VZCZCXRO2364
RR RUEHDBU
DE RUEHAH #0295/01 0760914
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 170914Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7099
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 0194
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0990

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ASHGABAT 000295 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SCA FOR DAS GASTRIGHT, EUR FOR DAS BRYZA, SCA/CEN FOR PERRY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/17/2016 
TAGS: ELAB KCRM PGOV PHUM PREF PREL KWMN SMIG TX
SUBJECT: GOTX HEARS NO EVIL/SEES NO EVIL ON TRAFFICKING 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Tracey Ann Jacobson for reasons 1.4 (b) and ( 
d) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1.  (C) During her February 21-22 visit to Ashgabat, G/TIP 
Officer Megan Hall met with representatives of the Human 
Rights Committee of the Mejilis, Ministry of Internal Affairs 
(MVD) and the State Service for the Registration of 
Foreigners (SSRF) to learn about the GOTX's perspective on 
TIP.  None of Hall's interlocutors could offer any tangible 
evidence of GOTX efforts to combat, prevent or sensitize 
people to TIP.  None of the GOTX officials were even aware 
that there were several reported cases of TIP and that one 
Turkmenistani was actually convicted by a court here.  While 
genuine ignorance about TIP prevents the GOTX from addressing 
TIP, the main obstacle, as with anything else here, is fear 
of admitting that societal problems exist in Turkmenistan. 
The following is a summary of Hall's meetings with GOTX 
interlocutors.  End Summary. 
 
---------------------------- 
MEJLIS DEPUTIES KNOW NO EVIL 
---------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) Hall opened up her meeting with Human Rights 
Committee Chairperson Myrat Garryev, and committee members 
Juma Jumayev and Yazdursun Gurbannazarova, by informing the 
deputies about the USG's observations on TIP in Turkmenistan. 
 According to USG information, there are fewer than ten 
reported Turkmenistani TIP victims who were trafficked inside 
and outside of Turkmenistan.  The USG also believes the 
typical Turkmenistani victim to be an unemployed female used 
for sexual and labor exploitation.  However, the problem 
could be much larger given the increasing numbers of 
unemployed who are eager to travel abroad for work, and most 
of these people lack any understanding of the rules and 
regulations regarding work, travel, and their basic human 
rights.  Hall also explained that her trip was a fact finding 
mission to gauge the extent of TIP in Turkmenistan, as well 
as to hear the GOTX's point of view on the issue. 
 
¶3.  (C) Garryev agreed with Hall's assessment that the number 
of known TIP victims was low, and noted that these figures 
were not verified.  Echoing the party line, Garryev disputed 
claims that TIP victims were unemployed, since there is no 
unemployment in Turkmenistan, "thanks to the Great Leader's 
policies."  Furthermore, Central Asian culture and traditions 
act as a measure of protection, which as a result proves that 
TIP is not a problem not just in Turkmenistan, but in Central 
Asia as a whole. 
 
¶4.  (C) Conoff disagreed with Garryev's statement that TIP 
was not a Central Asian problem.  Recalling his experiences 
as Consular Officer and the TIP reporting officer in Bishkek, 
Conoff informed Garryev that TIP has been a growing problem 
in Central Asia, specifically in Kyrgyzstan.  Garryev 
"clarified" his statement by saying that he meant to say 
"Turkmen Muslim culture". 
 
¶5.  (C) Jumayev dismissed Hall's comments and repeatedly 
demanded that Hall furnish "proof" that TIP was a global 
problem since as far as he knew, no Turkmenistani had ever 
been involved in TIP, no country had ever convicted anyone of 
any trafficking offense (including Turkmenistan), and nobody 
was doing anything to stop it.  Even if it were true that 
there have been Turkmenistani victims of TIP, there were 
fewer then 10, so what was the big deal? 
 
¶6. (C) Hall responded that IOM, one of the major 
international organizations dealing with TIP, not only 
confirmed the cases in Turkmenistan, but assisted the victims 
upon their return home.  In addition, there have been many 
cases when traffickers have been convicted of trafficking 
crimes, including in the United States and Turkmenistan 
(Note: In September 2005 a woman in Turkmenabat was convicted 
of trafficking related crimes marking the first reported 
conviction of a trafficker in Turkmenistan.  End Note.) 
 
¶7.  (C) Hall noted that while the number of reported victims 
was small, it was definitely a big deal, especially to the 
victims, who must now live with the memories of their 
experiences, and grapple with the shame and embarrassment of 
their past.  As to the low number of reported cases, Hall 
said that G/TIP's experience has shown that so long as 
governments continued to ignore the problem, people are 
reluctant to report cases.  When governments start addressing 
 
ASHGABAT 00000295  002 OF 003 
 
 
the problem, the number of victims being reported will 
increase.  Hall added that it was the responsibility of all 
governments to care for its citizens; the USG does, and 
surely the GOTX would want to do the same for its citizens 
(Note: Jumayev, clearly embarrassed after this exchange, kept 
noticeably quiet for the rest of the meeting.  End Note). 
Garryev assured Hall that the GOTX cared for its citizens' 
well being, and said that anti-TIP legislation was currently 
awaiting Mejilis approval, but he could not say when it would 
be approved.  When asked if he could provide the GOTX's 
definition of TIP, Garryev declined, and appeared himself not 
know how to define it. 
 
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MVD HEARS NO EVIL 
----------------- 
 
¶8.  (C) According MVD International Department Head 
Muhammentur Humammetgulyev, the MVD is tasked to protect 
Turkmenistan from crime while upholding principles of human 
rights.   Humammetgulyev said that thanks to the strong 
sociopolitical and economic situation in Turkmenistan, crime 
on a nationwide scale was very low. Humammetgulyev assured 
Hall that TIP had never been an issue here and that nobody 
had ever been convicted of any trafficking related crimes. 
Conoff informed Humammetgulyev that this was not the case, 
citing the September 2005 conviction.  Humammetgulyev, along 
with his other interlocutors, were visibly surprised and 
busily began writing down the facts regarding the case. 
Humammetgulyev said that the MVD cooperates with 
international organizations to prevent TIP in Turkmenistan 
(how he did not say), as well as with neighboring countries. 
The MVD occasionally sends officers to attend international 
conferences including anti-TIP components.  He added that two 
officers recently returned from an anti-TIP conference in 
Pakistan (a trip funded by INL).  He estimated that since 
2005, 15-20 officers were sent to conferences abroad for 
training, who then came back and shared their experiences 
with around 50 officers.  While the MVD did not offer formal 
training on combating TIP, Humammetgulyev said that the MVD 
would welcome more opportunities for training. 
 
¶9.  (C) When asked to describe the MVD's concrete steps to 
combat TIP in Turkmenistan, Humammetgulyev said that the MVD 
took "preventative measures," specifically raiding brothels 
and areas where local prostitutes meet. They then interview 
the prostitutes to learn more about how they became 
prostitutes.  Most often the prostitutes say that they were 
deceived by their pimps into becoming prostitutes. 
 
¶10.  (C) Hall noted that such deceit is linked to TIP, and is 
a strong indication that Turkmenistani women may be used as 
prostitutes abroad.  She also noted that based upon America's 
experience, the more attention paid to combating TIP, the 
more the actual extent of the problem became clear, and 
therefore more possible to combat. 
 
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SSRF SEES NO EVIL 
----------------- 
 
¶11.  (C) According to State Service for the Registration of 
Foreigners (SSRF) Deputy Head Yaylym Berdiyev, the SSRF 
cooperates closely with foreign governments, including the 
USG, to improve border security and keeps records of those 
arriving, departing, and transiting through Turkmenistan. 
(NOTE: The SSRF, established in 2004, is now the main agency 
charged with all migration and citizenship issues in 
Turkmenistan and has officers stationed at all border 
crossings, Ashgabat International Airport, and within all 
major cities.  The USG, in cooperation with the SSRF, is 
currently funding the construction of two border crossing 
checkpoints for Turkmenistan.  End Note.) He said that the 
SSRF's work and responsibilities increased since the 2004 
lifting of the exit visa requirement which allows 
Turkmenistani citizens to freely travel outside of the 
country  (Note: While no exit visa exists, the GOTX still 
maintains a black list of people, mostly those linked in some 
way to regime opponents and prevents them from traveling. 
End Note.)  While aware that TIP was a regional concern, he 
assured Hall that TIP was not a problem in Turkmenistan, and 
that there were no known Turkmenistani TIP victims. 
 
¶12.  (C) After informing Berdiyev of the IOM-reported TIP 
cases, Hall said that given the SSRF's responsibilities, it 
would be in the ideal position to address TIP issues.  Given 
its presence at airports and borders, they can be the first 
to detect trafficking trends and victims.  Noting the growing 
evidence that those involved in terrorism engage in 
 
ASHGABAT 00000295  003 OF 003 
 
 
trafficking in persons, narcotics and weapons, the SSRF, 
given its responsibilities of preventing such problems from 
crossing its borders, should actively be involved in 
preventing TIP. 
 
¶13.  (C) Berdiyev explained that despite the SSRF's 
responsibilities, the MVD, not SSRF, was responsible for TIP 
issues, and did not provide any services/assistance to 
trafficking victims, other than bureaucratically helping to 
facilitate their return to Turkmenistan.  He claimed that the 
SSRF provided information about working and traveling to 
Russia and Turkey to interested Turkmenistanis around the 
country, and said that he would be very happy to provide 
similar information about the United States.  He added that 
he and around 20 other SSRF officers traveled to the United 
States on IV programs that covered law enforcement issues, 
including combating TIP.  Upon their return, the officers 
shared their experiences with around 300 students at the SSRF 
training academy.  Berdiyev added that in 2005 a group of 
Turkish officers came to Turkmenistan to train SSRF officers 
on combating TIP.  When asked what he thought the GOTX 
definition of trafficking in person was, Berdiyev sheepishly 
admitted that he did not know. 
 
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COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶14.  (C) Hall's visit to Ashgabat did not lead to any 
groundbreaking revelations about the GOTX's ability or 
willingness to combat TIP, but confirmed the GOTX's utter 
ignorance and lack of sensitivity of the subject.  It also 
showed that none of the agencies involved in combating TIP 
had any idea what each other was doing, and that none of the 
agencies could even define what TIP meant.  Notably, nobody, 
including the MVD, the agency tasked with heading the GOTX's 
efforts, was aware that a Turkmenistani court had in fact 
convicted someone of trafficking related crimes.  Not 
surprising was the GOTX's assurances that everything was well 
here, constant reminders of their willingness to cooperate 
with the USG on TIP, or the willingness to take free trips 
abroad to attend conferences; the same responses to most of 
our engagements on controversial issues.  A lack of GOTX 
willingness to recognize TIP as a problem stems from two 
reasons, an honest lack of understanding of the issue, and 
fear of exposing any social ill that would contradict the 
image of Niyazov's utopia. So long as the GOTX continues to 
refuse to admit that any and all social ills exist in 
Turkmenistan, we will continue to lack a more definitive view 
of TIP in Turkmenistan, as with such other issues as avian 
flu, unemployment, health, narcotics abuse( END COMMENT. 
 
JACOBSON