DISGRUNTLED MILITARY OFFICERS TO JOIN FAR EAST PROTESTS

UNCLAS VLADIVOSTOK 000047

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON PGOV RS
SUBJECT: DISGRUNTLED MILITARY OFFICERS TO JOIN FAR EAST PROTESTS


1. Summary. A new group has thrown its hat into the ring of
Far East protests and will join Communists in organizing a
demonstration this weekend. The Vladivostok Officers Union will
be latest group in the growing number voices upset with recent
Kremlin policies. This coming weekend will be a busy one for
law enforcement agencies in Primorye with demonstrations
scheduled for both April 11 and 12. Yedinaya Rossiya has
announced plans to join the fray as a counterpoint and show its
support for government policies.

New Protest Organizers
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2. The Vladivostok Officers Union announced that it will
organize a joint protest with the local Communist Party on April
11 at 1100 in downtown Vladivostok to express anger over
insufficient pensions for retired military officers and proposed
military cutbacks in the region. Organizers said they expect
several thousand participants to attend the action to be called
"The Nation and the Army are United." The TIGR group, which has
been involved in several past demonstrations, has expressed
support for the planned demonstration.


3. The officers' discontent is twofold. Group spokesman
Dmitriy Tyulenev stated that pension increases for retired
military personnel are insufficient and have fallen behind those
for civilians. He pointed out that the four civilian pension
increases during 2009 will total 150 percent, though the
military received only one increase of 108 percent. The highest
pension is 13,000 Rubles for former Admirals and Generals.
Currently 21,400 retired military personnel live in Primorye,
home of Vladivostok's Pacific Fleet.


4. The second concern for the group is the proposed cutback in
military personnel, which will dismiss between 6,000 and 8,000
Primorye military members from several units including 3,000
from the Pacific fleet and 800 from the Primorye-based Fifth
Army. Medical personnel are facing a 20 percent staff cut.
Most will not receive lodging or a military pension since their
length of service does not meet the 20 year requirement. The
average age of those scheduled for downsizing is 37. The
officers' group is also calling for guaranteed housing for the
longer-serving members who will be dismissed, and tuition-free
access to career re-training centers typically available only to
20-year retirees.

Further Demonstrations the Following Day
--------------


5. The military officers' demonstration on Saturday will be
followed the next day by a demonstration protesting economic
conditions. The organizer of that demonstration, Anstasiya
Zagoruyko, who was one of the main coordinators of the December
14th protests that blocked several major thoroughfares in
Vladivostok, stated that participants will draw attention to
high customs tariffs, worsening economic conditions, and a draft
law initiated by Yedinaya Rossiya regarding new technical
standards for all imported cars. Zagoruyko also stated to the
media that similar protests will be held in St. Petersburg,
Novosibirsk, and several Far East cities. The Molodaya Gvardia
youth wing of Yedinaya Rossiya has announced plans for
demonstrations in support of government policies at the same
time and place as the Vladivostok protests are scheduled.

KOVACSICS