[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 14, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S302-S305]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. McCAIN (for himself and Mr. Lieberman):
  S.J. Res. 3. A joint resolution expressing the sense of Congress 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 Joint Resolution expressing the sense of the Congress with respect 
to human rights in Central Asia, be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the joint resolution ordered to be printed 
in the Record, as follows:

                              S.J. Res. 3

       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 Department of State, 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 Department of State, 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 Department of State, 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 Department of State, 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 other 
     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 the 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 nonviolent 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 
     nongovernmental 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, competitive, and fair elections; and

[[Page S305]]

       (F) making publicly available documentation of their 
     revenues and punishing those engaged in official corruption;
       (2) the President, 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 Acts are fully implemented to ensure that no 
     United States 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) press the Government of Turkmenistan to respect the 
     right of imprisoned opposition leader Boris Shikmuradov to 
     due process and a fair trial and to release democratic 
     activists and their family members from prison, and urge the 
     Government of Russia not to extradite to Turkmenistan members 
     of that country's political opposition;
       (F) 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 
     Department of Justice investigation; and
       (G) support through United States assistance programs those 
     individuals, nongovernmental organizations, and media outlets 
     in Central Asia working to build more open societies, to 
     support the victims of human rights 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).

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