KZBlog

More on the Krishnas in Kazakhstan.

Video on Youtube of the destruction. Note the snow falling. Also note that the Krishnas appear to be Kazakhstany, not Hindu though there is reason to believe Hindus are being targeted.

According to Forum 18, the President’s brother may have been behind this, wanting to get his hands on the property, though this is unconfirmed. The farm is located in Nazarbayev’s home region of Keskelen. They also note that houses on the same property were not destroyed, only those belonging to Krishnas:

But two human rights activists who witnessed the destruction despite police attempts to stop them, Ninel Fokina and Andrei Grishin, pointed out that while 13 of the 66 Hare Krishna homes were destroyed on court orders, “the adjacent houses of other people who do not belong to the Society for Krishna Consciousness were left untouched even though their title deeds have the same status”.

Apparently, Tony Blair raised the matter with Nazarbayev, who is now in London and a demonstration was carried out in front of the London Stock Exchange on the 22nd while Nazarbaye was visiting. British Parliament Early Day Motion in the House of Commons, condemning the destruction. The text is here.

The local authorities are unwilling to comment, and the akim apparently witnessed events, but did not interefere or make a statement.

The Forum 18 article lists a number of disturbing details:

• There is reason to believe that the law on confiscation does not give the right to demolition
• a press observer was detained and had his camera and press credentials confiscated. The camera turned up in the car of the akim, without the flash card or batteries, and the akim apparently said: “If I see you here again, I will personally smash your eyes, even though I am the akim.”
• Residents also report their cameras being confiscated
• Police blocked OSCE observers from witnessing events by holding up their car
• One house was apparently destroyed with a mother and child still inside
• Belongings of temple members were thrown in the mud, but furniture and larger possesions were gathered up and driven away, apparently to be destroyed. According to the law, possesions should be sorted and stored.

Some more media:

• Pictures of the destruction are located here, detailing and condemning the events.
• A statement by Ninel Fokin, President of the Almaty Helsinki Commitee and Andrei Grishin, member of the International Bureau of
  Human Rights and Law Observance here
• Astana TV news coverage, in Kazakh: