AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH IOM KYRGYZSTAN CHIEF

C O N F I D E N T I A L BISHKEK 000234 SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN (GORKOWSKI) E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2019 TAGS: KTIP PGOV PREL PINR KG SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH IOM KYRGYZSTAN CHIEF REF: BISHKEK 181 Classified By: Ambassador Tatiana C. Gfoeller for Reasons 1.4 (b) and ( d). ¶1. (C) On March 19, Ambassador met with Zlatko Zigic, Chief of Mission for the International Organization for Migration (IOM),to discuss developing trends in human trafficking and methods to combat it. He said that since 2005, indictments and convictions have fallen significantly while the volume of trafficking victims, particularly labor migrants sent to Kazakhstan and Russia, has grown. Only recently, he claimed, did the world's economic crisis temporarily stem the flow of labor migrants. Zigic blamed the "corrupt Bakiyev regime" for exacerbating the trafficking in persons (TIP) problem. ¶2. (C) To emphasize this point, Zigic told of a case where two rescued victims were returning from Turkey when, upon arrival, they were removed from the plane by human traffickers and whisked away in a car waiting on the tarmac. Although the criminals were caught and the women rescued for a second time, he said that two border guard officials were found guilty of assisting the traffickers. ¶3. (C) The Ambassador mentioned that she had heard that some organized gangs in Kyrgyzstan specialize in kidnapping "blond, Russian-looking girls," converting them to Islam, often forcibly, and then shipping them to Gulf countries as prostitutes (reftel). She asked Zigic if he found this credible. Zigic emphatically confirmed that such is indeed the case in the Kyrgyz Republic, though he thought that "even non-Russian looking girls" are sometimes subjected to forced conversion to Islam and subsequent prostitution. ¶4. (C) Zigic assured Ambassador that IOM would continue to fight human trafficking in Kyrgyzstan. When asked if anyone in the government was working to stem the flow of trafficking victims, Zigic said that Aigul Ryskulova, chairperson of the State Committee for Migration and Employment, was one of the few government officials committed to combating human trafficking and instrumental in keeping the National TIP hotlines operational. He said that IOM is in discussions with the Norwegian government to develop a gender education program, focusing on the empowerment of women through the establishment of training centers in rural areas. ¶5. (C) Zigic also provided Ambassador with a copy of IOM's newly released educational book about the dangers of human trafficking, to become a part of the curriculum for middle and high schools throughout the country. In closing, Zigic welcomed any new Department of State programs to combat trafficking in persons, declaring that "IOM is at your disposal." GFOELLER