[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 25 (Wednesday, March 8, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E245]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             THE NEED FOR A NATIONAL DIALOGUE IN KAZAKHSTAN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 8, 2000

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, last December President Nursultan Nazarbayev 
of Kazakhstan was in Washington for the annual meeting of the U.S.-
Kazakhstan Joint Commission. The purpose of these meetings, which are 
held alternately in the United States and Kazakhstan, is to promote 
political and economic cooperation between our two countries. The 
United States side regularly presses the government of Kazakhstan to 
improve its human rights record and to undertake much-needed political 
and economic reform.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that in December U.S. officials 
pressed the Kazakh participants because of serious American concerns 
about the sham parliamentary elections which were held last October, 
increased corruption, and an increase in abusive action taken against 
opponents of President Nazarbayev's increasingly repressive government.
  Prior to last December's meeting and in an apparent move to blunt the 
expected pressure from the United States, President Nazarbayev issued a 
statement on November 4 saying that he was ready to cooperate with the 
political opposition and that he would welcome the return to Kazakhstan 
of former Prime Minister Akezhan Kazhegeldin, the exiled leader of the 
principal opposition party.
  On November 19, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kazhegeldin responded to President 
Nazarbayev by calling for a ``national dialogue'' to examine ways to 
advance democracy, economic development and national reconciliation in 
Kazakhstan. Similar national dialogues have met with success in Poland, 
South Africa, and Nicaragua. Mr. Kazhegeldin pointed out that convening 
a national dialogue would be an ideal way to initiate cooperation 
between the opposition and the government. Unfortunately, President 
Nazarbayev has reacted with stony silence to Mr. Kazhegeldin's 
proposal. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, this is not the first occasion 
when Mr. Nazarbayev has reneged on his promises or taken actions that 
undermine democracy and economic reform in Kazakhstan. He has reneged 
on a pledge he made in November to ship oil through the proposed Baku-
Ceyhan pipeline. He continues to refuse to settle investment disputes 
with foreign companies that have lost millions of dollars because the 
government failed to honor its commitments. He arranged to have a 
kangaroo court convict an opposition leader for having the temerity to 
criticize Mr. Nazarbayev's government.
  Even more troubling and more threatening to our national security, an 
investigation and trial in Kazakhstan have failed to find anyone 
responsible for the delivery last year of 40 MIG fighter aircraft from 
Kazakhstan to North Korea.
  Mr. Speaker, the Administration must stop turning the other cheek 
every time Mr. Nazarbayev commits another outrage. The cause of 
freedom, democracy, and economic reform will continue to suffer in 
Kazakhstan unless the Administration strongly supports the national 
dialogue along the lines proposed by Mr. Kazhegeldin and takes action 
to press the government of Mr. Nazarbayev to stand by its commitments.
  It seems to me, Mr. Speaker, that the Administration should also 
insist that the government of Kazakhstan make a minimum of one hour per 
week available for use by the opposition. In a country where the 
government still controls the media, this is a minimum for democracy to 
have any hope at all to develop along democratic lines. We also ought 
to insist that the democratic opposition be permitted be provided a 
printing press to replace those that have been confiscated by the 
government.
  Mr. Speaker, the shocking lack of democracy in Kazakhstan and 
deliberate government actions and policies that have restricted 
political and economic reform are a matter of great importance to the 
United States. It is essential that the Administration press Mr. 
Nazarbayev to take remedial steps quickly.

                          ____________________