KAZAKHSTAN: LIFE ON THE STEPPE, APRIL 18-24

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 000724 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD, DRL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM ECON SOCI SENV KCRM KZ SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: LIFE ON THE STEPPE, APRIL 18-24 ASTANA 00000724 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. This is another in a series of weekly cables drawn mostly from public media, as well as think-tank, NGO, and opposition web-sites, selected to show the diversity of life in Kazakhstan, and information about it available to citizens of Kazakhstan. Our goal is to choose what might interest and be of use to various end-users in Washington and -- especially -- to provide a more complex view from the other side of the world, illustrating the vitality (and sometimes the quirkiness) of discourse available to citizens of Kazakhstan. OIL WORKERS' STRIKE ENDS IN SUCCESS ¶2. Oil workers in Mangistau oblast who had not been paid for several months had to resort first to a labor strike and then to a hunger strike to finally receive what was rightfully theirs. The protests by 70 employees of the Second Drilling Unit of UzenMunaiGas, a subsidiary of the Kazakhstani national oil company KazMunaiGas, lasted ten days. Initially, the drillers stopped all work and demanded their salaries and the resignation of the unit's general director, who unilaterally decided to withhold their salaries, ostensibly due to the ongoing financial crisis. "Seven days later, when nothing happened, we announced a hunger strike," Zhak Aminov, one of the participants of the protests said. The workers fasted in teams of three in one of the oil company's trucks, and at the same time turned to local representatives of the Azat opposition party for legal assistance. With the help of Azat, the workers petitioned the management of UzenMunaiGas and local authorities to quickly and peacefully negotiate a settlement agreeable to both sides. ¶3. However, during the night of April 19, three days into the hunger strike, local police officers stormed the truck with the fasting workers and forcibly removed them. Yet, as local and national media began to pick up the story, the pressure began to grow on local authorities to deal with the "pesky" problem. Local authorities denied any excessive use of police force and claimed the officers had to arrest the ring leaders of an unsanctioned demonstration. Soon after, however, the authorities relented and gave in to the workers' demands. A decree has been signed promising to pay their back wages, and the director and head engineer of the Second Drilling Unit have been dismissed. DEATH OF POLICE CADET REVEALS WEB OF CORRUPTION AND FRAUD ¶4. The recent suicide of a young cadet attending the Pavlodar Legal College, a school for aspiring law enforcement officers, appears to have been the tip of an iceberg of corruption and fraud. According to the school administration, the young man took his life because of love woes. His parents and journalists from the newspaper "Vremya," however, tell a different story. As the newspaper reported in several articles, the school, which is formally under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice, was run like a personal fiefdom by its former director, Colonel Amangazy Syzdykov. According to an internal investigation by the Ministry, which was prompted by the first article published in "Vremya," the cadets almost literally could not take a step without having to bribe the school administration. Permission for leave cost 1,500-2,000 tenge ($10-13),passing an exam cost 10,000-15,000 tenge ($66-100),and permission to depart on vacation was 7,500-15,000 tenge ($50-$100). As it turned out, the young cadet committed suicide in December last year not for love but for money, or rather lack thereof. The student reportedly had to pay 15,000 tenge for an examination in July 2008, and then another 11,000 tenge ($73). However, having no money, he borrowed the sum from his fellow students promising to pay them back when he returned from vacation. When his parents were unable to give him the money, the cadet decided that his situation was hopeless and killed himself. ¶5. This was not all that the investigation found -- or rather did not find. According to "Vremya," the investigators found no test or exam records for the period of 2004-08, meaning that in the time period the students of the Pavlodar Legal College did not take a single examination. Moreover, during Syzdykov's tenure, the school's payroll listed a number of "dead souls" -- people who were receiving salary without actually working. One instructor who travelled overseas when he was supposed to be teaching in Pavlodar was actually promoted to major. Colonel Syzdykov himself continues to have a successful career. Following his tenure at the Pavlodar ASTANA 00000724 002.2 OF 002 Legal College, he was appointed head of the Penitentiary System Committee of Pavlodar oblast. It remains to be seen whether the "Vremya" expose and an internal investigation into Syzdykov's "rule" at the Pavlodar Legal College will finally catch up with Syzdykov. RICH BANNED FROM SPECIAL MARKET FOR LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS ¶6. Last month, the city of Pavlodar opened up a special market to serve low-income residents. Weeks after opening, however, the authorities had to restrict access to it since the cheap prices attracted not only the destitute, but also wealthy bargain-hunters. According to the local media, Pavlodar's rich quickly became regulars at the "Shapagat" market and, arriving in SUVs and government-owned cars, were frequently seen leaving with bulging shopping bags. Clearly, everyone loves a bargain, even in Kazakhstan. However, soon goods meant for Pavlodar's invalids, pensioners, and other needy people began disappearing from shelves before those people actually had a chance to buy them. Local authorities ultimately had to step in and restrict the bargain-shopping to those who truly need it. The "Shapagat" market is partially subsidized by the city administration in that its vendors do not have to pay rent. This allows store owners to keep prices on average 10 percent lower than anywhere else in the city. KAZAKHSTANIS ASPIRE TO "CONQUER THE WORLD" WITH KUMYS ¶7. Kazakhstan has big plans for kumys, the national drink made from fermented mare's milk. According to Minister of Industry and Trade Vladimir Shkolnik, the country plans to increase production of the drink and export it beyond Kazakhstan's borders. "Considering the fact that kumys is a Kazakhstani national product that could become the country's trademark, we cannot remain in the role of a spectator as other countries like Russia, Germany and France slowly fill this export niche," said Shkolnik. Kazakhstan's kumys producers will reportedly need government support to acquire new technologies for production and preservation and expanded horse ranching. Traditional kumys, which is mildly alcoholic (with about 2% of average alcohol content),can be stored for only up to three days, and its production is limited to the milking period of mares. Recently, however, a method of producing pasteurized kumys was developed allowing year-round export. Kumys is often described as an "acquired taste" among non-Central Asians, but has been praised in Russia for its purported medicinal qualities. HOAGLAND