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Turkmenistan: How effective the OSCE
has been in encouraging fairness for ethnic Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Russians, and
others?
Breaking News published on 09/03/2006
Ashkhabad, 9 March 2006 (RFE/RL, by Bruce Pannier - website) - The OSCE's
high commissioner on national minorities, Rolf Ekeus, on March 7 completed
a two-day visit to Turkmenistan aimed at encouraging improved treatment of
the country's minorities. The trip was Ekeus's third to that country,
where international rights groups have long complained about
discrimination by strongman President Saparmurat Niyazov's administration.
But there are questions about how effective the OSCE has been in
encouraging fairness for ethnic Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Russians, and others.
Critics cite a list of minority groups that face discrimination from
Turkmenistan's authorities -- including being forced to study in Turkmen
language, adopt Turkmen national clothing, and essentially foresake their
own ethnic roots. Such groups make up an estimated 15 percent of the
country's 5 million people.
But foreign diplomats -- especially from Western countries -- are
generally wary when visiting Turkmenistan. Aside from common protocol for
dealing with the country's authoritarian leadership, there are other
concerns. Turkmenistan is located in a politically strategic area --
neighboring Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and the energy-rich
Caspian Sea. Turkmenistan itself is also rich in oil and natural gas.
Its strategic geopolitical location and its wealth of hydrocarbon
resources has prompted some to question whether foreign officials have not
been giving the Turkmen government a free ride.
OSCE minority-rights monitor Ekeus's words on the first day of his visit
were similarly cautious.
"I think we have started very well, and I hope we can continue the matter
of the integration of the society, development of the state language,
[and] protection also of the smaller languages," Ekeus said. "So we think
we can move forward in this area."
Ekeus later hinted that President Niyazov might have sought to sidetrack
the OSCE from the stated purpose of his visit.
"The president [Niyazov] has discussed very important issues of energy,
[and] of security, and we have discussed issues of significance also
concerning the minority situation, and education and language issues."
Farid Tuhbatullin is a former environmental activist in Turkmenistan whose
criticism of the government helped land him in jail. International rights
groups publicized his case, and he was eventually released. Tuhbatullin is
now the head of Turkmenistan section of the International Helsinki
Foundation for Human Rights.
"We know that Uzbek schools are closed now; there is no possibility of
studying in Uzbek language. It is the same situation with the [ethnic]
Kazakhs -- that is, Kazakh schools also do not work anymore, and that has
forced many representatives of the Kazakh nationality from the country."
He contends that Turkmen authorities have prevented Ekeus from seeing the
true situation of ethnic minorities through selective access to those
groups and their representatives.
"Unfortunately he has been in Turkmenistan several times, but our
information [suggests] that they practically haven't let him meet freely
with representatives of ethnic minorities," Tuhbatullin says.
Tuhbatullin points out basic indications that minority rights are not
respected in Turkmenistan -- beginning with schooling for two of the
country's largest ethic minority groups, ethnic Uzbeks and Kazakhs.
"The largest national diaspora [in Turkmenistan] is of course the Uzbeks,
who live in the north and east of Turkmenistan," Tuhbatullin says. "We
know that Uzbek schools are closed now; there is no possibility of
studying in Uzbek language. It is the same situation with the [ethnic]
Kazakhs -- that is, Kazakh schools also do not work anymore, and that has
forced many representatives of the Kazakh nationality from the country."
Tuhbatullin also mentions the small Baluchi minority
in Turkmenistan. He notes that when Turkmenistan was still a Soviet
republic, that group had a greater opportunity to use its native language.
Ethnic Russians have complained of their official treatment, as well. The
Turkmen government's decision to cancel a dual-citizenship agreement with
Russia in 2003 led many ethnic Russians to leave Turkmenistan. It also
drew the attention of the Russian State Duma over the plight of ethnic
Russians who chose to remain in Turkmenistan.
Turkmenistan's ethnic Russians have since encountered considerable
obstacles to studying -- and even enjoying entertainment, in the Russian
language. Russian television is difficult to receive in Turkmenistan, and
Russian-language radio station Mayak was taken off the air.
Tuhbatullin argues that while groups like the OSCE raise the topic of
discrimination, the Turkmen government seems to ignore such concerns with
impunity.
"Unfortunately, I haven't seen any results from these visits from the OSCE
or any other intergovernmental organizations," Tuhbatullin says. "They
haven't produced any [critical] documents."
Ekeus, meanwhile, encouraged Turkmen officials to afford greater respect
for minorities. His wording was delicate, however, suggesting simply that
"there is always more to be done."
Source: Caucaz.com |