that
Turkmenistan is doing its part to fight a global threat. In
addition to the law enforcement angle, the newspaper article
claimed that the state-sponsored youth organization
"Galkynysh" is spreading information about the harmful
effects of drugs, and that more youth are now doing sports
and living a healthy lifestyle.
4. (C) COMMENT: Despite the publicity surrounding the drug
burning ceremony and other counternarcotics efforts in
Turkmenistan, drug addiction remains a large problem. During
the 1990s many young people started using drugs because of
increased availability and rising unemployment. President
Berdimuhamedov has focused on increasing law enforcement
capacity to counter the drug problem (ref A) and has taken a
more punitive stance towards drug-related crimes than former
President Niyazov, refusing to amnesty people arrested on
drug-related charges (ref B). While (unlike his predecessor)
the current president has admitted that there is a drug abuse
problem, he has done little in the way of prevention. For
example, schools still do not have anti-drug education
programs. END COMMENT.
CURRAN