Kazakhstan: The treatment of Dungans and the availability of state protection (Jan. 2000-Oct. 2002)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 31 October 2002 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | KKT39928.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Kazakhstan: The treatment of Dungans and the availability of state protection (Jan. 2000-Oct. 2002), 31 October 2002, KKT39928.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3f7d4dbc38.html [accessed 14 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Current information on the Dungans in Kazakhstan is limited among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
In the late 19th century, Chinese Muslim Hui rebels fled persecution in China and escaped to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan (Ethnic Groups Worldwide 1998, 242; AIMS n.d.). The decendants of these Hui are known today as Dungans (ibid.); they are ethnically Chinese Muslims (ibid.; UNHCR June 2002, 13; MRGI Apr. 1997, 20), although Kazakhstan's Dungans reportedly consider themselves to be a "distinct, non-Chinese ethnic group" (Ethnic Groups Worldwide 1998, 242).
According to census data, in 1989, the Dungans numbered approximately 30,200 people and made up 0.18 per cent of the total population of 16,199,200 of Kazakhstan (Masanov Mar. 2002, sec. Ethnodemographic; LegacyRus n.d.). Census data for 1999 indicated that the Dungan population had increased to approximately 36,900 and made up 0.24 per cent of the total population of about 14,953,000 people (ibid.; Masanov Mar. 2002, sec. Ethnodemographic). The Dungan population has thus increased by between 22.4 and 23.3 per cent in the last decade (ibid.; Kazakh Embassy n.d.).
The Dungans live in southeastern Kazakhstan in farming communities (Ethnic Groups Worldwide 1998, 242). They are an ethnic minority that follows Islam in a secular country (Country Reports 2001 4 Mar. 2002, sec. 2c) where the constitution guarantees freedom of religion (ibid.; Almaty Helsinki Committee Jan. 2001, sec. 3.3) and where Islam has the largest number of followers (MRGI Apr. 1997, 22).
The June 2002 UNCHR WRITENET paper on Kazakhstan stated that "there is no official policy of discrimination against non-Kazakhs. ... There is still a degree of covert, informal discrimination towards non-Kazakhs, but in general, ethnic relations are cordial" (17). Country Reports 2000 and 2001 stated that there was "discrimination against women, the disabled, and ethnic minorities. The Government discriminated in favour of ethnic Kazakhs" (23 Feb. 2001, intro; 4 Mar. 2002, intro). According to Country Reports 2000, "the government continued to discriminate in favour of ethnic Kazakhs in government employment, where ethnic Kazakhs predominate, as well as in education, housing, and other areas" (23 Feb. 2001, sec. 5). The Dungans were not specifically mentioned in any of these reports discussing discrimination.
The June 2002 UNHCR WRITENET paper on Kazakhstan reported that "there is no evidence to suggest that in Kazakhstan any particular social, ethnic or religious group is at risk of serious human rights violations by State and/or non-State actors. ... [T]he human rights record in Kazakhstan is relatively good (particularly in comparison with other Central Asian states)" (17). According to Ethnic Groups Worldwide, the relationship of the Dungans with the Russians and Kazakhs are "distant, though peaceful" (1998, 242).
Sources consulted did not report abuse of or attacks against Dungans.
Additional information on the Dungans 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
Almaty Helsinki Committee. January 2001. Human Rights in Kazakhstan: Annual Report 2000. Association of International Mission Services (AIMS) [Vermont]. n.d. "The Hui of Central Asia." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2001. 4 March 2002. United States Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2000. 23 February 2001. United States Department of State. Ethnic Groups Worldwide: A Ready Reference Handbook. 1998. David Levinson. Phoenix, Arizona: Oryx Press.
Kazakh Embassy. n.d. "General Information on the Republic of Kazakhstan." LegacyRus.com. n.d. "Kazakhstan Population Size by Selected Nationalities." Masanov, Nurbulat. March 2002. No. 51. The Nationalities Question in Post-Soviet Kazakhstan. Minority Rights Group International (MRGI). April 1997. No. 96.6. Shirin Akiner. Central Asia: Conflict or Stability and Development? London: MRGI.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). June 2002. No. 3/2002. Shirin Akiner. Kazakhstan: An Overview. Additional Sources Consulted
The Europa World Year Book 2001. 2001.
Freedom House. 2001. Nations in Transit 2001.
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHFHR). 2002. Annual Report 2002.
IRB Databases.
The Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs [London]. Bi-annual. April 2000-April 2002.
Minority Rights Group International. 1991. World Directory of Minorities.
The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. Various volumes.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World. Various volumes.
Yahoo! Encyclopedie. "Kazakhstan."
Internet sites, including:
Almaty Helsinki Federation
Kazakhstan's Democratic Forces Forum
LegacyRus.com
Minority Rights Group International
Norwegian Institute of International Affairs
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Search engines, including:
Google
Yahoo!
