US embassy cable - 05DUSHANBE1646

C O N F I D E N T I A L  DUSHANBE 001646 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NSC FOR MERKEL; PLEASE PASS TO USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  10/7/2015 
TAGS: KDEM, PGOV, TI 
SUBJECT: NO NEWS BAD NEWS FOR INTERNEWS 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Richard Hoagland, Ambassador, US Embassy 
Dushanbe, State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b) 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Richard Hoagland, Ambassador, US Embassy 
Dushanbe, State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b) 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY:  Internews is the third major NGO to encounter 
serious registration problems with the Tajik government.  In 
addition, a key Internews project to establish community radio 
stations may collapse without the registration and licensing of 
its local partners.  Government officials have confided to 
Internews staff that Ministry of Security officials forbade the 
Ministry of Justice to re-register Internews, allegedly 
declaring that Internews is "the enemy".  The increased 
government obstruction of independent media bodes poorly for 
Tajikistan's image as an emerging democracy on the road to 
reform.  END SUMMARY 
 
2.  (C) On October 5, Country Director Troy Etulain reported 
Internews attempted to re-register with the Ministry of Justice 
after a May investigation revealed Internews was operating under 
the wrong legal status.  The Minister of Justice was prepared to 
accept Internews' new application, but at the last minute 
rejected it on technical grounds.  MoJ officials told Internews 
the Ministry of Security directly intervened on the basis of 
"national security." 
 
3.  (SBU) In addition to the issue of registration, an $887,000 
State Department-funded project to establish six independent 
community radio stations throughout the country may not get off 
the ground due to bureaucratic obstacles.  None of the local 
organizations have been able to register as legal organizations, 
let alone obtain a license to broadcast.  Without the 
registration and license, they cannot broadcast legally.  The 
long delayed new licensing regulations have been issued but not 
the implementation documents. 
 
4.  (C) Etulain reported local state media stations have started 
to refuse to accept programming from Internews directly and 
stopped broadcasting Internews materials months ago.  However, 
the new second state television channel, Safina, has used 
Internews materials during its programming.  He noted that as 
recently as last week, the Deputy Director of Safina approached 
him about a "creative partnership" to help with programming and 
technical training. 
 
5.  (C) According to Etulain, Safina has already cost the 
government $1 million in new equipment and further funds to 
renovate the historic old philharmonic building in central 
Dushanbe as Safina's new production studio.  He passed along the 
rumor that Safina may be sold to private investors early in 
2006-and that the purchaser may be First Brother-in-Law Hasan 
Sadulloyev.  (COMMENT:  It has long been rumored that Sadulloyev 
would gain a license for the first private TV channel with 
national coverage in Tajikistan, but that he could not afford, 
or did not want to pay for, the start-up costs.  END COMMENT) 
 
6.  (SBU) Etulain expressed frustration at his programs being 
"stuck" and admitted there was little Internews could do, short 
of withdrawing all the equipment from Tajikistan.  This would 
however, eliminate almost any independent broadcast media in 
Tajikistan.  "We are contractually obligated to do things we 
cannot do legally.  We are trying to follow the law, but the 
Tajiks themselves are not following their own laws." 
 
7.  (SBU) Internews' licensing problems touch on a larger issue 
of the government's new licensing regime.  According to Etulain, 
it explicitly states that foreign nationals or organizations 
"under the control" of foreign nationals cannot receive a 
license.  The licensing regime applies to stations and well as 
production studios.  The interpretation of "under the control" 
remains to be determined, but Etulain doubted the MoJ would 
recognize agreements like programming requirements attached to 
grants as anything other than direct control. 
 
8.  (SBU) NOTE: The licensing issue, including of production 
facilities, raises profound problems for Internews with its 
USAID-funded "Satellite Transmission Program." Independent Tajik 
television stations broadcasting "unlicensed" Internews-provided 
material direct from satellite would risk being closed by the 
government for violating licensing regulations. END NOTE 
 
 
9.  (C) COMMENT:  Post agrees with Etulain's assessment that a 
concerted governmental campaign against Internews is underway. 
The clear and consistent pattern of government obstruction, 
using legal pretexts for a political result, sends a dangerous 
message the very few journalists and civil society members 
willing to go to the mat for a free press and access to 
information. However, some in the government seem to understand 
that NGOs are not the source of "Color Revolutions" and help 
maintain a balance against the true hardliners.  END COMMENT 
 
HOAGLAND 
 
 
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