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Viewing cable 09VLADIVOSTOK47, DISGRUNTLED MILITARY OFFICERS TO JOIN FAR EAST PROTESTS

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09VLADIVOSTOK47 2009-04-10 05:22 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Consulate Vladivostok
VZCZCXRO4973
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDBU RUEHFK RUEHHM RUEHKSO RUEHLN RUEHNAG RUEHPB RUEHPOD
RUEHYG
DE RUEHVK #0047 1000522
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 100522Z APR 09
FM AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1120
INFO RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHZU/ASIAN PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION COLLECTIVE
RUEHVK/AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK 1223
UNCLAS VLADIVOSTOK 000047 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON PGOV RS
SUBJECT: DISGRUNTLED MILITARY OFFICERS TO JOIN FAR EAST PROTESTS 
 
1.  Summary.  A new group has thrown its hat into the ring of 
Far East protests and will join Communists in organizing a 
demonstration this weekend.  The Vladivostok Officers Union will 
be latest group in the growing number voices upset with recent 
Kremlin policies.  This coming weekend will be a busy one for 
law enforcement agencies in Primorye with demonstrations 
scheduled for both April 11 and 12.  Yedinaya Rossiya has 
announced plans to join the fray as a counterpoint and show its 
support for government policies. 
 
New Protest Organizers 
---------------------- 
 
2.  The Vladivostok Officers Union announced that it will 
organize a joint protest with the local Communist Party on April 
11 at 1100 in downtown Vladivostok to express anger over 
insufficient pensions for retired military officers and proposed 
military cutbacks in the region.  Organizers said they expect 
several thousand participants to attend the action to be called 
"The Nation and the Army are United." The TIGR group, which has 
been involved in several past demonstrations, has expressed 
support for the planned demonstration. 
 
3.  The officers' discontent is twofold.  Group spokesman 
Dmitriy Tyulenev stated that pension increases for retired 
military personnel are insufficient and have fallen behind those 
for civilians.  He pointed out that the four civilian pension 
increases during 2009 will total 150 percent, though the 
military received only one increase of 108 percent.  The highest 
pension is 13,000 Rubles for former Admirals and Generals. 
Currently 21,400 retired military personnel live in Primorye, 
home of Vladivostok's Pacific Fleet. 
 
4.  The second concern for the group is the proposed cutback in 
military personnel, which will dismiss between 6,000 and 8,000 
Primorye military members from several units including 3,000 
from the Pacific fleet and 800 from the Primorye-based Fifth 
Army.  Medical personnel are facing a 20 percent staff cut. 
Most will not receive lodging or a military pension since their 
length of service does not meet the 20 year requirement.  The 
average age of those scheduled for downsizing is 37.  The 
officers' group is also calling for guaranteed housing for the 
longer-serving members who will be dismissed, and tuition-free 
access to career re-training centers typically available only to 
20-year retirees. 
 
Further Demonstrations the Following Day 
---------------------------------------- 
 
5.  The military officers' demonstration on Saturday will be 
followed the next day by a demonstration protesting economic 
conditions. The organizer of that demonstration, Anstasiya 
Zagoruyko, who was one of the main coordinators of the December 
14th protests that blocked several major thoroughfares in 
Vladivostok, stated that participants will draw attention to 
high customs tariffs, worsening economic conditions, and a draft 
law initiated by Yedinaya Rossiya regarding new technical 
standards for all imported cars.  Zagoruyko also stated to the 
media that similar protests will be held in St. Petersburg, 
Novosibirsk, and several Far East cities.  The Molodaya Gvardia 
youth wing of Yedinaya Rossiya has announced plans for 
demonstrations in support of government policies at the same 
time and place as the Vladivostok protests are scheduled. 
 
KOVACSICS