Source: Reuters India
ALMATY - The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe criticised Kazakhstan on Monday for destroying part of a village housing Hare Krishna followers, calling the incident a form of religious intolerance.
The criticism comes at a time when the Central Asian nation is seeking to shore up Western support for its bid to become the first former Soviet state to take the helm of the OSCE in 2009.
Kazakhstan has accused followers of Hare Krishna, a form of Hinduism, of illegally acquiring land near the commercial capital Almaty.
The months-long row culminated last week when police knocked down a dozen houses there, leaving many families homeless.
The OSCE's Advisory Council on Freedom of Religion or Belief said in a statement it was deeply concerned.