MosNews reports that Kyrgyzstan’s justice minister is ordering checks into foreign supported NGOs.
Kyrgyzstan’s justice minister, Marat Kaiypov, has ordered checks of the country’s non-governmental organizations financed from overseas, RIA Novosti reported.
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According to the ministry, 26 new political parties and 17 religious organizations have emerged in the country in the past 12 months, which prompted Kaiypov’s instructions to identify which NGOs could pose a threat to national security.
Edil Baisalov of the Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society adds that the government has been increasingly pressuring NGOs lately and that media coverage accusing NGOs of serving US and Western interests are on the rise.
Considering the amount of money the NGO sector is said to pump into Kyrgyzstan, it seems to me that the real threat to Kyrgyz national security would be driving them off. Although, I suppose that would assume that “Kyrgyz national security” does not now mean “keeping the current president in power.”
UPDATE: Kaiypov says the above report is inaccurate. See, what he meant is not that NGOs are going to be probed. He likes them just fine.
Responding to reports from 24 January, Kaiypov told AP news agency today that he may have been misquoted.
He said the Justice Ministry would not be allowed to carry out such probes and that his remarks pertained to religious organizations carrying out missionary work. Kaiypov said today that NGOs that contribute positively to the country will be supported.
Missionary groups are apparently the ones who are to be investigated.
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I suppose this is what Mr Woods meant when he talked about the increase in democratic practice etc. Talk about Bakeev biting the hand that feeds.
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