KYRGYZ HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS SEEK NEW APPROACH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BISHKEK 000889 SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/07/2019 TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KG SUBJECT: KYRGYZ HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS SEEK NEW APPROACH REF: A. BISHKEK 810 ¶B. BISHKEK 831 BISHKEK 00000889 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Ambassador Tatiana C. Gfoeller for Reasons 1.4 (b) and ( d). ¶1. (SBU) Summary: On August 5, the Kyrgyz Ombudsman hosted a roundtable discussion for human rights activists, civil society leaders, and government officials to address the recent arrests and detentions of protesters. Rights defenders voiced their complaints and demanded answers from the authorities but received few responses. One prominent advocate proposed a new approach to protecting the rights of citizens, beginning with the drafting of a concrete resolution based on the roundtable discussion. End Summary. RIGHTS ACTIVISTS BERATE KYRGYZ GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On August 5, Ombudsman Tursunbek Akun chaired a roundtable organized to discuss the detention and treatment of protesters arrested on July 23 (Ref A),the day of the Presidential elections, and July 29 (Ref B). Representatives from the prosecutor general's office, the Ministry of Interior (MVD),the Kyrgyz Security Services (GKNB),and the Constitutional Court faced a barrage of accusations and relentless questioning from human rights activists and civil society leaders. Aziza Abdurasulova of Kylym Shamy led the charge in accusing the MVD of unlawfully arresting and physically abusing peaceful protesters. She invited several demonstrators detained on July 29 to retell their story of abuse and mistreatment by the MVD. She demanded that the prosecutors explain the legal authority to use a military facility for holding and trying detainees. To this, the prosecutors had no response. ¶3. (SBU) Numerous other rights activists and NGO leaders followed Abdurasulova's scolding with similar charges and demands for answers. Asiya Sasykbaeva, head of the advocacy center Interbilim, launched a barrage of questions, asking "With what authority are you allowed to detain members of Parliament? With what authority can the police beat demonstrators? With what authority can you hold protesters in detention centers without access to lawyers?" To each of these questions, a representative from the Prosecutor General's office stated that the authorities were within their rights to preserve stability and protect the Constitutional order. Tolekan Ismailova of the human rights center Citizens against Corruption made an emotional plea for government officials to allow for medical care and treatment of some detainees allegedly injured during the Balykchy protest and subsequent police crackdown. KYRGYZ OFFICIALS HAD FEW ANSWERS BUT ENDURED VERBAL ABUSE -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Kyrgyz government officials attempted to provide their version of the arrests and detentions but rights defenders were quick to rebut their every claim. An MVD colonel began to convey the government's official account of the recent arrests of protesters on July 23 and 29. Each statement, however, was quickly contested by rights activists and some of the protesters originally detained. At one point, the colonel stated that MVD officers at the scene "politely asked the protesters to walk on the sidewalks instead of the main roads but they refused." To this the room erupted with shouts of "liar!" and arguments that the colonel did not know the truth because he wasn't present during the events. OMBUDSMAN BECOMES TARGET OF CRITICISM -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The roundtable steadily spiraled out of control and BISHKEK 00000889 002.2 OF 002 the Ombudsman, in an attempt to calm both sides, became an additional target of criticism. With both sides shouting at each other, the Ombudsman clearly lost control of the roundtable, during which he had promised "a healthy dialogue." As he attempted to restore order, the rights activists turned their attention on the Ombudsman, claiming that he was holding the roundtable just to show President Bakiyev that he was working. To this, the Ombudsman sadly proclaimed "It's tough for me to do this job!" A NEW APPROACH IS PROPOSED... -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The three-hour long meeting ended with Cholpon Jakupova advocating for a new approach to human rights activism and proposing that the roundtable result in a concrete resolution to be sent to President Bakiyev. Jakupova, director of the Adilet Legal Clinic, stood up towards the end of the meeting and asked what the group had achieved during the "three-hour debate." She said that each roundtable discussion allowed for the rights groups to vent their frustrations and voice their complaints but resulted in little change. Jakupova proposed that the group draft a resolution that included concrete suggestions, distribute it to the international NGO and diplomatic community for support, and submit it to the government. Participants, with the exception of government officials, agreed that this would be a positive step forward. ¶6. (C) During a separate conversation, Jakupova told Poloff that the human rights organizations desperately needed to rethink their approach to protecting the rights of citizens. Jakupova felt that "society is tired of the protests and is beginning to turn its frustrations on us." She realized that she and her colleagues have made little headway in influencing fundamental changes to the government's policies to protect human rights. She believed that they were always "reactionary and never proactive." Jakupova said that she didn't have the perfect answer but hoped to discuss the situation with her partners and develop a new plan of action. COMMENT -------------- ¶7. (C) This roundtable discussion, as with most others, provided human rights groups and civil society leaders with the opportunity to complain to the government. The government sent mid- to high-level officials as sacrificial lambs, armed with few arguments and a weak or non-existent defense strategy, to endure the brunt of the activists' fury. The government may have caught on to the notion that giving the human rights defenders a venue to vent their frustrations provides for sufficient pacification. Jakupova's proposal to press for concrete results and a new plan of action may be the key to rights groups actually influencing positive change to Kyrgyz government policies. GFOELLER