KAZAKHSTAN: NGO HEAD RECOMMENDS MORE ASSISTANCE TO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 000213 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD, EUR/ACE, DRL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM EAID KDEM KPAO KZ SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: NGO HEAD RECOMMENDS MORE ASSISTANCE TO JOURNALISTS FROM PRO-GOVERNMENT MEDIA REF: (A) ASTANA 0191 (B) ASTANA 0058 (C) 08 ASTANA 2383 ¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Ambassador met on February 4 with Tamara Kaleyeva, director of the media watchdog NGO "Adil Soz." Kaleyeva said the Kazakhstani media are very polarized between pro-government and opposition media outlets, with few truly neutral and independent media sources. She maintained that the draft Internet law could result in restricted access to foreign websites. She criticized opposition journalists for a lack of vision and professionalism, and for refusing to admit mistakes. Kaliyev suggested that the international community focus more on training and supporting the majority of Kazakhstani journalists, who work for pro-government news outlets. Commenting on the criminal case against "Alma-Ata Info" Editor-in-Chief Ramazan Yesergepov, she said there is no doubt that Yesergepov largely brought the situation on himself, but maintained that the Committee for National Security (KNB) "has also gone overboard." END SUMMARY. MEDIA ARE POLARIZED ¶3. (SBU) "Adil Soz" Director Tamara Kaleyeva told the Ambassador on February 4 in Almaty that reporters in Kazakhstan are largely subject to editorial control by the media owners, most of whom, in turn, are subject to directives by the government. Kaleyeva estimates there are 3,000 registered media outlets in Kazakhstan, and 80% WaJWndependent media outlets in Kazakhstan, both in terms of content and financing, and they are local papers with regional@;Q#Q!Q?Qc letter of the law and how it is applied. She cited the example of Uzbekistan, where the legislation is more liberal, but the situation for journalists is significantly worse than in Kazakhstan. INTERNET LAW COULD RESTRICT ACCESS TO FOREIGN SITES ¶5. (SBU) The Ambassador and Kaleyeva also discussed the draft Internet law sent to parliament on January 19. One provision of the legislation would give authorities the power to shut down websites for content that does not comply with Kazakhstani legislation. (NOTE: Some claim that the legislation could be used to hold the owners of on-line media outlets responsible for negative or slanderous content posted on blogs or chat rooms associated with their sites. END NOTE.) Kaleyeva stressed the Internet plays an important role in Kazakhstan, especially in its ability to convey information from foreign sources. Kaleyeva said the draft law would impose restrictions on the flow of information, especially from the West. When asked how the law could be impjQ]Qghe course of the legislation. PROBLEMS WITH THE OPPOSITION MEDIA ¶6. (SBU) Kaleyeva was candid in discussing problems with the opposition media in Kazakhstan. She commented that more than half of Adil Soz's time is spent assisting opposition journalists with court cases, and that once the cases are resolved, most of the opposition journalists will not admit to any mistakes they may have made and will do nothing to adjust their future behavior. She ASTANA 00000213 002 OF 002 contended that many opposition journalists lack broad vision, real journalistic education, and professional ethics. She also noted many of them believe the government is determined to persecute them. Often, she said, they do not understand their behavior could harm their own interests and that they "lack the good judgment" to avoid potential sensitivities. ¶7. (SBU) Given her reservations, Kaleyeva suggested that instead of focusing time and financial resources on promoting the opposition media, the international community should focus on training and supporting the majority of journalists in Kazakhstan, who happen to work for pro-government media outlets. Many of these journalists are quite talented, she maintained. In particular, Kaleyeva said one of the most effective means of assisting journalists in Kazakhstan would be the donation of journalism textbooks in Russian and Kazakh. Kaleyeva said she would also like to push for the establishment of trade unions for journalists that will protect their common labor rights. EDITOR OF ALMA-ATA INFO, VICTIM OR CRIMINAL? ¶8. (SBU) In closing, the Ambassador asked Kaleyeva for her evaluation of the case of Ramazan Yesergepov, the "Alma-Ata Info" Editor-in-Chief charged with the dissemination of state secrets, who remains in the custody of the Committee for National Security (KNB). Kaleyeva said there is no doubt that Yesergepov largely brought the situation on himself. She stressed, however, that the KNB "has also gone overboard." She explained that Kazakhstani legislation imposes on a journalist the duty and responsibility to protect his sources, although she admitted that the law does not afford special protection for journalists who do so. In her opinion, Yesergepov had the misfortune to be caught up in the KNB's battle with a local criminal king-pin in Taraz. Nevertheless, she believes that his arrest was a "warning" to other journalists. Kaleyeva said Yesergepov's situation highlights the methods and power of the KNB in Kazakhstan. ¶9. (SBU) COMMENT: We tend to agree with Kaleyeva that media assistance in Kazakhstan should focus on raising professionalism and ethical standards of all journalists, even if they are associated with the government -- as most are. We were especially struck by her observation that too many self-described opposition journalists see their role in life, more or less, as hurlers of verbal Molotov cocktails. END COMMENT. HOAGLAND