Information on Tatars in Kazakhstan since May 2000 is scarce among the sources consulted.

According to 1998 and 1999 estimates, Tatars number 249,000 and form between 1.7 and 2.1 per cent of the total population (Interfax-Kazakhstan News Agency 18 Feb. 2001; Yahoo! Encyclopedie n.d.; Kazakh Embassy n.d.; Kazakhstan Ethnic Data 1999). In January 2001, according to preliminary data, the total population of Kazakhstan numbered approximately between 14.8 and 15.6 million (Interfax-Kazakhstan News Agency 18 Feb. 2001; Yahoo! Encyclopedie n.d.). The Kazakh Embassy Website, providing general country information, states that over the last ten years, the Tatar population decreased by 71,800, or 22.4 per cent, to its present number of 249,000 (n.d.).

Under the constitution, "everyone is equal before law and court. No one may be subjected to any discrimination for reasons of origin, social position, occupation, property status, sex, race, nationality, language, attitude to religion, convictions, place of residence, or any other circumstances" (Country Reports 2001 4 Mar. 2002, sec. 5). Country Reports 2001 states, however, that despite this constitutional provision, the government does not "enforce [it] effectively on a consistent basis" (ibid.). According to Freedom House's Nations in Transit 2001, "Kazakhs are preferred over all other ethnic groups in government employment, education, housing, and other areas" (2001, 215). Country Reports 2001 corroborates the preferential treatment of Kazakhs in government employment (4 Mar. 2002, sec. 5).

The 1997 World Directory of Minorities stated that Tatars held medium-level administrative jobs during the Soviet era and formed a "significant" part of the intelligentsia (MRGI 1997, 284). The Central Asia report by Minority Rights Group International (MRGI) corroborated this statement, adding that the Tatars held many "key positions" in the Soviet administration because they were "better educated" than the Kazakh population (ibid. Apr. 1997, 22). Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the situation of the Tatars worsened because of the new state's emphasis on Kazakh ethnicity (ibid.; ibid. 1997, 284). Approximately 11,000 Tatars left Kazakhstan, although the rate of emigration has since decreased (ibid. Apr. 1997, 22). The Central Asia report added that "Those [Tatars] that remain [in Kazakhstan] appear to be reasonably confident about their future. There is an officially registered Tatar Cultural Centre, which provides a focus for communal activities" (ibid.). According to the 1997 World Directory of Minorities, "today [the Tatars] are politically rather inactive, although each Kazakhstan oblast has its own Tatar-Bashkir cultural centre, dedicated to preserve ethnic identity" (ibid. 1997, 284). Neither source provided additional information on the current situation of the Tatars.

The 1997 World Directory of Minorities of MRGI reported that the Russian-speaking Tatars experience the same "language disadvantages" as Russian-speakers (284), because Kazakh is the sole state language (Kazakh Embassy n.d.; Freedom House 2001, 215). However, Nations in Transit 2001 reported that Russian is recognized as an "official" language "on par" with Kazakh (ibid.).

Additional information on the situation of Tatars and the availability of state protection could not be found among the sources consulted.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2001. 4 March 2002. United States Department of State. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2001/eur/8275.htm [Accessed 30 Sept. 2002]

Freedom House [NY]. 2001. Nations in Transit 2001. Bhavna Dave. "Kazakhstan." http://www.freedomhouse.org/pdf_docs/research/nitransit/2001/17_kazakstan.pdf [Accessed 1 Oct. 2002]

Interfax-Kazakhstan News Agency [Almaty, in Russian]. 18 February 2001. "Rising Kazakh Birthrate Cancelled Out by Emigration." (BBC Worldwide 20 Feb. 2001/NEXIS)

Kazakh Embassy. n.d. "General Information on the Republic of Kazakhstan." http://www.kazakhstanemb.org.il/pdf/p8tl.pdf [Accessed 1 Oct. 2002]

Kazakhstan Ethnic Data. 1999. "Kazakhstan Population Size by Selected Nationalities (According to the Results of the Population Censuses of Corresponding Years)." http://www.legacyrus.com/library/CensusData_Various/kazahkcensusdata.htm [Accessed 1 Oct. 2002]

Minority Rights Group International (MRGI). April 1997. No. 96.6. Shirin Akiner. Central Asia: Conflict or Stability and Development? London: MRGI.

_____. 1997. World Directory of Minorities. London: MRGI.

Yahoo! Encyclopedie. n.d. "Kazakhstan." http://fr.encylopedia.yahoo.com/articles/cl/cl_804_p0.html [Accessed 1 Oct. 2002]

Additional Sources Consulted

Amnesty International. 11 October 2001. Central Asia: No Excuse for Escalating Human Rights Violations. (AI Index: EUR 04/002/2001)

Amnesty International Report. Annually. 2001, 2002.

BBC News. 13 June 2002. Timeline: Kazakhstan.

Electronic databases: IRB, NEXIS, WNC.

Freedom House [NY]. 2002. Nations in Transit 2002.

Human Rights in Developing Countries Yearbook. Annually. 1995, 1996, 1997.

Human Rights in Development Yearbook. 2000.

Human Rights Watch World Report. Annually. Dec. 2000, Dec. 2001.

International Helsinki Federation. Annual Report. 2002.

Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs [London]. Bi-annually. Apr. 1999-Apr. 2002.

Nationalities Papers [Oxfordshire]. Quarterly. Mar. 1999-June 2002.

Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights [Utrecht]. 1999-Sept. 2002.

Resource Centre. "Kazakhstan" country file. Jan. 2000-present.

Internet sites, including:

Amnesty International

British Council: Kazakhstan

Embassy of Kazakhstan

Human Rights in Europe

Minorities at Risk

Minority Rights Group International

NUPI Centre for Russia Studies

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Search engines, including:

Alltheweb

Google

Metacrawler

Yahoo!