OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON INTERNET LAW IN

UNCLAS STATE 073786 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM OSCE KZ SUBJECT: OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON INTERNET LAW IN KAZAKHSTAN Post is authorized to make the following statement at the July 16, 2009, meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna: Begin Text: Madam Chairwoman, The United States joins the EU in expressing our deep regret that Kazakhstani President Nazarbayev signed into law on July 11th legislation on the Internet that we view as restrictive. In our view, numerous provisions in the law are inconsistent with Kazakhstan,s OSCE commitments on freedom of media and speech. The new law would weaken freedom of expression on the Internet by equating blogs and chats with traditional media and reclassifying all Internet fora as &media outlets.8 The legislation marks a step backwards in the development of Kazakhstan,s governance of the media. It would also apparently significantly expand the legal grounds on which the government could shutdown and block websites. The United States has raised concerns about the Internet law several times in this Permanent Council, as has the Representative on Freedom of the Media. The legislation has received this amount of attention because it is so critically important for an incoming OSCE Chairmanship to respect and endorse OSCE commitments, including on freedom of speech. We ask that the Kazakhstani Mission will relay these concerns to authorities in Astana. We appeal to the government to implement this legislation in a manner consistent with Kazakhstan,s OSCE commitments to freedom of speech and the media. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. End text CLINTON