[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 64 (Thursday, May 1, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5689-S5691]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HUMAN RIGHTS IN CENTRAL ASIA

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 63, S.J. Res. 
63.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the joint resolution by 
title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A joint resolution (S.J. Res. 63) expressing the sense of 
     the Congress with respect to human rights in Central Asia.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the joint 
resolution.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the Lugar amendment, 
which is at the desk, be agreed to; further, that the joint resolution, 
as amended, be read a third time and passed and the motion to 
reconsider be laid upon the table; further, that the amendment to the 
preamble be agreed to, the preamble, as amended, be agreed to, and the 
motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action 
or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 533) was agreed to, as follows:

       Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the 
     following:
       That it is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, 
     Turkmenistan, and

[[Page S5690]]

     Uzbekistan should accelerate democratic reforms and fulfill 
     their human rights obligations, including, where appropriate, 
     by--
       (A) releasing from prison anyone 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, including by easing 
     registration processes;
       (D) permitting the free exercise of religious beliefs and 
     ceasing the persecution of members of religious groups and 
     denominations that do not engage in violence or political 
     change through violence;
       (E) holding free, competitive, and fair elections; and
       (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 to urge greater 
     respect for human rights and democratic freedoms at every 
     diplomatic opportunity;
       (B) take progress in meeting the goals specified in 
     paragraph (1) into account when determining the scope and 
     nature of our diplomatic and military relations and 
     assistance with each of such governments;
       (C) ensure that the provisions of foreign operations 
     appropriations Acts are fully implemented to ensure that no 
     United States assistance benefits security forces in Central 
     Asia that are implicated in violations of human rights;
       (D) press the Government of Turkmenistan to implement the 
     helpful recommendations contained in the so-called ``Moscow 
     Mechanism'' Report of the Organization for Security and 
     Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) respect the right of all 
     prisoners to due process and a fair trial and release 
     democratic activists and their family members from prison;
       (E) urge the Government of Russia not to extradite to 
     Turkmenistan members of the political opposition of 
     Turkmenistan;
       (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, and to reduce official 
     corruption, including by urging the Government of Kazakhstan 
     to cooperate with the ongoing Department of Justice 
     investigation;
       (G) support through United States assistance programs 
     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
       (H) press the Government of Uzbekistan to implement fully 
     the recommendations made to the Government of Uzbekistan by 
     the United Nation's Special Rapporteur on Torture; and
       (3) increased levels of United States assistance to the 
     governments of the nations of Central Asia 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 specified in paragraph (1).

  The amendment (No. 534) was agreed to, as follows:

       Strike the preamble and insert the following:
       Whereas the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, 
     Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are 
     providing the United States with assistance in the war in 
     Afghanistan, from military basing and overflight rights to 
     the facilitation of humanitarian relief;
       Whereas in turn the United States victory over the Taliban 
     in Afghanistan provides important benefits to the Central 
     Asian nations by removing a regime that threatened their 
     security and by 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 (OSCE), 
     both of which confer a range of obligations with respect to 
     human rights on their members;
       Whereas while the United States recognizes marked 
     differences among the social structures and commitments to 
     democratic and economic reform of the Central Asian nations, 
     the United States notes nevertheless, according to the State 
     Department Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, that 
     all five governments of such nations, to differing degrees, 
     restrict freedom of speech and association, restrict or ban 
     the activities of human rights organizations and other non-
     governmental organizations, harass or prohibit independent 
     media, imprison political opponents, practice arbitrary 
     detention and arrest, and engage in torture and extrajudical 
     executions;
       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 George W. 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, free speech, 
     equal justice, 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 Congress has expressed its desire to see deeper 
     reform in Central Asia in past resolutions and other 
     legislation, most recently conditioning assistance to 
     Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan on their progress in meeting 
     commitments to the United States on human rights and 
     democracy: Now, therefore, be it

  The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
  The joint resolution, as amended, with its preamble, as amended, was 
read the third time and passed, as follows:

                              S.J. Res. 3

       Whereas the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, 
     Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are 
     providing the United States with assistance in the war in 
     Afghanistan, from military basing and overflight rights to 
     the facilitation of humanitarian relief;
       Whereas in turn the United States victory over the Taliban 
     in Afghanistan provides important benefits to the Central 
     Asian nations by removing a regime that threatened their 
     security and by 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 (OSCE), 
     both of which confer a range of obligations with respect to 
     human rights on their members;
       Whereas while the United States recognizes marked 
     differences among the social structures and commitments to 
     democratic and economic reform of the Central Asian nations, 
     the United States notes nevertheless, according to the State 
     Department Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, that 
     all five governments of such nations, to differing degrees, 
     restrict freedom of speech and association, restrict or ban 
     the activities of human rights organizations and other non-
     governmental organizations, harass or prohibit independent 
     media, imprison political opponents, practice arbitrary 
     detention and arrest, and engage in torture and extrajudical 
     executions;
       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 George W. 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, free speech, 
     equal justice, 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 Congress has expressed its desire to see deeper 
     reform in Central Asia in past resolutions and other 
     legislation, most recently conditioning assistance to 
     Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan on their progress in meeting 
     commitments to the United States on human rights and 
     democracy: 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 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 anyone 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, including by easing 
     registration processes;
       (D) permitting the free exercise of religious beliefs and 
     ceasing the persecution of members of religious groups and 
     denominations that do not engage in violence or political 
     change through violence;
       (E) holding free, competitive, and fair elections; and

[[Page S5691]]

       (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 to urge greater 
     respect for human rights and democratic freedoms at every 
     diplomatic opportunity;
       (B) take progress in meeting the goals specified in 
     paragraph (1) into account when determining the scope and 
     nature of our diplomatic and military relations and 
     assistance with each of such governments;
       (C) ensure that the provisions of foreign operations 
     appropriations Acts are fully implemented to ensure that no 
     United States assistance benefits security forces in Central 
     Asia that are implicated in violations of human rights;
       (D) press the Government of Turkmenistan to implement the 
     helpful recommendations contained in the so-called ``Moscow 
     Mechanism'' Report of the Organization for Security and 
     Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) respect the right of all 
     prisoners to due process and a fair trial and release 
     democratic activists and their family members from prison;
       (E) urge the Government of Russia not to extradite to 
     Turkmenistan members of the political opposition of 
     Turkmenistan;
       (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, and to reduce official 
     corruption, including by urging the Government of Kazakhstan 
     to cooperate with the ongoing Department of Justice 
     investigation;
       (G) support through United States assistance programs 
     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
       (H) press the Government of Uzbekistan to implement fully 
     the recommendations made to the Government of Uzbekistan by 
     the United Nation's Special Rapporteur on Torture; and
       (3) increased levels of United States assistance to the 
     governments of the nations of Central Asia 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 specified in paragraph (1).

                          ____________________