TURKMENISTAN: JEHOVAH'S WITNESSESS STILL LACK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000300 SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN; DRL/IRF E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/04/2019 TAGS: PHUM KIRF PGOV TX SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: JEHOVAH'S WITNESSESS STILL LACK REGISTRATION, BUT PRESSURE HAS RELENTED Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Sylvia Reed Curran. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: On March 2, Turkmenistan's Jehovah's Witnesses resubmitted their registration application documents in a process that began in 1992. While the Jehovah's Witnesses have passed through many ups and downs during that time, the leader of the Jehovah's Witnesses' community considers that the situation in Turkmenistan has markedly improved during the past couple of years. While government harassment continues in the form of detention of adherents when they proselytize and firings from government jobs, they are also able to gather in small groups without interference and their religious literature is in ample supply. The community's leader attributes the improvement to an atmosphere of "more legality" under President Berdimuhamedov. Despite government pressure, the number of adherents is reportedly growing. Still, until they are registered, the Jehovah's Witnesses will remain an essentially underground organization, with the hardship and uncertainty that entails. END SUMMARY A LONG PATH TOWARDS REGISTRATION .. NO END IN SIGHT ¶2. (C) On March 3, poloff met with the leader of Jehovah's Witnesses in Turkmenistan, Andrey Zhbanov. He said Jehovah's Witnesses did not have a presence in Turkmenistan during the Soviet period, but some individual Jehovah's Witness believers arrived about 20 years ago. He stressed Jehovah's Witnesses in Turkmenistan is not an "organization" because that would require registration with the government. Rather, he referred to the current status of the group as a "community" (obshchina) that has existed here for 17 years. ¶3. (C) Jehovah's Witnesses ongoing efforts to become a registered religious organization began in 1992 with their first application. Most recently they resubmitted their application on March 2. It included revisions to the previous August 21, 2008 submission that had been rejected in December. According to Zhbanov, members of the Council on Religious Affairs ("CRA") have told Jehovah's Witness adherents privately that "we don't want to register you" and that Jehovah's Witnesses are "extremists." Publicly, however, government officials continue to find minor "mistakes" in the Jehovah's Witnesses' applications, which 
provide grounds for rejection. Zhbanov said the officials "read between the lines" in order to find a way to avoid complying with the law and registering them. The Ministry of Justice ("MOJ"),which reviews the application and is responsible for registration, does not permit a lawyer to accompany the Jehovah's Witnesses to meetings at the Ministry. Zhbanov thinks the law is on the side of the Jehovah's Witnesses, but the officials are not willing to register them because the decision is made at a higher level. The lack of an honest court system means the Jehovah's Witnesses cannot challenge the MOJ's rejections in court. Nonetheless, Zhbanov thought the process was moving forward little by little, and without bloodshed. DESPITE GOVERNMENT PRESSURE, THEIR NUMBERS ARE GROWING ¶4. (C) Zhbanov said there are about 3,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in Turkmenistan, and that their numbers are growing. He said the effect of government pressure is to make the Jehovah's Witnesses grow faster, the opposite of the government's intent. They go from house-to-house to "witness" to others. He said they are frequently detained by the police, but that the police tell them, "we know that you are good people, but we have orders." He added that the police used to beat them, but no longer. Zhbanov attributed the improvement to President Berdimuhamedov, saying that he is trying to "run the country more according to the law," but that he can only work gradually because some of the old guard is still in place. Zhbanov recounted that, four years ago, when Berdimuhamedov was Minister of Health, the state security ASHGABAT 00000300 002 OF 002 service had wanted him to fire a Jehovah's Witness that worked for him. Berdimuhamedov reportedly refused, saying that her employment suited him and if they wanted her dismissed, they should do it themselves. Despite overtures by deputy ministers and others, Berdimuhamedov held his ground. Zhbanov said this indicates that the President is tolerant. Meanwhile, according to Zhbanov, the CRA currently advises the President that there will be social problems if more religious groups are registered. ¶5. (C) Concerning the government's attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses, Zhbanov said they know that Jehovah's Witnesses are honest, nonetheless, if they find out that a government employee is a Jehovah's Witness, then that person is fired. He said it is based on a non-transparent order from above and, while it happens less frequently than before, it still happens. Last year some teachers and nurses were dismissed. Their bosses were given the choice of either firing the Jehovah's Witnesses or they themselves would get fired. But, Zhbanov noted, they manage to make a living, with fired workers going into the private sector. Some Jehovah's Witnesses have formed their own groups to do remodeling projects. Others sell baked goods and other prepared foods. SMALL GATHERINGS UNIMPEDED AND RELIGIOUS LITERATURE ABUNDANT ¶6. (C) The Jehovah's Witnesses gather in small groups in apartments for worship. They are never allowed to meet publicly, according to Zhbanov. In the past, the police raided the apartment meetings and fined the participants, but that no longer happens. Zhbanov said it had already become a little easier under former President Niyazov, and was now a lot better, with "more legality." They are able to easily smuggle in large quantities of printed materials, saying they have as much religious literature as is needed. He said Jehovah's Witnesses are working to achieve "religious likbez." (NOTE: During the early Soviet period, "likbez" was a widespread campaign to "liquidate illiteracy." END NOTE) Zhbanov said he had no doubt that things would keep getting better, although he commented that while the Jehovah's Witnesses are no longer physically beaten, they are still emotionally insulted. It is especially tough for the many ethnic Turkmen who are joining. They are told that they are traitors. LACK OF ALTERNATIVE SERVICE AN OBSTACLE ¶7. (C) The Jehovah's Witnesses' refusal to serve in the military was one of the CRA's criticisms of the group, according to Zhbanov. When Zhbanov met with UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion Asma Jahangir during her September 2008 visit to Turkmenistan, she told Zhbanov that government officials said they were not against creating an alternative service option for conscientious objectors, but that they were afraid imposters would try to take advantage of it. Zhbanov said he told her that it would be easy to distinguish genuine Jehovah's Witnesses adherents from imposters, adding the even the authorities have good specialists on the Bible who can ask pointed questions. ¶8. (C) COMMENT: Although Jehovah's Witnesses remain unregistered, the situation for them, while far from ideal, has nonetheless become easier in recent years. And despite the government pressure, their numbers continue to grow. If the government could reinstate alternative service for conscientious objectors, there could be light at the end of the long tunnel through which Turkmenistan's Jehovah's Witnesses have been traveling. END COMMENT. MILES