In March, I researched Dariga Nazarbaeva, Kazakhstan's media doyenne, and found out about the Eurasia Media Forum. I meant to post on this years’ minutes of this worthwhile conference, and even went looking for articles. I don't know why I couldn't find anything until now, but Ben Paarman over at neweurasia.net blog posted an excellent heads-up article on the […]
Pricewaterhouse report in English (word document) [no longer available] (I have been contacted by PwC who has asked that this be removed May 23, 2007) A few days ago, I wrote on Mark Seidenfeld's incarceration and delayed trial in Kazakhstan. In response, I received two lengthy comments and further research references from both commentators. Since […]
This from today's RFE/RL: After a two-day closed trial, journalist and human rights defender Umida Niyazova was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment yesterday. The trial had been postponed from its original April 19th date, with no reason given for the postponement. Freedom House, IREX, Pen International and Pen American Center, Human Rights Watch, and fidh.org […]
Louise Arbour, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, met with Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Karim Massimov in order to discuss Kazakhstan's continuing progress on those very rights. Prime Minister Massimov noted that Kazakhstan has signed and ratified above forty important accords in the human rights sphere including international pacts for civil, political, economical, social, and cultural […]
This post is designed to help non-Kyrgyzstanis follow individuals and organizations involved in Kyrgyzstan's current political crisis, as well as report on further developments: Following the constitutional demonstrations of April 11 through 19, 2007, which ended badly: Arrests were made, and opposition leaders were to be held for two months, in order to "complete investigations", […]
For those of you who read my post on Mark Seidenfeld's incarceration and trial delay, the article by Ilan Greenberg has been corrected at the NYT site (I linked to the International Herald Tribune version of NYT piece). As noted by comments received, Mr. Seidenfeld's employer was improperly attributed. In the details of the legal case, no […]
Bermet Akaeva, the daughter of ousted Kyrgyzstani President Askar Akaev, recently continued her odd-yssey of reinstatement in Kyrgyzstan's political life. On March 23 of this year, she filed to run as a candidate for national legislature from the northern Kemin district. More than a month of legal challenges in Kyrgyzstani courts ensued. On April 27, her candidature was […]
Thirty-three officials representing four Central Asian states, the European Union, and the UN High Commission on Refugees held a meeting called “Institutional and Capacity-Building Activities to strengthen the Asylum System in Central Asia”. A stateless person is any person living without state acknowledgement. In underserved outlying areas, these may be children without birth certificates; a great […]
Strictly speaking, Mr.Repin's work does not belong in a Central Asia blog. Ilya Repin was an ethnic Russian who grew up in the Ukraine and eventually settled in Belarus. Yet Mr. Repin painted a series of four works that described the conflict between Tsarist secret police and Russian revolutionaries that still resonates today. For our time, this series shows […]
Though Foreign Minister Zafiri has stated that Tajikistan has an “open door policy” to foreign investment, barriers do remain: A. Two official comments from the United States: On April 13, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Evan Feigenbaum announced that Tajikistan's investment climate is hindered by its high level of […]
A universal picture of human rights treats each profession equally in the call for due process of law. Yet human rights organizations focus upon the treatment of journalists in repressive regimes for good reasons. First, the treatment of journalists reflects our own belief in the importance of steady, trustworthy information. Second, examining the treatment of […]
An event that has implications for EU position on Uzbekistan's “softening” of human rights violations; An event which may aid Umida Niyazova in her ongoing trial for border violations and accepting money from foreign news agencies; Human Rights Watch has had their residency re-affirmed for another six months.
For energy strategists around the Caspian: Sergei Blagov has written an article about President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov's two day visit to Russia. President B. declined to rubber-stamp President Putin's offers for increased energy cooperation. I don't even want to muddy the waters by commenting further. You can read the article at Eurasianet, linked here. For background, read my […]
Tsetseegee Munkhbayar received a top award for environmental activism yesterday, for initiating and building the Onggi River Movement. Mr. Munkhbayar is a self-educated yak herdsman who has insisted upon accountability in Mongolia's mining industry. The story has captured international attention and can be found at Taipei Times, al-Jazeera, and elsewhere. The Goldman Prize Organization web site […]
President Nazarbaev's diplomatic agility remains critical in Kazakhstan's military affairs. New military reform efforts have been bolstered this year, showing that Kazakhstan intends to glide past both domestic and international constraints with as much friendliness, and as many partners, as possible. Domestic issues Early this year, Kazakh Defense Minister Mukhtar Altynbaev was recalled from his post. Through April, Kazakhstan's […]