Our ambassador to Kazakhstan, Paul Brummell, raised the issue with the Kazakh ambassador in London on 22 November 2006, during President Nazarbaev's visit to the UK, and has raised the issue subsequently with officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Astana. On 5 December 2006 Mr Brummell met Mr Amanbek Mukhashov, vice- chairman of the Committee on Religious Affairs and head of the commission set up to examine the issues involving land questions related to the Society of Krishna Consciousness. Mr Brummell emphasised that the demolition of properties in November had provoked considerable concern in the UK, including from hon. Members, human rights organisations and religious groups, including amongst the large Hindu community in the UK. Our consul in Almaty visited the commune in Karasai district on 7 December 2006 to see for himself the result of the authorities' actions. Mr Brummell met again with representatives of the Krishna community in Almaty on 29 January, to be briefed on more recent developments, and our Consul in Almaty attended a meeting on 1 February, organised by the representation of the Organisation on Security and Co-operation in Europe in Kazakhstan, to discuss the case.
On 5 December 2006 officials from our central Asia section and our human rights group met with other representatives of the Hindu community in the UK, including Gauri Das, President of ISKON-Temple and Arti Patel, Project Co-ordinator for the Hindu Forum of Britain, to discuss the situation and possible next steps.
In reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Middlesborough, South and East Cleveland (Dr. Kumar) on 6 December 2006 at Prime Minister's Questions, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said the following:
“We have made our concerns clear to the Kazakhstan Government. My hon. Friend is absolutely right to say that it is important to make sure, whether in Almaty or anywhere else, that people are free to practise their religious faith. I assure him that we will do all we can, on our own behalf and through the non-governmental organisations with which we are co-operating there, to make sure that Hindus who have been discriminated against in that way are properly protected”.
[(Official Report, 6 December 2006; Vol. 454, c. 299).]
We will continue to follow this case closely and encourage the Kazakh authorities to pursue a fair and peaceful resolution of this issue.