TURKMEN STUDENTS PREVENTED FROM EXITING COUNTRY TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000938 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/28/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAO OEXC SCUL SOCI TX SUBJECT: TURKMEN STUDENTS PREVENTED FROM EXITING COUNTRY TO ATTEND SCHOOL ABROAD REF: A. ASHGABAT 0880 ¶B. ASHGABAT 0857 ¶C. ASHGABAT 0808 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Sylvia Reed Curran. Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Institute of Education, an office within the Ministry of Education, must now approve the foreign post-high school study of all Turkmen students. This new requirement is in direct opposition to President Berdimuhamedov's stated goals of increasing foreign education possibilities for young Turkmen. In the past two weeks, Turkmen authorities did not allow several students traveling for studies at the American University of Central Asia to board flights to Bishkek. Turkmen officials have given pretexts such as safety issues and, ironically, poor education given to Turkmen abroad as reasons for this new requirement. The Law on Migration does allow the government to prevent individuals from going abroad for study, if they believe they would be in danger. This situation is potentially another case of officials independently implementing a directive, regardless of the President's stated intentions. The new requirement may have more to do with providing Turkmen officials with new opportunities for graft than a legitimate interest in security or educational quality. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) American Councils informed Post at a reception on July 23 that, for the past two weeks, Turkmen authorities had prevented students enrolled in the American University of Central Asia (AUCA) from boarding their flights to Bishkek, because the Ministry of Education now requires that students going to Kyrgyzstan receive permission from the Ministry. An American Councils representative attended a meeting held in the Ministry of Education courtyard earlier in the week of July 20, where a MinEd official told anxious and angry parents that the Ministry wants students to meet with the Ministry and present a number of documents (acceptance, accreditation of the university, etc.),before departing. (COMMENT: Post finds it unusual that the Ministry of Education found it necessary or reasonable to meet with parents outside, and that it couldn't manage to find a room inside the Ministry or elsewhere, in the middle of the hottest period of the summer. END COMMENT.) MINISTRY OF EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR FOREIGN STUDIES ¶3. (U) On July 27, IREX informed Post that the MinEd foreign study clearance requirement will also apply to students headed for the U.S. Students who wish to study outside of the country must present to the Institute of Education: -- a copy of their passport, (NOTE: It is unclear if a copy of a student visa is required. END NOTE.) -- a copy and certified translation of the admission letter from the university, and -- if the school is located in the former Soviet Union, a copy of the school,s license. If the Institute of Education -- an office in the Ministry of Education -- approves the student's foreign study, it will affix a round seal on the back of the admission letter, which serves as notice to the Border Guards/State Migration Service that the student is allowed to leave. POTENTIAL IMPACT REGARDING AMERICAN PROGRAM INTERESTS ¶4. (SBU) Post has also heard that Turkmen authorities prevented at least one student going for studies in Bulgaria and two traveling to the United Kingdom from boarding their flights. Post is aware that currently, upwards of 20 students planning to leave for studies in the fall on U.S. ASHGABAT 00000938 002 OF 002 Government-funded programs will be affected by these new regulations. Based on 2009 student visa issuance numbers, approximately 60-70 self-funding Turkmen students could be affected annually by the new requirement. American Councils informed Post on July 28 that the new requirement does not apply to secondary school students and should not affect FLEX finalists who are leaving in the next couple of weeks. However, one Ministry of Education official told a student that the Ministry will not stamp the acceptance letters for private universities, which presumably would include AUCA. Indications are also that male students will have to prove that they have fulfilled or will fulfill their mandatory military service obligation in order to receive permission. TURKMEN JUSTIFICATION FOR PREVENTING STUDENT TRAVEL ¶5. (C) Under Article 32 and 34 of the Turkmenistan Law on Migration, Turkmenistan reserves the right to prevent Turkmen citizens from traveling if the government feels that the traveler's point of travel constitutes a risk to the Turkmen citizen. Migration officials who stopped one girl who attempted to travel on July 24 told her that they had recently been given this directive and it was to protect students, because two Turkmen students had recently drowned in Kyrgyzstan. Post has also heard that officials are trying to prevent the continuation of foreign programs that take advantage of Turkmen students by providing them subpar educational programs. The wording of the law is sufficiently vague as to allow these examples to fall within the letter of the law. Post has raised the issue of the new requirement of approval from the Institute of Education with MFA Americas Desk officials, who had been previously unaware of this new MinEd policy. THE INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION ¶6. (SBU) The Institute of Education falls under the aegis of the Ministry of Education, and is responsible for preparing all curriculum and textbooks for preschool and secondary schools, as well as for all teacher training programs. The Institute has been designated as the point of contact for students wishing to study overseas, and it grants the necessary permission. ¶7. (SBU) COMMENT: These impediments directly violate President Berdimuhamedov,s stated policy of encouraging international education exchange. Similarly in the past year, some headmasters prevented students from FLEX testing, in spite of the President's open letter published in official newspapers inviting students to take part in the test. The new requirements may have more to do with providing Turkmen officials with new opportunities for graft than any legitimate interest in security or educational quality. In fact, one Turkmen official told us he believed this was an attempt by Ministry of Education officials to milk an untapped source for bribes. At this time, Post's primary concern is to ensure that the more than 20 U.S. Government-funded university students affected are able to attend their intended programs. END COMMENT. CURRAN