Kazakhstan’s Krishnas Cry Foul After Homes Bulldozed

Outside the shell of what was once a neat Kazakh village house, Radek Gaynanov gestures at a pile of rubble. "That used to be our bedroom," he says. Debris from the demolished ground floor spills onto the snowy lawn.

Gaynanov is a member of Kazakhstan's small Hare Krishna community. His house was among 13 dwellings that were bulldozed in late 2006 in the village of Bereke outside Almaty. The government's action has raised questions about Kazakhstan's commitment to religious freedom.

Local authorities maintain the demolition was ordered because the homeowners were improperly squatting on farmland. Kazakhstan's Society for Krishna Consciousness (SKC) says it is being targeted because of its religious beliefs. "The conflict has two aspects," SKC spokesman Maksim Varfolomeyev told EurasiaNet. "The local authorities say it is purely economic