Uzbek Activist Urges Continuation of Sanctions
An Uzbek human rights activist has urged the EU not to soften its line on Uzbekistan. Writing in the guardian, Abdujalil Boymatov - who has been granted refugee status in Ireland - argues that, ‘Repressive as Soviet rule was, I can say that the regime of President Karimov is five times more repressive.’
Boymatov’s rap sheet on the Tashkent regime makes stark reading: harassment and torture of activists and opposition politicians, the internment of journalists in psychiatric hospitals, the Andijan massacre, and all sorts of other unpleasantness.
Most of this is well know to Uzbeks and others who follow Uzbekistan from afar. Yet in the comments thread Sikanderji makes some typically well-argued points, not least:
‘for the past three years American and European relations with Uzbekistan have been extremely poor, and the forms of cooperation and assistance to which organisations such as Birlik and individuals such as Craig Murray objected had been withdrawn. Whilst this enabled us (i.e. the West) to feel much better about ourselves, the concrete results were less than encouraging. Uzbekistan became more rather than less repressive, and Russian and Chinese protection meant that the country wasn’t diplomatically isolated. Such influence as Britain and America did have in Uzbekistan (and there was a little) disappeared. Now there are signs of a thaw, probably because Karimov has decided he doesn’t want to be too beholden to the Russians and Chinese and would like to keep another iron or two in the fire. I have mixed feelings about this, but I’m not sure it should necessarily be discouraged, as isolation and condemnation of the Uzbek regime hasn’t worked.’
It’s a fair point, and one that Nathan at Registan has made on numerous occasions e.g. here. Sanctions have a mixed record in international relations. For every South Africa there’s an Iraq. Considering the current economic situation in Uzbekistan - not least hardships caused by poor infrastructure during the recent winter, which was by all accounts freakin’ cold - will sanctions lead to the downfall of the regime or just pile on the misery for the population?
on April 26th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Dont you see that EU under the leadership of Germany is doing its best to make Uzbekistan a close ally again? EU can win a lot - Termez airbase, which is actually going to expand allowing US troops to land in NATO jets; a railroad that EU uses to transport supplies to Afghanistan, and natural resources (this one is arguable)… And EU recently prolonged the sanctions for the last time. I wont be suprised if soon i will see Karimov speaking about the long last friendship of Uzbek nation with Europeans…
on April 28th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
I agree with what Abdujalil Boymatov noted that Karimov’s regime is many more times repressive than Soviet regime. Soviet regime has hard on dissidents but Karimov’s regime not only hard on dissidents, but also on ordinary people. His regime is worse than mafia, extorting money from ordinary people. The irony is that mafia provides protection in return of money that they extort but Karimov’s regime is like animal - they just only want your money. They don’t want provide anything in return. If you cry out, they will kill you.
EU sactions have worked so far, at least to a certain degree. Uzbek authorities have to understand that at the end of the day there are more than 200 countries EU deals with. Uzbekistan needs EU and the US more than EU and the US need Uzbekistan. Suspending EU sanctions and engaging the regime might be a good thing in a long run. One thing is important - Karimov’s regime should not use this a green light to oppress its own people further.
Just because they provide some crumbling infrastructure to EU and US military personnel doesn’t give them right to ask US and EU to mute their responses to what is going on inside the country. This is the most important thing about all of this “friendship”, “allies against terrorism”, etc.
on April 30th, 2008 at 10:11 am
“I wont be suprised if soon i will see Karimov speaking about the long last friendship of Uzbek nation with Europeans…”
Yes. Just like he did with Russia, Turkey, China and the neighboring states before. You know, basically, it’s the same “eating at everyone’s table”-game that was played by Mobutu, Siad Barre and other African dictators at the time. We know the outcome.
Karimov and his psychopathic daughter are basically dead already, and somewhere they know it. All they try to do is to win time. The EU want to tumble into that trap using bollocks fig leaves like “constructive engagement” and what all, fine. But then, in a number of years, they will weep and wonder and not understand why people in the region will hate the West by then.
“EU sactions have worked so far, at least to a certain degree.”
IMHO they worked in the sense that they were a public affront to the regime. But at the economic and military level, they had no effect.