[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 137 (Thursday, October 17, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10728-S10729]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. McCAIN:
  S.J. Res. 50. A joint resolution expressing the sense of the Senate 
with respect to human rights in Central Asia; to the Committee on 
Foreign Relations.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the resolution be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the resolution was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                              S.J. Res. 50

       Whereas the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, 
     Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan provided 
     the United States with important assistance in the war in 
     Afghanistan, from military basing and overflight rights to 
     the facilitation of humanitarian relief;
       Whereas America's victory over the Taliban in turn provided 
     important benefits to the Central Asian nations, removing a 
     regime that threatened their security, and significantly 
     weakening the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, a terrorist 
     organization that had previously staged armed raids from 
     Afghanistan into the region;
       Whereas the United States has consistently urged the 
     nations of Central Asia to open their political systems and 
     economies and to respect human rights, both before and since 
     the attacks of September 11, 2001;
       Whereas Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, 
     and Uzbekistan are members of the United Nations and the 
     Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, both of 
     which confer a range of human rights obligations on their 
     members;
       Whereas according to the State Department Country Reports 
     on Human Rights Practices, the government of Kazakhstan 
     harasses and monitors independent media and human rights 
     activists, restricts freedom of association and opposition 
     political activity, and allows security forces to commit 
     extrajudicial executions, torture, and arbitrary detention 
     with impunity;
       Whereas according to the State Department, the government 
     of the Kyrgyz Republic engages in arbitrary arrest and 
     detention, restricts the activities of political opposition 
     figures, religious organizations deemed ``extremist,'' human 
     rights activists, and nongovernmental organizations, and 
     discriminates against ethnic minorities.
       Whereas according to the State Department, the government 
     of Tajikistan remains authoritarian, curtailing freedoms of 
     speech, assembly, and association, with security forces 
     committing extrajudicial executions, kidnappings, 
     disappearances, and torture;
       Whereas according to the State Department, Turkmenistan is 
     a Soviet-style one-party state centered around the 
     glorification of its president, which engages in serious 
     human rights abuses, including arbitrary arrest and 
     detention, severe restrictions of personal privacy, 
     repression of political opposition, and restrictions on 
     freedom of speech and nongovernmental activity;
       Whereas according to the State Department, the government 
     of Uzbekistan continues to commit serious human rights 
     abuses, including arbitrary arrest, detention and torture in 
     custody, particularly of Muslims who practice their religion 
     outside state controls, the severe restriction of freedom of 
     speech, the press, religion, independent political activity 
     and nongovernmental organizations, and detains over 7,000 
     people for political or religious reasons;
       Whereas the United States Commission on International 
     Religious Freedom has expressed concern about religious 
     persecution in the region, recommending that Turkmenistan be 
     named a Country of Particular Concern under the International 
     Religious Freedom Act of 1998, and that Uzbekistan be placed 
     on a special ``Watch List'';
       Whereas, by continuing to suppress human rights and to deny 
     citizens peaceful, democratic means of expressing their 
     convictions, the nations of Central Asia risk fueling popular 
     support for violent and extremist movements, thus undermining 
     the goals of the war on terrorism;
       Whereas President Bush has made the defense of ``human 
     dignity, the rule of law, limits on the power of the state, 
     respect for women and private property and free speech and 
     equal justice and religious tolerance'' strategic goals of 
     United States foreign policy in the Islamic world, arguing 
     that ``a truly strong nation will permit legal avenues of 
     dissent for all groups that pursue their aspirations without 
     violence''; and
       Whereas the Congress has expressed its desire to see deeper 
     reform in Central Asia in past resolutions and legislation, 
     most recently conditioning assistance to Uzbekistan on its 
     progress in meeting human rights and democracy commitments to 
     the United States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, That it is 
     the Sense of the Congress that:
       (1) the governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, 
     Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan should accelerate democratic 
     reforms and fulfill their human rights obligations including, 
     where appropriate, by--
       ``(A) releasing from prison all those jailed for peaceful 
     political activism or the non-violent expression of their 
     political or religious beliefs;
       ``(B) fully investigating any credible allegations of 
     torture and prosecuting those responsible;
       ``(C) permitting the free and unfettered functioning of 
     independent media outlets, independent political parties, and 
     non-governmental organizations, whether officially 
     registered or not;
       (D) permitting the free exercise of religious beliefs and 
     ceasing the persecution of members of religious groups and 
     denominations not registered with the state;
       (E) holding free, competitives, and fair elections;
       (F) making publicly available documentation of their 
     revenues and punishing those engaged in official corruption;
       (2) the President of the United States, the Secretary of 
     State, and the Secretary of Defense should--
       (A) continue to raise at the highest levels with the 
     governments of the nations of Central Asia specific cases of 
     political and religious persecution, and urge greater respect 
     for human rights and democratic freedoms at every diplomatic 
     opportunity;
       (B) take progress in meeting the goals outlined in 
     paragraph (1) into account when determining the level and 
     frequency of United States diplomatic engagement with the 
     governments of the Central Asian nations, the allocation of 
     United States assistance, and the nature of United States 
     military engagement with the countries of the region;
       (C) ensure that the provisions of the Foreign Operations 
     Appropriations Act are fully implemented to ensure that no 
     United States

[[Page S10729]]

     assistance benefits security forces in Central Asia 
     implicated in violations of human rights;
       (D) follow the recommendations of the United States 
     Commission on International Religious Freedom by designating 
     Turkmenistan a Country of Particular Concern under the 
     International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and by making 
     clear that Uzbekistan risks designation if conditions there 
     do not improve;
       (E) work with the Government of Kazakhstan to create a 
     political climate free of intimidation and harassment, 
     including releasing political prisoners and permitting the 
     return of political exiles, most notably Akezan Kazegeldin, 
     and to reduce official corruption, including by urging the 
     Government of Kazakhstan to cooperate with the ongoing United 
     States Department of Justice investigation;
       (F) support through United States assistance programs those 
     individuals, non-governmental organizations, and media 
     outlets in Central Asia working to build more open societies, 
     to support the victims of human righrs abuses, and to expose 
     official corruption; and
       (3) increased levels of United States assistance to the 
     governments of the Central Asian nations made possible by 
     their cooperation in the war in Afghanistan can be sustained 
     only if there is substantial and continuing progress towards 
     meeting the goals outlined in paragraph (1).
                                 ______