THE FIRST CONGRESS OF JOURNALISTS OF KAZAKHSTAN

Expectations were high among the more than 400 journalists of state-owned and
independent media of Kazakhstan when they gathered for their first Congress in the capital
city Astana on March 12. It was the first time that such an event of nationwide scale
brought together journalists from pro-government and oppositional media. Although many
questions remained unanswered, the congress at least demonstrated the essence of the media
policy of the government at present stage.

The main speaker at the congress, president Nursultan Nazarbayev, outlining the official
attitude towards the mass media said that much had been done by the state in the course of
the last ten years to ensure the freedom of the press. His speech dwelled on the
"civic responsibility of journalists, on whom the fate of democracy depends". At
great length, he criticized media people for, as he put it, "incorrectness,
inaccuracy and insulting attacks". In the same breath, he called on journalists to
defend themselves from arbitrary acts of \state officials who constantly create obstacles
for journalists under various pretexts.

Many speakers at the congress, predominantly the editors of the pro-government papers
clearly showed that they are willing to toe the official line for financial support from
the government. And this support for state-owned media was promised by no other person
than president himself. It can be assumed from his remarks that many unlawful acts, such
as the license of the popular TV-Channel "TAN' were committed by the Ministry of
information, culture and social accord without his knowledge. Indeed, there had been
plenty of examples to lead one to believe so.

Official figures say that there are more than 1600 registered print and electronic media
in Kazakhstan. Roughly 80% of them are regarded as independent. Recent amendments to the
Media Law adopted last summer make it mandatory for television and radio channels to allot
50% of their air-time to broadcasts in the Kazakh-language, which is the national language
in the country. Besides, new regulations demand that broadcasting stations should reduce
the volume of foreign programs rebroadcast by local channels to bring it down to 20% in
2003. This hasty decision produced a long chain of protests among journalists.

Just a few days before the congress of journalists, the president of the International
Foundation for Protection of Freedom of Speech "Adil Soz" Tamara Kaleyeva, the
director of the Kazakhstani office of the human rights department Yevgeniy Zhovtis and the
president of the Association of the Independent Electronic Media Rozlana Taukina filed an
open letter to the information minister Mukhtar Kulmukhamed saying that the Ministry of
Information had turned into a repressive body. They also expressed their concern over the
recent closure of the "Irbis" TV-channel for allegedly showing a pornographic
film.

On the background of the worsening media situation, the idea of holding a congress of
journalists was taken by independent journalists with a certain amount of skepticism.
Indeed, not very much was achieved at the congress. And even less was promised to free
journalists from the straitjacket of the existing absurd regulations. The declared aims,
such as fostering constructive interaction between media and government, setting up a
Foundation for the Support of Journalists, working out a Code of Journalistic Ethics,
participation of journalists in law-making process and other goals, need a closer and more
open cooperation of government bodies and NGOs.

Marat Yermukanov, Kazakhstan