Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09VLADIVOSTOK39
2009-03-20 06:05:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Vladivostok
Cable title:  

WHO IS FEEDING THE TIGER OPPOSITION GROUP?

Tags:  PGOV PREL ECON RS 
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RUEHYG
DE RUEHVK #0039/01 0790605
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 200605Z MAR 09
FM AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1110
INFO RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHZU/ASIAN PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION
RUEHVK/AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK 1212
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VLADIVOSTOK 000039 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON RS
SUBJECT: WHO IS FEEDING THE TIGER OPPOSITION GROUP?

VLADIVOSTO 00000039 001.2 OF 002


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VLADIVOSTOK 000039

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON RS
SUBJECT: WHO IS FEEDING THE TIGER OPPOSITION GROUP?

VLADIVOSTO 00000039 001.2 OF 002



1. (U) On March 18, State Duma Deputies Sergey Belokonev
(Yedinaya Rossia) and Sergey Ivanov (LDPR) called upon
colleagues to pay closer attention to the activities of "TIGR,"
the Community of Initiative Groups of Russia. This loosely
organized opposition group continues to organize rallies in the
Far East with the cooperation of the communists. Belokonov
referred to unnamed mass media sources that in October of 2008,
some 16 grants were given to Primorye for organizing public
actions. Belokonev stated that some foreign NGOs provided
financing for these grants. He claimed that the recent joint
protest of Communists and TIGR representatives was paid by
foreign NGOs. Belokonev called TIGR a "destructive public
organization."


2. (U) Sergey Ivanov believes that `American" money was paid to
finance TIGR protests. The Yedinaya Rossia Deputy requested the
Duma's Security Issues Committee to ask law enforcement agencies
about the financial sources for these "destructive organizations
and movements.", because it interferes with Russian internal
issues. Deputies requested a similar check on the activities of
the Primorye KPRF branch, because Communists participated in
TIGR's protests in Primorye and other RFE regions.

3. (U) The TIGR response in a March 19 open letter to the State
Duma denies the charge of foreign involvement, then takes on a
satirical tone. Begin Letter:

We, organizers and active participants of protest actions in
January, February and March in Vladivostok, Novosibirsk,
Irkutsk, Omsk, Moscow, St. Petersburg are puzzled by the recent
State Duma statement. All printed materials and organizational
work was done voluntarily using personal savings or minor
collections of TIGR members. All our actions were open for
those who disagree with actions of the federal government. No
one expected to earn money through participation in the
meetings. These meetings were our spontaneous and natural
reaction to the unpopular decisions of the Russian government.
As we remember, nobody cancelled our right to get together, to
express our opinions. It is a good sign for the society, if
there some people ready to create civil society in Russia,
especially because our President talks about establishing
responsible civil society.


That's why we support the initiative of Sergey Belokonev and
Sergey Ivanov and call members of the Security Committee, the
State Duma to make maximum efforts to protect interests of their
voters and to find the truth in this complicated issue.
Also, we call upon all Russian special services to join this
investigation and determine the betrayers, who joined TIGR by
some unknown method.

These lucrative people cast a shadow of suspicion on the
movement and hide incomes, received from the western special
services. That's why they cheat the comrades-in-arms.

In order to provide the full assistance to the state service men
in the truth finding and punishment of violators, we are ready
to provide information about those people, who are aware about
financial transactions inside our public movement. First of
all, you need to contact specialists of the Analytic Department
in the State Duma and its Head, Aleksandr Belousov,
particularly. Last January he pointed out that some members of
public organizations in the Russian Far East have contacts with
foreign intelligence. TIGR members could be among these
activists.

Unfortunately, we do not know names of specialists in the
Analytic Department, however, we apology in advance, that we did
not use this information about potential agents of the
countries-potential enemies-among us on time.

We recommend contacting Vladimir Pekhtin, Primorye State Duma
deputy, who has information and evidence about contacts of
representatives of the RFE protest movements with Rotary-Club
and similar organizations. We inform you that Igor Pushkarev,
Vladivostok Mayor, made statements that he is aware of
connections between the Soros Foundation and the financing of
protests in November and December of 2008. Later he stated that
he has nothing to prove his words. These persons became
initiators of mass media statements about evidence for financial
ties between TIGR and foreign intelligence. We request you
inform us, via mass media sources about your investigation, if
it is possible. In future, please, keep our organization under
your strict 24-hours control, in order to prevent the entering
of enemy agents in our ranks.

We, participants and organizers of TIGR public movement, state
that none of us received money from the hands of
representatives of foreign intelligence groups and criminal
structures. We never attracted citizens to attend our protests,
pickets and meetings for payment. We expressed our civil will
and position freely and openly, implementing our rights given
us by the Russian Constitution. End open letter.

VLADIVOSTO 00000039 002.2 OF 002




4. There are numerous signatures attached to the official TIGR
site https://the-righ.org/. The website opens with the call,
"Don't be silent, join!"


5. Comment: TIGR has had a flair from the beginning, from
choosing an acronym that at once represents the Russia and the
Far East while at the same time showing itself to be a
competitor to the Bear symbol of United Russia, to issuing
public statements that show that the organization does not take
itself too seriously. The organization is loosely knit and is
active on the internet, but it also takes to the streets and
makes concrete demands. Russian authorities are clearly
concerned, but are resorting to tired old tactics of blaming
"foreign forces" for what is clearly a budding opposition.
ARMBRUSTER