Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BISHKEK43
2009-01-13 09:59:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Bishkek
Cable title:
Kyrgyz President Signs Restrictive Religion Law
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UNCLAS BISHKEK 000043
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KIRF KG
SUBJECT: Kyrgyz President Signs Restrictive Religion Law
Ref: 08 Bishkek 1135
UNCLAS BISHKEK 000043
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KIRF KG
SUBJECT: Kyrgyz President Signs Restrictive Religion Law
Ref: 08 Bishkek 1135
1. (U) Summary: On January 12, President Bakiyev signed a
restrictive law on religion, marking a significant change in the
Kyrgyz Government's relations with religious organizations. The new
law, passed by Parliament in November (Reftel),raises the minimum
number of members required for registration to 200, and it bans
proselytizing, among other changes. Local minority religious
organizations opposed the law, and several international
organizations had urged Bakiyev not to sign it. The law does not
apply retroactively, and organizations already registered should not
have to meet the 200-member minimum. End summary.
New Approach to Religious Organizations
--------------
2. (U) On January 12, President Bakiyev signed a controversial new
law on religion, exerting greater state control and banning certain
activities. The new law raises the minimum number of members
required for registration from 10 to 200. It bans proselytizing,
prohibiting "insistent actions aimed at converting followers of one
convention into other ones (proselytism)." The law also bans the
distribution of religious literature in public places and in
schools. The two recognized "traditional" religious organizations
in the country, the Board of Muslims and the Russian Orthodox
Church, supported the new law.
3. (SBU) Minority religious organizations, including Protestant
denominations which became active here after Kyrgyzstan's
independence in 1991, opposed the law, seeing it as a threat to
their activity. Evangelical groups had lobbied strongly against the
bill, reaching out broadly for potential allies. The Embassy
received numerous letters from small church groups asking for
support in opposing the law. At a dinner on January 12, the evening
of the bill's signing, the head of the Union of the Evangelical
Christian-Baptists ruefully noted that they had made their views on
the law known to the government, but the government had decided to
move forward with the law anyway. He expressed a cautious hope that
the government would not be overly energetic in the law's
implementation.
4. (SBU) Many of these minority religious organizations do not have
200 members, as required by the new law for registration. Although
the drafters of the law promised that the new law would not apply to
religious organizations that had been registered prior to the
publication of the law, Article 21 of the new law requires that "all
religious organizations be guided in their activities by this law."
Comment
--------------
5. (SBU) The signing of this law brings to an end the open approach
of the Kyrgyz Government to religious organizations and missionary
activity. Concerned about possible threats from religious
extremists, and concerned about religious friction in some villages,
the government has moved to assert stricter control over religious
organizations and their activity. How minority religious
organizations will be affected will depend on how the law is
implemented. At a minimum, the law provides the government with a
stick that can be selectively wielded against groups or
organizations that it dislikes, for whatever reason.
GFOELLER
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KIRF KG
SUBJECT: Kyrgyz President Signs Restrictive Religion Law
Ref: 08 Bishkek 1135
1. (U) Summary: On January 12, President Bakiyev signed a
restrictive law on religion, marking a significant change in the
Kyrgyz Government's relations with religious organizations. The new
law, passed by Parliament in November (Reftel),raises the minimum
number of members required for registration to 200, and it bans
proselytizing, among other changes. Local minority religious
organizations opposed the law, and several international
organizations had urged Bakiyev not to sign it. The law does not
apply retroactively, and organizations already registered should not
have to meet the 200-member minimum. End summary.
New Approach to Religious Organizations
--------------
2. (U) On January 12, President Bakiyev signed a controversial new
law on religion, exerting greater state control and banning certain
activities. The new law raises the minimum number of members
required for registration from 10 to 200. It bans proselytizing,
prohibiting "insistent actions aimed at converting followers of one
convention into other ones (proselytism)." The law also bans the
distribution of religious literature in public places and in
schools. The two recognized "traditional" religious organizations
in the country, the Board of Muslims and the Russian Orthodox
Church, supported the new law.
3. (SBU) Minority religious organizations, including Protestant
denominations which became active here after Kyrgyzstan's
independence in 1991, opposed the law, seeing it as a threat to
their activity. Evangelical groups had lobbied strongly against the
bill, reaching out broadly for potential allies. The Embassy
received numerous letters from small church groups asking for
support in opposing the law. At a dinner on January 12, the evening
of the bill's signing, the head of the Union of the Evangelical
Christian-Baptists ruefully noted that they had made their views on
the law known to the government, but the government had decided to
move forward with the law anyway. He expressed a cautious hope that
the government would not be overly energetic in the law's
implementation.
4. (SBU) Many of these minority religious organizations do not have
200 members, as required by the new law for registration. Although
the drafters of the law promised that the new law would not apply to
religious organizations that had been registered prior to the
publication of the law, Article 21 of the new law requires that "all
religious organizations be guided in their activities by this law."
Comment
--------------
5. (SBU) The signing of this law brings to an end the open approach
of the Kyrgyz Government to religious organizations and missionary
activity. Concerned about possible threats from religious
extremists, and concerned about religious friction in some villages,
the government has moved to assert stricter control over religious
organizations and their activity. How minority religious
organizations will be affected will depend on how the law is
implemented. At a minimum, the law provides the government with a
stick that can be selectively wielded against groups or
organizations that it dislikes, for whatever reason.
GFOELLER