The King is Dead. Long Live the King.
So much for friendly-old Berdy.Radio Liberty has sent around a statement that one of its contributors in Turkmenistan was beaten and tortured in recent days for refusing to stop reporting for the American-funded broadcaster. Sazak Durdymuradov, whom Radio Liberty says is a history teacher who files reports on educational and constitutional reform, was seized from his home three days ago. According to the report, his beating and torture occurred at the same time that senior Turkmen officials were talking with European Union officials about human rights in the capital of Ashkabad.
Western governments have largely withheld judgement on Turkmenistan's new president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, hoping that he is different from his megalomaniacal predecessor, Saparmurat Niyazov. Berdymukhamedov has raised hopes by taking down ego-driven statues memorializing Niyazov, and reviving the right of young Turkmen to a full education, among other things.
But the human rights situation doesn't appear to have changed much.
Photo: Nicolai Bangsgaard
Rights: Creative Commons
Labels: berdymukhamedov, Caspian, putin's labyrinth, turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan
2 Comments:
in europe and usa we are making the mistake that by easing sanctions and going light on human rights, our relationships with central asian states will improve...
however, history has shown that the leadership of central asian states have done very little for democracy and human rights since independence...in fact, during gorbachev period, there was much freer environment for challenging the central government...
the best way to negotiate better human right and also oil & gas deals with central asian dictators is by highlighting and pressuring them on human rights, democracy and corruption....this is where dictators are vulnerable...only when they are continuously expose and challenged, they will compromise...
we shouldn't look at as losing influence to russia and china but rather be on the side of the citizens of these countries...
Oil prices are high and rising. Consumers are suffering. Europe is getting an increasingly larger portion of its energy supplies from Russian and Central Asian gas fields. Yet, the West is willing and able to pressure the Russian government to show respect for human rights and liberties. A fantasy? Wishful thinking? Nope, that's what actually happened in the 1970s and 1980s.
As we observe the anniversary of the Berlin airlift, when the West stood up to the bully despite the risk of WWIII, it is abundantly clear that the current crop of Western politicians need to grow some stones.
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