VOA Uzbek: Activists say no Central Asian countries are ‘free’

Central Asian countries: The world is falling into the hands of authoritarian regimes. Central Asia could absolutely return to dictatorship.

Human rights are expected to fall off the international agenda, and attention to civil society is expected to decrease.

These are the conclusions of the annual report published by the international organization Freedom House . In this report, the countries of Central Asia are again listed as a region that is not free.

Activists attribute this growing trend to the retreat from reforms in Central Asian countries and the rise of authoritarianism.

Regional analyst Alisher Ilhomov told Voice of America:

"In my opinion, reports on the level of freedom in the world, as well as the level of corruption, are very important for the public. Especially considering that they give the public an idea of ​​​​how effective the work of governments is. In addition, they also affect governments, although relatively, not all governments are indifferent to the lists. Such ratings are compiled as a result of expert research, comparing the situations between countries. If such research and reports stop, this is what can be expected from the current situation in the United States, human rights will suffer from this. We hope that even if the US government abandons such research, donors will appear to support such organizations."

The report assesses the level of freedom in countries on a 100-point scale. Kyrgyzstan has the best score in the region (26), followed by Kazakhstan (23), Uzbekistan (12), Tajikistan (5), and Turkmenistan (1), which has the worst score in the region and the world.

"The region is ruled by authoritarian leaders, some very strict, some relatively soft. Civil society is being stifled, personal freedoms and rights are being violated. Of course, the situation in Uzbekistan is better than during the Karimov era, but it should be noted that recently there has been a significant increase in the number of criminal cases opened against journalists and bloggers," says Ilhomov.

Experts say that the erosion of the protection of human rights and democratic values, which have been a priority in US foreign policy, and President Donald Trump himself making various contradictory statements have increased concerns.

"The US government has been proactive in protecting human rights. Reports from international organizations on this issue have been taken seriously. The human rights situation has also been discussed in negotiations with authoritarian governments. In addition, the development of civil society has been supported through various organizations, such as USAID," Ilhomov said.

"Of course, it is too early to say that the Trump team has completely abandoned human rights protection. But some of its statements, in particular, such as the evacuation of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, are completely contrary to human rights and international standards. Such statements and indifference to human rights relieve authoritarian regimes from external pressure. Even those who have made relative reforms can return to their previous regimes. Recently, Thailand decided to deport about 40 Uyghurs who had been held in the country for 10 years to China, which means that this policy is already reflected in the human rights situation in the world." VOA/SP