GOVERNMENT USING INTIMIDATION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 CHISINAU 000296 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/UMB E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM MD SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT USING INTIMIDATION TO REGAIN CONTROL Q April 10 Sitrep Sensitive but Unclassified. Please Protect Accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) Summary: President Voronin's crackdown on student rioters, journalists, and other outspoken critics of the government over the last two days has created a sense of fear among potential demonstrators. Cyberspace messages cautioned demonstrators not to go downtown because they risked arrest. The main square remained calm throughout the day, with a crowd in front of the main government building of several hundred protesters chanting for the release of the approximately 200 demonstrators who have been arrested over the last few days. There was a considerable police presence assembled behind the main government building, while small groups of non-uniformed thugs, presumably from the security services, watched from across the street and also circulated around the city. Protesters have demanded that the Central Election Commission publish all voter lists in the official governmental register. President Voronin has requested the constitutional court to allow a complete recounting of the ballots cast. End Summary. Smaller Crowd in the Square Remains Peaceful -------------- --- ¶2. (SBU) Small crowds of several hundred protesters gathered in the main square and peacefully listened to speeches. They chanted slogans calling for the release of protesters who had been detained. People posted messages on Facebook warning demonstrators not to participate in today's protests, as provocateurs would be ready to take advantage of the situation. Many websites appear to be blocked in Moldova by Moldtelecom, the government- owned Internet provider, including unimedia.md, unimedia.info, jurnaltv.md, hotnews.md, protv.md (news sites), Facebook.com, Odnoklassniki.ru, Twitter.com, though the blockages appear to be intermittent. Government Using Intimidation to Reassert Control -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The government has been actively cracking down, arresting some of those suspected of participating in the protest violence earlier in the week and arresting opposition journalists. They are threatening school administrators and students, closing borders, and installing police checkpoints around Chisinau. We have heard first-hand accounts of widespread intimidation of students in classrooms. In one account, a student at the College of Informatics and Economics reported that police were at the college today and had pictures from the protests with them. The police checked all classrooms and the grounds, grabbed two students and took them away. In another instance, the student reported that school authorities locked the gates to the school grounds to ensure that students did not leave. In yet another example, a college director informed students that the school would dismiss anyone who participated in the protests. The director of a village school in the north received a cable last night signed by Prime Minister Greceanii saying that CHISINAU 00000296 002 OF 003 he has a personal responsibility to ensure that his students remained in classes today and not participate in the protests. The same message was sent to other heads of educational institutions throughout the country. Opposition Journalists Harassed -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Threats against journalists have become more strident in the last twenty- four hours. The editor-in-chief of Jurnal de Chisinau, Rodica Mahu, was reportedly kidnapped this morning when she was walking to her office; her staff is concerned that she was arrested. Other journalists from Ziarul de Garda reported being followed this morning by persons, presumably from the security services, dressed in civilian clothing. Ziarul de Garda, a Moldovan independent newspaper, claims to have evidence that would identify the principal actors in the destruction at the Parliament and Presidency buildings. The police have destroyed cameras, beaten and intimidated several journalists, including Romanian reporters, over the past few days, and denied entry to foreign journalists who attempted to enter Moldova early this week. The government is protecting the state-run Moldova 1 TV station headquarters, which demonstrators earlier threatened to take over. Dozens of policemen and military personnel armed with Kalashnikovs are present, and snipers from the roof of the building are watching the entrances. "Conspiracy with Romanians" Pretext for Arrest -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) In addition to the students arrested for involvement in the demonstration violence, we have heard several stories that police have arrested people and charged them with conspiring with the Romanians. An independent Romanian news portal reported that a raion (district) chairman and member of the Our Moldova Alliance (AMN) party claims he was "invited" yesterday to the Intelligence and Security Service, accused of being a Romanian spy calling on people to support unification with Romania, and threatened with 25 years of imprisonment. The Prosecutor General's Office released a communique today stating that Moldovan law enforcement apprehended a Romanian citizen in his temporary residence in Chisinau and found maps of Chisinau, pictures of Moldovan governmental facilities, including the Parliament and Presidential Administration, as well as Molotov cocktails. ¶6. (SBU) Press has reported that some 200 people have been arrested. An embassy officer observed today some 20-30 family members waiting outside the detention center where detainees are held pre- trial. A list of 135 names of people in detention was posted on the front wall of this police station. One couple told the embassy officer that their son's name was not on the list, but he had not come home last night, so they were waiting in hopes of further information about him. Travel Restrictions -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Even though borders appear to be open today, we have heard reports that CHISINAU 00000296 003 OF 003 the police are restricting travel around Chisinau. On April 10 police set up checkpoints on roads leading into Chisinau from Hincesti, Leuseni, and the airport. The police are stopping all vans and buses and asking the occupants where they are going and what they are planning to do. The police are not stopping passenger cars. External borders might be closed if, according to one border control officer we spoke with, busses with students from Iasi, Cluj or Bucharest (Romanian cities) arrive at the border. Those entering Moldova from Romania will be subject to the new visa requirements implemented yesterday; the cost for the now-mandatory visas is 35 Euros. There were no changes at the Chisinau Airport and flights are leaving and arriving without problem. Voronin Orders a Recount -------------- ¶8. (SBU) President Voronin has asked the Constitutional Court to pass a decision to carry out a complete recount of the ballots cast during the April 5 elections. CEC Secretary Iurie Ciocan told Infotag that the work would require about ten days. On election day ballots were counted by some 20,000 people working simultaneously at polling stations throughout the country, whereas the re-count would be done only by members of the constituency election commissions. Protesters have demanded that the Central Election Commission publish all voter lists in the official governmental register. They believe that if all the 2.55 million names were published, it will be easier to uncover violations committed during the April 5 elections. Comment -------------- ¶9. (SBU) The government's widespread use of intimidation might be enough to tame or cancel future protests. Voronin's willingness to carry out a recount should address some of the grievances of the opposition. However, a recount will not address questions of faulty voter lists, and which need to be checked separately, and some Moldovan citizens will likely remain unconvinced. Additionally, arrests of protesters and opposition members are creating a new set of grievances, as demonstrators chant for their release. Though the streets are quieter, the electoral crisis will not end until after the voting concerns are settled, the new parliament convenes, a president is elected and a new government put in place. CHAUDHRY