Appendix 2 - Defend Kazakh Hindus Campaign
National Hindu organisations from UK, USA, Australia, Canada and other countries have come together to call upon the Kazakhstan Government to stop harassment and human rights abuse against Hindus living in the country. Hindus living at Karasai in Kazakhstan are currently awaiting a riot squad from the local government which has promised to invade, demolish and confiscate their homes simply because they are Hindus.
A previous attempt to demolish homes on 25th April failed because local Hindus gathered together to lock their hands in prayer, sat in the pathway and blocked the way leading to the building. At that time the local executives told the members of the Society for Krishna Consciousness that they had not been prepared but would come with riot police on a surprise visit next time to ensure that the houses were demolished.
When the members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness attempted to register their properties they were asked to sign a document stating that they were not followers of the Krishna branch of Hinduism. On the other hand, 265 other homes owned by non-Hindus in the same area had no problems in registering their properties. Eviction and demolition notices have been issued only against hand-picked houses of Hindus.
In spite of such targeted human rights abuse that violates the United Nations Charter on Human Rights, the chairman of the Department of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Justice, Mr. Yeraly Tugzhanov tried to mislead the public by saying that the events were purely economic and not religious. Local Hindus from Karsai have pointed out that the land owned by Hindus had appreciated from fifty thousand dollars to nearly two million. They have pointed out that the targeting of homes belonging just to the Hindu community could be linked to demand by real estate developers who wish to occupy the land and develop urban properties.
Kazakhstan is seeking to become a member of the OCSE in the near future, and its human rights violation against minority religious communities does not bode well for such membership. We are deeply concerned by the human rights violations against Hindus in Kazakhstan, and request the President of Kazakhstan to intervene in this matter and take the following actions:
1. Immediately stop any action or order to demolish the houses belonging to the followers of the Hare Krishna section of Hinduism
2. Facilitate registration of properties legally occupied and owned by local Hindus in Karasai
3. Stop harassment and misinformation campaigns directed against Hindus in Kazakhstan
The matter has become quite urgent because Hindus have now begun a vigil outside their homes in preparation of the expected visit of the riot police and the demolition squads.
Supported by:
Hindu Forum of Britain
Hindu American Foundation
Hindu Council of Australia
Hindu Conference of Canada
National Council of Hindu Temples UK
Vishwa Hindu Parishad
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
Swaminarayan Hindu Mission
Appendix 3- Human rights
1. Kazakh Hindus have experienced consistent non cooperation from the local administration
( Karasai Rayon, Almaty Oblast )since we purchased the farm in 1999.
2. Local officials deported foreign devotees despite the fact that they had
proper registration.
3. Local officials confiscated the identity documents of devotees and the Hindu temple had
to negotiate for months to get the return of the documents.
4. Local officials never allowed Hindu ‘Krishnaites’ to privatise their land plots. They would request that a paper be signed that "I am not a Hare Krishna" before they would hear a request.
5. Smear campaigns in the Kazakh media have always been focused on subjects like "Krishnaites steal Kazakh earth" despite the fact that the local Hindus are all Kazakhs.
6. The Hakim of Karasai issued orders for destruction of homes belonging to local Hindus without due process and notification. Homes belonging to non-Hindus were not targeted
7. Igor Rotar, a journalist of the international religious watch organisation
Forum 18, was told on Friday April 28, 2006 by the court executive of the
Karasai district, R.G. Baimukhanbetova, that if the local Hindus offered resistance to the demolition and confiscation they would “resort to violent measures."
8. Ryskul Zhunispaeva from the department of internal politics of Karasai
district said in interview to Galina Ryzhkina (Channel 31) on April 25,
2006: "Actually, I think, the Krishnaites should be leave for India". Her reference was to Hindus who were citizens of Kazakhstan.
9. Andrey Grishin, the journalist of International Bureau of Human Rights
observed:"Those words characterize the position of the officials of the Karasai
District officials in full."
Appendix 4- Legal Position
1. Hindu residents of the summer cottages have lawfully acquired the right of ownership for their plots of land, and have paid their taxes and membership charges.
2. The Hakim (Governor) of the district accuses the owners that they never had their property privatized. However the members of the community repeatedly applied to the Hakim for his permission to make the acts of ownership for their cottages and plots but he repeatedly refused. Without his sanction for privatization one cannot make needed documentation for the cottages.
3. The Hindu' houses are located on the territory of a Consumers Cooperative. There are 120 members of this Cooperative. However the claims are brought only against the members of the religious society. In each and every claim the connection of the defendants to the Religious Organization Society for Krishna Consciousness has been illustrated. This is a direct and flagrant violation of human rights and freedoms which are guaranteed by the Constitution of Kazakhstan.
4. Confiscation of property without compensation is possible only in a criminal case. The case against the Hindus is a civil case.
5. The legal position is that a minimum of 5 days notice must be given confiscation of properties, but the Karasai Hindus were given less than 24 hours notice.
6. Confiscation of the land of the Religious Organization Society for Krishna Consciousness was ordered without any compensation being offered, in violation of Kazakh law.
7. Confiscation of land will result in the Religious Organization Society for Krishna Consciousness to be deprived of its legal address and it will cease to exist in Karasai Rayon.
8. Another violation of the legal code is that the Regional Hakim wishes to bring all the conclusions of cases to the original position, which would mean that the land will return to the person from whom it was first purchased. However, the Hakim wants the ownership of the land to revert to the state and is pushing the court to give it to the land reserve of the area he is in charge of.
National Hindu organisations from UK, USA, Australia, Canada and other countries have come together to call upon the Kazakhstan Government to stop harassment and human rights abuse against Hindus living in the country. Hindus living at Karasai in Kazakhstan are currently awaiting a riot squad from the local government which has promised to invade, demolish and confiscate their homes simply because they are Hindus.
A previous attempt to demolish homes on 25th April failed because local Hindus gathered together to lock their hands in prayer, sat in the pathway and blocked the way leading to the building. At that time the local executives told the members of the Society for Krishna Consciousness that they had not been prepared but would come with riot police on a surprise visit next time to ensure that the houses were demolished.
When the members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness attempted to register their properties they were asked to sign a document stating that they were not followers of the Krishna branch of Hinduism. On the other hand, 265 other homes owned by non-Hindus in the same area had no problems in registering their properties. Eviction and demolition notices have been issued only against hand-picked houses of Hindus.
In spite of such targeted human rights abuse that violates the United Nations Charter on Human Rights, the chairman of the Department of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Justice, Mr. Yeraly Tugzhanov tried to mislead the public by saying that the events were purely economic and not religious. Local Hindus from Karsai have pointed out that the land owned by Hindus had appreciated from fifty thousand dollars to nearly two million. They have pointed out that the targeting of homes belonging just to the Hindu community could be linked to demand by real estate developers who wish to occupy the land and develop urban properties.
Kazakhstan is seeking to become a member of the OCSE in the near future, and its human rights violation against minority religious communities does not bode well for such membership. We are deeply concerned by the human rights violations against Hindus in Kazakhstan, and request the President of Kazakhstan to intervene in this matter and take the following actions:
1. Immediately stop any action or order to demolish the houses belonging to the followers of the Hare Krishna section of Hinduism
2. Facilitate registration of properties legally occupied and owned by local Hindus in Karasai
3. Stop harassment and misinformation campaigns directed against Hindus in Kazakhstan
The matter has become quite urgent because Hindus have now begun a vigil outside their homes in preparation of the expected visit of the riot police and the demolition squads.
Supported by:
Hindu Forum of Britain
Hindu American Foundation
Hindu Council of Australia
Hindu Conference of Canada
National Council of Hindu Temples UK
Vishwa Hindu Parishad
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
Swaminarayan Hindu Mission
Appendix 3- Human rights
1. Kazakh Hindus have experienced consistent non cooperation from the local administration
( Karasai Rayon, Almaty Oblast )since we purchased the farm in 1999.
2. Local officials deported foreign devotees despite the fact that they had
proper registration.
3. Local officials confiscated the identity documents of devotees and the Hindu temple had
to negotiate for months to get the return of the documents.
4. Local officials never allowed Hindu ‘Krishnaites’ to privatise their land plots. They would request that a paper be signed that "I am not a Hare Krishna" before they would hear a request.
5. Smear campaigns in the Kazakh media have always been focused on subjects like "Krishnaites steal Kazakh earth" despite the fact that the local Hindus are all Kazakhs.
6. The Hakim of Karasai issued orders for destruction of homes belonging to local Hindus without due process and notification. Homes belonging to non-Hindus were not targeted
7. Igor Rotar, a journalist of the international religious watch organisation
Forum 18, was told on Friday April 28, 2006 by the court executive of the
Karasai district, R.G. Baimukhanbetova, that if the local Hindus offered resistance to the demolition and confiscation they would “resort to violent measures."
8. Ryskul Zhunispaeva from the department of internal politics of Karasai
district said in interview to Galina Ryzhkina (Channel 31) on April 25,
2006: "Actually, I think, the Krishnaites should be leave for India". Her reference was to Hindus who were citizens of Kazakhstan.
9. Andrey Grishin, the journalist of International Bureau of Human Rights
observed:"Those words characterize the position of the officials of the Karasai
District officials in full."
Appendix 4- Legal Position
1. Hindu residents of the summer cottages have lawfully acquired the right of ownership for their plots of land, and have paid their taxes and membership charges.
2. The Hakim (Governor) of the district accuses the owners that they never had their property privatized. However the members of the community repeatedly applied to the Hakim for his permission to make the acts of ownership for their cottages and plots but he repeatedly refused. Without his sanction for privatization one cannot make needed documentation for the cottages.
3. The Hindu' houses are located on the territory of a Consumers Cooperative. There are 120 members of this Cooperative. However the claims are brought only against the members of the religious society. In each and every claim the connection of the defendants to the Religious Organization Society for Krishna Consciousness has been illustrated. This is a direct and flagrant violation of human rights and freedoms which are guaranteed by the Constitution of Kazakhstan.
4. Confiscation of property without compensation is possible only in a criminal case. The case against the Hindus is a civil case.
5. The legal position is that a minimum of 5 days notice must be given confiscation of properties, but the Karasai Hindus were given less than 24 hours notice.
6. Confiscation of the land of the Religious Organization Society for Krishna Consciousness was ordered without any compensation being offered, in violation of Kazakh law.
7. Confiscation of land will result in the Religious Organization Society for Krishna Consciousness to be deprived of its legal address and it will cease to exist in Karasai Rayon.
8. Another violation of the legal code is that the Regional Hakim wishes to bring all the conclusions of cases to the original position, which would mean that the land will return to the person from whom it was first purchased. However, the Hakim wants the ownership of the land to revert to the state and is pushing the court to give it to the land reserve of the area he is in charge of.
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