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