VZCZCXRO5067
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDBU RUEHFK RUEHHM RUEHKSO RUEHLN RUEHNAG RUEHPB RUEHPOD
RUEHYG
DE RUEHVK #0039/01 0790605
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 200605Z MAR 09
FM AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1110
INFO RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHZU/ASIAN PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION
RUEHVK/AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK 1212

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VLADIVOSTOK 000039 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON RS
SUBJECT: WHO IS FEEDING THE TIGER OPPOSITION GROUP? 
 
VLADIVOSTO 00000039  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (U) On March 18, State Duma Deputies Sergey Belokonev 
(Yedinaya Rossia) and Sergey Ivanov (LDPR) called upon 
colleagues to pay closer attention to the activities of "TIGR," 
the Community of Initiative Groups of Russia.  This loosely 
organized opposition group continues to organize rallies in the 
Far East with the cooperation of the communists.  Belokonov 
referred to unnamed mass media sources that in October of 2008, 
some 16 grants were given to Primorye for organizing public 
actions.  Belokonev stated that some foreign NGOs provided 
financing for these grants.  He claimed that the recent joint 
protest of Communists and TIGR representatives was paid by 
foreign NGOs.  Belokonev called TIGR a "destructive public 
organization." 
 
¶2. (U) Sergey Ivanov believes that `American" money was paid to 
finance TIGR protests. The Yedinaya Rossia Deputy requested the 
Duma's Security Issues Committee to ask law enforcement agencies 
about the financial sources for these "destructive organizations 
and movements.", because it interferes with Russian internal 
issues.  Deputies requested a similar check on the activities of 
the Primorye KPRF branch, because  Communists participated in 
TIGR's protests in Primorye and other RFE regions. 
¶3. (U)  The TIGR response in a March 19 open letter to the State 
Duma denies the charge of foreign involvement, then takes on a 
satirical tone.  Begin Letter: 
 
We, organizers and active participants of protest actions in 
January, February and March in Vladivostok, Novosibirsk, 
Irkutsk, Omsk, Moscow, St. Petersburg are puzzled by the recent 
State Duma statement.  All printed materials and organizational 
work was done voluntarily using personal savings or minor 
collections of TIGR members.  All our actions were open for 
those who disagree with actions of the federal government.  No 
one expected to earn money through participation in the 
meetings.  These meetings were  our spontaneous and natural 
reaction to the unpopular decisions of the Russian government. 
As we remember, nobody cancelled our right to get together, to 
express our opinions. It is a good sign for the society, if 
there some people ready to create civil society in Russia, 
especially because our President talks about establishing 
responsible civil society. 
 
That's why we support the initiative of Sergey Belokonev and 
Sergey Ivanov and call members of the Security Committee, the 
State Duma to make maximum efforts to protect interests of their 
voters and to find the truth in this complicated issue. 
Also, we call upon all Russian special services to join this 
investigation and determine the betrayers, who joined TIGR by 
some unknown method. 
 
These lucrative people cast a shadow of suspicion on the 
movement and hide incomes, received from the western special 
services.  That's why they cheat the comrades-in-arms. 
 
In order to provide the full assistance to the state service men 
in the truth finding and punishment of violators, we are ready 
to provide  information about those people, who are aware about 
financial transactions inside our public movement.  First of 
all,  you need to contact specialists of the Analytic Department 
in the State Duma and its Head, Aleksandr Belousov, 
particularly. Last January he pointed out that some members of 
public organizations in the Russian Far East have contacts with 
foreign intelligence. TIGR members could be among  these 
activists. 
 
Unfortunately, we do not know names of specialists in the 
Analytic Department, however, we apology in advance, that we did 
not use this information about potential agents of the 
countries-potential enemies-among us on time. 
 
We recommend contacting Vladimir Pekhtin, Primorye State Duma 
deputy, who has information and evidence about contacts of 
representatives of the RFE protest movements with Rotary-Club 
and similar organizations.  We inform you that Igor Pushkarev, 
Vladivostok Mayor, made statements that he is aware of 
connections between the Soros Foundation and the financing of 
protests in November and December of 2008. Later he stated that 
he has nothing to prove his words.  These persons became 
initiators of mass media statements about evidence for financial 
ties between TIGR and foreign intelligence.  We request you 
inform us, via mass media sources about your investigation, if 
it is possible. In future, please, keep our organization under 
your strict 24-hours control, in order to prevent the entering 
of enemy agents in our ranks. 
 
We, participants and organizers of TIGR public movement, state 
that none of us received money from the hands of 
representatives of foreign intelligence groups and criminal 
structures.  We never attracted citizens to attend our protests, 
pickets and meetings for payment.  We expressed our civil will 
and position  freely and openly, implementing our rights given 
us by the Russian Constitution.  End open letter. 
 
VLADIVOSTO 00000039  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶4.  There are numerous signatures attached to the official TIGR 
site https://the-righ.org/.  The website opens with the call, 
"Don't be silent, join!" 
 
¶5.  Comment:  TIGR has had a flair from the beginning, from 
choosing an acronym that at once represents the Russia and the 
Far East while at the same time showing itself to be a 
competitor to the Bear symbol of United Russia, to issuing 
public statements that show that the organization does not take 
itself too seriously.  The organization is loosely knit and is 
active on the internet, but it also takes to the streets and 
makes concrete demands.  Russian authorities are clearly 
concerned, but are resorting to tired old tactics of blaming 
"foreign forces" for what is clearly a budding opposition. 
ARMBRUSTER