US embassy cable - 05GENEVA1739

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GENEVA 001739 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2010 
TAGS: PREF, PREL, KG, UZ, UNHCR 
SUBJECT: UZBEKS IN KYRGYZSTAN: UNHCR WEEKEND PURSUIT OF 
RELOCATION OPTIONS 
 
REF: STATE 131485 
 
Classified By: Piper Campbell, Refugee Counselor, 1.4 b and d 
 
1.  (C) Summary: Staff of the United Nations High 
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Headquarters in Geneva were 
active the weekend of July 16-17 in monitoring the situation 
of Uzbek refugees in Kyrgyzstan and seeking possible 
"evacuation" options. Mission Refugee and Migration Affairs 
(RMA) officers spoke with UNHCR staff late Friday, and 
mid-day Saturday and Sunday to track status.  As of Monday 
morning, UNHCR reports that discussions with Ukraine on 
accepting the bulk of the refugees in some temporary status 
continue, with UNHCR guardedly optimistic.  Meanwhile, UNHCR 
continues logistical preparations in Kyrgyzstan and reports 
they could start movement two days after an evacuation site 
is identified -- although necessary lists and photographs 
will not be ready until mid-week.  Meanwhile, UNHCR reports 
that they have better access to the 29 detained Uzbeks and 
that both the approximately 440 camp population and the 29 
detainees have agreed to resettlement.  UNHCR has expressed 
concern to Mission officer that some "residual population" 
(i.e., not accepted for resettlement) will remain in any 
evacuation country -- or will need some other solution.  End 
Summary. 
 
2. (SBU) UNHCR (Europe Bureau) representative called RMA 
officer the night of July 15 to report that a letter from 
UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner Morjane to the office of 
the Foreign Minister of the Ukraine, answering questions 
Ukraine had already raised with UNHCR, had been drafted late 
Friday and was awaiting signature. In the Friday night call, 
UNHCR also stated that it had made contact with the Permanent 
Missions of Romania and Moldova in Geneva to seek their 
participation, along with Ukraine, in a possible humanitarian 
evacuation of the 455 asylum seekers currently in Kyrgyzstan. 
 Similar requests were to be made by UNHCR offices in 
capitals as soon as possible.  Per UNHCR, Romania's Geneva 
Mission responded with positive interest in the issue, 
whereas Moldova's Mission was more reserved.  Both indicated 
that they would need to communicate with capital before 
responding.  In a subsequent call, UNHCR (Division of 
International Protection) representative advised that on 
Saturday, May 16, he had provided a written response to 
questions raised by the GOU in its Friday evening meeting 
with UNHCR resrep. (RMA has requested copies of both 
letters.) UNHCR confirmed that, in its letter to the GOU, it 
had indicated 2 months as the estimated processing time for 
resettlement of Uzbekis after their arrival in a safe 
processing location. 
 
3. (SBU) UNHCR also told RMA that, per field reports, UNHCR 
Kyrgyzstan had excellent access Saturday afternoon and Sunday 
morning to the 29 Uzbeks currently in detention.  In 
addition, UNHCR reported that all the Uzbek asylum seekers 
have now agreed to accept humanitarian evacuation as soon as 
it becomes available. 
 
4.  (SBU) In a Saturday, July 16 discussion with RMA, UNHCR 
Head of Desk for Central Asia said that he believed that the 
GOK would allow movement of the Uzbeki asylum seekers as soon 
as UNHCR had found a willing transit country -- although he 
cautioned that the Uzbeks might treat the larger camp 
population differently than the 29 currently in detention. 
While acknowledging the urgency of the matter and recognizing 
Uzbekistan's sustained pressure on Kyrgyzstan, he said he 
believed the Kyrgyz would still allow UNHCR time to work out 
a transfer.  The most important thing Kyrgyz officials 
stressed, he said, was the need for UNHCR to work out an 
"exit strategy" within the next days. 
 
5. (C) In separate conversations July 18, the Canadian and 
Australian missions indicated that, while they would probably 
participate in a resettlement effort, they did not expect 
their governments to offer facilities for humanitarian 
transfer to their territory. The Swiss mission said that it 
expected the Federal Council to decline any request for 
resettlement, and that a decision on the request for 
humanitarian transfer could not be made soon.  The German 
mission indicated that it did not believe that the GOG was 
considering humanitarian transfer, though it had not yet 
taken a decision on whether to accept six cases UNHCR had 
submitted (referred) to it for resettlement. 
 
6.  (C) UNHCR Division of International Protection (DIP) also 
reported Monday that, while it agreed with the concept of a 
package deal, it believed that the Kyrgyz may not allow the 
departure of detainees who have not been found eligible for 
refugee status.  There are currently 29 Uzbeks in detention 
in Kyrgyzstan.  UNHCR initially found 26 of them to be asylum 
seekers.  However, UNHCR subsequently reduced that number to 
25 (note: this change corresponds with the Netherlands 
rejection, on criminal grounds, of one of the four 
individuals whose dossiers UNHCR had submitted to it for 
emergency resettlement consideration.) 
Moley