Permanent Representation of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the OSCE
1190 Vienna, Felix-Mottl Strasse 23, tel. 367 66 57, fax. 367-66-57-20
e-mail: osce@kazakhstan.at, internet:
31-22/649
Vienna, 15 June 2007
Dear Mr. Rhodes,
I would like to thank you for your letter dated June 8th 2007. We understand your concerns related to the case of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Karasai district near Almaty.
I believe that in order to get an objective and unbiased understanding of the situation it is very much preferable to consider positions of all parties involved into the dispute. Your letter presents the only position of the Hare Krishna Karasai community. Meanwhile there are more than 10 religious associations of ISKCON are registered and freely carry out their activity in Kazakhstan. None of them has ever complained for being squeezed or mistreated by the local authorities. They fully enjoy their right to worship and to exercise all other relevant activity, including the one under consideration.
I hope that information shown below would help to draw up a clear picture on the issue of the dispute over property and homes in Karasai district of Almaty region.
Taking into account that more than 130 ethnic groups and more than followers of 46 religious denominations including ISKCON peacefully coexist in Kazakhstan and their religious freedom is guaranteed by the Constitution, speaking of discrimination based on religious reasons hardly could be assessed as fair and correct statement.
The whole dispute over a land issue is of purely civil and economic nature and has nothing to do with a religious discrimination, as Hare Krishna community tried to portray it.
Actions taken by the local authorities are based on a Court decision and directed on the implementation of the legitimate right of the State to preserve the Rule of Law. Kazakhstan is a democratic, secular, legal and social state whose highest values are an individual, his life, rights and freedoms, where every member of the society, irrespective of his/her ethnic or religious affiliation is equal before the Law and must abide by the Law.
I would like to draw your particular attention to the fact that only summer cottages owned illegally are to be demolished, but not the temple building or cowsheds.
Furthermore, Kazakh officials trying to implement their commitments, has offered the Hare Krishna community a number of alternative plots in Almaty oblast, but ISKCON refused them.
Bearing in mind the above mentioned there is an impression that for unclear reasons Hare Krishna community intends to keep the issue politicized with no sincere desire to settle it for mutual benefit.
Nevertheless, I would like to ensure you that Kazakhstan authorities will continue finding the way out.
Sincerely yours,
Kairat ABDRAKHMANOV
Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan,
Charge d’Affaires a.i. of Kazakhstan to Austria
Mr. Aaron Rhodes
Executive Director
International Helsinki Federation
Vienna