Human Rights and Wrongs in Central Asia
- The landmass that constitutes Central Asia has a long history of strategic importance
and, as a result, the largely nomadic peoples of the steppe have long had their interests
subjugated to the needs of the great (and distant) empires. From the Great Game period of
the late 1700s, when the British became aware of the Russian threat to the 'Jewel of the
Empire' via Central Asia, to the present day, the region has been denied autonomy.
The transition from Soviet rule to independence, albeit within the
context of the Commonwealth of Independent States, was achieved primarily through the
redefining of existing positions within government. As a result, in all of the republics
with the exception of Tajikistan, the old Communist party leaders simply regrouped under
different organizations and re-assumed power.
Now with the war in Afghanistan, and the presence of US troops in
Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, the region is once again in the international
spotlight. The American military presence has caused some discomfort to Russia and Iran,
which have traditionally considered Central Asia firmly within their sphere of influence.
However, according to Ahmed Rashid, Central Asia correspondent for the Far Eastern
Economic Review, the Central Asian governments welcome the US presence for a number of
reasons. Firstly, it ensures at least some level of security from neighboring states;
secondly it encourages foreign investment; and thirdly, it counteracts Russian hegemony in
the region.
Central Asia has an extremely diverse population, both culturally and
especially ethnically. The majority are Turkic speaking, with ethnic Tajiks, Russians and
Uzbeks constituting much of the sedentary/urban population, while Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and
Turkmens, traditionally nomadic, constitute much of the pastoral community. This broad
ethnic base has several implications, both domestically and internationally, for the
question of human rights.
Transnational Concerns
At the most general level, the need for political and economic stability has led to severe
repression of political foes of the self-installed leaders of the newly independent
states. The presidents of all five republics have maintained their hold on power through
the systematic suppression of the right to freedom of speech, the right to free elections
and the right to take part in the government of the country.
Analysts note that Central Asia's chronic problems of growing poverty
and over-population make it a breeding ground for radical movements and ideologies,
especially in the aftermath of September 11th. Movements such as the Islamic Movement of
Uzbekistan (IMU, an armed group of fighters from Central Asian states that seeks the
establishment of Islamic law, or Sharia) in Uzbekistan, reportedly have links to Osama bin
Laden. The US State Department reports that the IMU has been making sporadic incursions
into Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, whose governments accuse the government of Tajikistan with
complicity in the attacks on their respective countries in August 1999 and August 2000.
Kyrgyz and Uzbek forces retaliated on Tajik soil during joint military exercises, which
further inflamed the already incendiary situation.
There has been considerable hope that the US-led war against Al-Qaeda
might lead to the opening up of the central Asian region and that the increased exposure
given to these states might compel them to adhere to international norms regarding human
rights. In fact, despite the repeated insistence of the Bush administration that the 'War
on Terror' was not a war on Islam, there is considerable evidence that in Central Asia,
China and Russia it is being used as a pretext for the repression of Islamic dissidents.
Furthermore, according to Igor Torbakov of Eurasianet, the large sums of foreign aid now
entering the region have 'encouraged a frenzy of corrupt practices as regional interest
groups vie for funding'.
Uzbekistan
According to a State Department report from 1999, 'Citizens cannot exercise their right to
change their government peacefully'. The government has not permitted the existence of an
opposition party since 1993. Election laws were amended to restrict the possibility of any
new opposition parties arising or mounting a campaign. Chosen, rather than elected to the
post of president in a 1991 election that most observers considered neither free nor fair,
Karimov had his stay in office extended to 2000 by a 1995 Soviet-style referendum.
Parliament subsequently voted to make the extension part of Karimov's first term, thus
making him eligible to run again in 2000.
Police and secret service forces used torture, harassment, illegal
searches, and wiretaps, and arbitrarily detained or arrested opposition activists and
other citizens on false charges, frequently planting narcotics or weapons on them. Police
often beat and otherwise mistreat criminal suspects; arbitrary arrest and detention are
common. Detention can be prolonged and prison conditions are poor. Those responsible for
documented abuses rarely are punished, and there is considerable evidence that the
judiciary does not always ensure due process and often defers to the wishes of the
executive branch.
The right to freedom of religion, already severely restricted, were
further repressed by two laws that, according to International Crisis Group, were to come
before parliament early this year. In the wake of the April and December 1997 murders of
several police officials in the city of Namangan, police in the Ferghana Valley arrested
hundreds--perhaps thousands--of citizens suspected of being Islamic extremists or
political opponents of the regime. Many people were arrested for having beards or for
other outward signs of Islamic piety, but were later released. The police allegedly
planted contraband on others to justify arrest. Although the aim of the crackdown was
clearly more than capturing those responsible for the crime, among those arrested and
tried was the alleged murderer. Despite subsequently granting some of them amnesty,
significant numbers of religious believers were tried and convicted on narcotics and
firearms charges. Defendants at subsequent trials claimed to have been beaten and
tortured.
The government severely limits freedom of speech and the press, and an
atmosphere of repression stifles public criticism of its decisions. A new law increases
government oversight of the media. Although the Constitution expressly prohibits it, press
censorship continues and the government sharply restricts citizens' access to foreign
media.
The government limits freedom of assembly and association by continuing
to ban public meetings and demonstrations. It also continues to deny registration to
independent political parties as well as to other groups that might be critical of its
policies. For example, the government denied registration to the Human Rights Society of
Uzbekistan (HRSU), citing technical deficiencies in its application. Unregistered
opposition parties and movements may not operate freely or publish their views.
State
Department Report on Human Rights Practices 2001 - Uzbekistan
The State Department provides thorough documentation of human rights practices in
Uzbekistan on an annual basis. There is extensive economic, political and military
background offered, as well as case-specific human rights reports.
Amnesty
International Report 2002 - Uzbekistan
This accessible document provides a brief background to the human rights situation in
Uzbekistan followed by reports on torture, prisoners of conscience and the death penalty.
Human
Rights Watch Annual Report 2001 - Uzbekistan
The Human Rights Watch annual report discusses human rights developments, the
defense of human rights and the role of the international community in ensuring respect
for human rights in Uzbekistan.
Kazakhstan
Political opponents are often tried and convicted without due process. Notable examples
include the trial in absentia of Akezhan Kazhegeldin, President Nazarbayev's long time
political opponent on charges of tax evasion and corruption, which resulted in a sentence
of ten years being handed down to the former prime minister. Opposition parties claim that
political opponents of the regime, in media, politics, or human rights are often harassed,
intimidated and even tortured. A case in point is that of Amirzhan Qosanov, the acting
chair of a prominent opposition party, the Republican People's Party of Kazakhstan (RNPK),
who was prevented from boarding a plane to the US where he was due to give evidence to a
congressional hearing on human rights abuses in Central Asia.
The government did not fulfill President Nazarbaev's pledge to
implement recommendations made in 1999 by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE) on electoral reform. The lack of progress on electoral reforms prompted four
opposition parties in February to withdraw from a joint working group with the government,
organized with the support of the OSCE. One party also withdrew from a roundtable
discussion on electoral reform in May 2001, citing the government's failure to adopt a new
elections law.
Examples of the constant harassment and repression of the independent
print and broadcast media are rife. According to Human Rights Watch, journalists
affiliated with opposition parties, and those who express dissatisfaction with the ruling
regime are harassed, often violently, by thugs affiliated to the secret services.
Furthermore the intimidation of the independent press by the judiciary and other
governmental institutions has led to the stifling of public discussion of corruption in
the government, with numerous allegations of improper and illegal behavior surfacing.
In April 2001, the Parliament passed restrictive amendments to the Law
on Mass Media, which had been severely criticized by local and international
organizations, including the OSCE. The law brought Internet sites under its regulation and
limited the transmission of foreign television and radio programs, requiring foreign
material to be reduced to 20 percent of all available airtime by January 2003. The
legislation sparked protests by private television stations that relied heavily on the
retransmission of Russian television and could force the closure of smaller stations.
Religious intolerance is also a notable facet of human rights abuse in
Kazakhstan. Although tolerant of major denominations in general, smaller sects of
Christianity and Islam have both come under increased pressure to cease activities in the
republic. In the case of groups such as the Hizb ut-Tahrir, whose expressed agenda is to
create a Central Asian Islamic Caliphate, four alleged members of the organization were
arrested for distributing leaflets and sentenced to up to 22 months imprisonment.
Prison conditions, according to Amnesty International, 'remain horrific
in Kazakhstan' which has incarcerated over 84,000 individuals in what is an obviously
flawed legal system in which regard for due process is scant. Despite an amnesty which led
to the release of almost 27,000 by April 2001, Kazakhstan has one of the highest rates of
imprisonment in the world.
Perhaps the most disturbing development however, is the alleged use of
Kyrgyz citizens as slaves on Kazakh plantations. There is little concrete evidence beyond
the testimony of a few individuals at present, however the situation could cause severe
strain on the relationship between the two countries if the evidence is corroborated by
Kyrgyz investigators.
State
Department Report On Human Rights Practices 2001 - Kazakhstan March 4th 2002
The State Department provides thorough and lengthy documentation of human rights practices
in Kazakkhstan on an annual basis. There is extensive economic, political and military
background offered, as well as case specific human rights reports.
Amnesty
International Report 2002 - Kazakhstan
This brief document provides a background to the human rights situation in Kazakhstan with
specific reference to recent forced deportations and torture.
Human
Rights Watch Annual Report 2001 - Kazakhstan
The Human Rights Watch annual report discusses human rights developments, the
defense of human rights and the role of the international community in ensuring respect
for human rights in Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan
International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law
Although somewhat hampered in their activities by an arson attack on their offices, this
non-governmental organization, in collaboration with War and Peace Reporting, maintains a
detailed database on human rights abuses that have taken place from early 2000 to April
2001. There is a weekly subscription newsletter.
Procurator's
General Office and Supreme Court Define Kazakhstan a Police State
This statement from the Kazakhstan Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law provides an
interesting insight into the trouble faced by independent human rights groups in Central
Asia and highlights the destructive role played by government institutions.
Kyrgyzstan
Both the February parliamentary and the October presidential elections were heavily
criticized by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). According
to Amnesty International, incumbent President Askar Akaev won a third term in office amid
claims that a controversial mandatory Kyrgyz-language test for presidential candidates had
been aimed at excluding the chairman of the opposition Ar-Namys party, Felix Kulov.
At the same time there has been considerable pressure on the
independent media. Despite the registration of at least two new independent newspapers in
the first six months of 2001, the Ministry of Justice has implemented a re-registration
program apparently aimed at bringing the media more under the sway of the government, and
a number of publications have had their re-registration delayed for considerable amounts
of time.
Reporters covering stories of judicial and governmental corruption have
faced harassment by authorities. Such allegations against Akaev's administration are so
plentiful, according to various sources, that the soundness of the judicial process has
been severely undermined, not only with regard to press freedom but also political and
religious freedom.
Increasingly, the Kyrgyz government is linking the Uighur minority to
militant Islamic groups. While this accusation may be true in a number of circumstances
there is increasing evidence, according to Human Rights Watch and the BBC, that the
government is opting to punish the minority group collectively and inhumanely. There are
reports of minorities being denied their full rights to a fair hearing and also of
extremely long sentences being handed down for political and racial motives and without
due process.
Prison standards remain very low due to lack of food, clothing, heating
and medicine. International pressure has been maintained by the UN secretary general on
human rights defenders, Hina Jilani, who stated on a visit last year that basic civil
rights were not being systematically observed. The OSCE and the EU have both stated
concerns on media freedom and the legitimacy of the 2000 election.
State
Department Report On Human Rights Practices 2001 - Kyrgyzstan March 4th 2002
The State Department provides thorough documentation of human rights practices in
Kyrgyzstan on an annual basis. There is extensive economic, political and military
background offered, as well as case specific human rights reports.
Amnesty
International Report 2002 - Kyrgyzstan
This document provides a brief background to the human rights situation in Kyrgyzstan,
focussing on prisoners of conscience, torture, the harrassment of human rights activists,
freedom of the press and the forced deportation of individuals.
Open Letter
from Human Rights Watch to President Askar Akaev May 16th 2002
This letter refers directly to the recent arrest of demonstrators and political opponents
as they gathered for a peaceful demonstration outside the parliament building.
Tajikistan
Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov has held on to power since 1992, despite a dwindling
support base, as a result of rigged elections and the suppression of opposition groups. As
a result of the extensive civil war that began in the immediate aftermath of the Soviet
meltdown and ended with the half-hearted demobilization of the private armies of
influential commanders, many of whom now hold political posts, there is a tendency towards
bypassing the state judiciary that theoretically ensures due process, in favor of
consensus based processes through factional and clan based alliances. Although this
represents something of a compromise on the part of the president, many of the civil
rights promised as a result of the negotiations have yet to materialize.
According to the US State Department, the government's human rights
record remained poor. The February 2000 parliamentary elections represented an improvement
in the citizens' right to change their government, however there remained considerable
cause for believing that these elections were neither free nor fair. Assassinations of
high-level political figures in 2001 reflected persistent internal power struggles among
political leaders and regional groups, in a pattern persistent since the June 1997 peace
accords. Three high-ranking political figures were assassinated in 2001 alone, namely
Deputy Interior Minister Habib Sanginov, presidential foreign policy advisor Karim
Yuldashev and, on September 8, Minister of Culture Abdurahim Rahimov.
A joint UN-OSCE observer mission that monitored the February 2000
parliamentary vote documented state interference that included the obstruction or
exclusion of opposition parties, a wholly arbitrary candidate registration process,
grossly biased coverage by the state media, and numerous grave irregularities on election
day. The ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) gained 30 of 63 seats in the parliament,
while 18 other seats went to ostensibly independent candidates who were either also PDP
members or widely acknowledged to be solidly pro-government. The IRP gained two seats.
Largely uncontested elections to the upper chamber of parliament resulted in the election
of an overwhelming majority of presidential party members.
Tajikistan is the only Central Asian republic that permits political
parties of a religious character. Legalizing religion-based political parties was one of
the major concessions made by the government in the peace negotiations, and the IRP plays
a role, though marginal, in the nation's political life. The government has arrested
scores of members of Hizb ut-Tahrir (Party of Liberation), an Islamic group that,
according to its leaders, supports the reestablishment of the Caliphate, or Islamic state,
for Muslims 'by peaceful means'. Like in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, Tajik courts convict
Hizb ut-Tahrir members on charges of inciting religious hatred, distributing anti-state
literature, and membership in banned organizations. Whereas in previous years Tajik courts
handed down sentences of between five and 12 years for such charges, they now hand down
sentences of up to 14 years imprisonment.
According to Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch the
government severely restricts freedom of expression. The sole newspaper publishing house
is owned by the state and denies access to government critics. The government monitors and
"counsels" all news media, enforces pre-publication censorship, and imposes
burdensome licensing procedures. Electronic media is either state-owned or is dominated by
the state through the measures outlined above. Several independent television stations
operate in the country, but critical or controversial content carries the risk of
arbitrary closure. Dushanbe remains without independent radio or television stations, as
authorities there have denied them operating licenses for the past three years. The
authorities threaten or harass journalists and editors who publish views directly critical
of President Rakhmonov or of certain government policies.
State
Department Report on Human Rights Practices 2001: Tajikistan
The State Department provides thorough documentation of human rights practices Tajikistan
on an annual basis. There is extensive economic, political and military background
offered, as well as case specific human rights reports. As a result the document is
extremely long.
Amnesty
International Report 2002 - Tajikistan
This accessible document provides a brief background to the human rights situation in
Tajikistan followed by sections on the death penalty and the treatment of Afghan refugees.
Turkmenistan
In removing the limits on the duration of a presidency at the end of 1999, Turkmenistan
defaulted on its international commitment on political reform and opened up the way for
President Saparmurad Niazov to remain in the presidency indefinitely, although he
subsequently declared that he would stand down in 2010 after fresh elections.
Parliamentary elections have not, according to election monitors, been free or fair in the
past.
There is credible evidence of police corruption in the matter of
suppressing opposition to the ruling regime, notably in the case of political activist and
leader of the banned opposition party Nurberdi Nurmamedov who, at the age of 72, was
sentenced to five years imprisonment on fabricated charges of 'hooliganism'. He was later
forced to beg the forgiveness of the president on television after his son was threatened
with a lengthy prison sentence.
President Niazov has been credited with reducing the number of human
rights abuses in Turkmenistan, where he has achieved semi-prophetic status according to
the Amnesty International Report 2002 which also reports that official religious tolerance
is limited only to registered denominations. Amendments to the Law on Religion made in
1997, which effectively ban all denominations except Sunni Islam and Russian Orthodoxy,
continued to be enforced despite assurances to the international community that police
raids on prayer meetings in private homes and other such abuses of the right to freedom of
thought, conscience and religion would cease. Turkmenistan continued to imprison religious
believers and dismiss them from their jobs and there is particular evidence about the
persecution of Baptists.
The movement of foreigners was 'strictly monitored'. Laws restricting
the use of the Russian language in business and the diminishing circulation of
Uzbek-language print also encouraged many minorities to leave.
According to Human Rights Watch the death penalty was abolished and the
searching of private homes without judicial authorization was banned, in order to 'respond
to a reality in which law enforcement officials could plant one or two grams of drugs in
those houses they were searching in order to take vengeance on those people.'
Turkmen journalists who reported unauthorized material were severely
censured, some losing their accreditation and thus their jobs. A further censorship law
banned all independent internet service providers, forcing all internet users to access
through the government's highly filtered provider. Similarly, academic freedom and the
recognition of the right to an education reached a new low. The president called for
three-generation background checks to determine potential university students' 'moral
character' before they are admitted to study. He also abolished the World Languages
University and decreed that foreign languages should no longer be taught in schools, in
addition to ordering that the entire printing of a new Turkmen history book to be used in
schools be burned.
State
Department Report On Human Rights Practices 2001 - Turkmenistan March 4th 2002
The State Department provides thorough documentation of human rights practices in
Turkmenistan on an annual basis. There is extensive economic, political and military
background offered, as well as case specific human rights reports.
Amnesty
International Report 2002 - Turkmenistan
This accessible document provides a brief background to the human rights situation in
Turkmenistan, focussing on prisoners of conscience, political prisoners, conscientious
objectors and the repression of religious minorities.
Human
Rights Watch Annual Report 2001 - Turkmenistan
The Human Rights Watch annual report discusses human rights developments, the
defense of human rights and the role of the international community in ensuring high
respect for human rights in Turkmenistan.
CSCE
Helsinki Commission: Testimony on the state of democracy and human rights in Turkmenistan
This is the transcript of a hearing of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in
Europe on human rights, democratization and Religious Liberty in Turkmenistan. There are a
number of witnesses, both international and domestic.
Conclusion
The expectation that the present international focus on Central and South Asia might lead
to increased pressure on the rulers of the Central Asian Republics to curb human rights
abuses has proven unfounded. If anything, the immediate military concessions required of
them by the West appear to have led to a softening of the international stance against
such abuses. Often in the past an end to human rights violations has been demanded in
exchange for economic aid. In the present climate of war, as so often in the past, the
strategic needs of the great powers seem to have ridden roughshod over the human rights of
the people of Central Asia.
News Stories
Q&A:
Protecting human rights November 21st 2001
This article from the BBC provides an excellent introduction to some of the core polemical
issues surrounding human rights as well as answering some of the more basic questions such
as 'What is the UN Human Rights Commission?'.
War
on Terror Cloaks Rights Abuses January 17th 2002
This article from the BBC reports that the 'War on Terror' is being manipulated to justify
crackdowns on political opponents and human rights abuses. The following countries are
singled out and receive their own brief section: Russia, Uzbekistan, China, Israel,
Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Zimbabwe.
Central
Asia: Human Rights Activists Urge Tougher US Stance March 29th 2002
This article from Radio Free Europe discusses the increasing pressure on the US
government from human rights groups to ensure that its allies in the 'War on Terror'
comply with international human rights standards. It specifically discusses human rights
abuses in Uzbekistan and suggests that since the beginning of the country's alliance with
the US, President Islam Karimov has all but stopped improvements in human rights and
economic and political reforms.
Central
Asia: Six Months Later: Human Rights Seen As Backtracking (part 3) March 11th 2002
This article by Bruce Pannier of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty presents the
opinion of a number of human rights advocates that the US 'War on Terror' has been seen by
many Central Asian rulers as a carte-blanche to suppress minority groups by placing them
under the umbrella of terrorist organizations. Many of these sources suggest that, despite
encouraging rhetoric from the Bush administration, the issue of human rights has fallen
off the agenda to be replaced by a policy of appeasement.
CENTRAL
ASIA: No Excuse for Escalating Human Rights Violations November 10th 2001
This article from Amnesty International examines the relationship between the 'War
on Terror' and the deteriorating human rights situation in Central Asia, with specific
reference to the Ferghana Valley dispute and the role of the Islamic Movement of
Uzbekistan in formenting tension between Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It points
to evidence of the arbitrary repression of Muslims by the Uzbek authorities and also
discusses the worrying trend towards political persecution of Muslim and Uighur minorities
in both Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Human
Rights Watch Press Backgrounder on Tajikistan October 5, 2001
This article offers an accessible introduction to the human rights situation in
Tajikistan, presenting its geographic, economic and ethnic composition as central to an
understanding of its human rights situation, which, it claims, is very bad. It discusses
Tajikistan's foreign relations, particularly with Afghanistan during and before the
Taleban regime, with Russia and with Uzbekistan. There is a section on political violence
in which the issues of freedom of speech, religion, and politics, and militarily active
political and religious groups, specifically the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan are all
discussed.
US Military Aid After
9/11 Threatens Human Rights
This extensive report from Human Right's Watch discusses the US government's military
assistance to governments allegedly engaged in extensive human rights abuses since
September 11. It suggests that the policy shifts that have facilitated this increased
assistance may indirectly endanger human rights and that the less stringent criteria
adopted by the US for determining admissablity for military assistance might set a bad
precedent for other arms producing nations.
Reports
Central
Asia - Democracy in the Balance April 22nd 2002
This transcript of a speech given by Dr. Martha Brill Olcott discusses the development of
the democratic process in the Central Asian republics from the breakdown of the Soviet
Union to the present. She puts forward the opinion that it is not feasible for human
rights to be the centerpiece of international policy toward the region.. There is a need
to support human rights groups, but it has to be accompanied by a strong, realistic model
of development, with explicit economic goals, and a vision of what a stable or secure
Central Asia should look like.
Elections
in Central Asia: a new beginning for a comprehensive environmental strategy?
Winter 2001
This article from the Harvard Asia Quarterly (Winter 2001) by Daphne Biliouri
discusses the implications of the increasing political and financial openness of Central
Asia on its environmental policy. She gives an overview of the political situation in each
country and then in the region as a whole before turning to the environmental question.
'Asian
Values' and the Democratic Transition in Central Asia Winter 2001
This article by Gregory Gleason from the Harvard Asian Quarterly analyzes the
significance of cultural and historical differences for public policy in the countries of
Central Asia and explains why international efforts to promote democratic institutions and
processes have met with limited success.
Amnesty
International Annual Report 2002
This page contains the index of countries in Europe and Central Asia that are discussed in
the Amnesty International Report. It presents an in-depth analysis of specific
incidents of human rights violations ranging from torture and political oppression to
judicial corruption and maltreatment of ethnic minorities on a case-by-case basis.
Human Rights
Watch Annual Report 2001
This page provides an introduction to the current status of human rights in Europe and
Central Asia and contains links to individual country reports which detail recent
developments both on a general level and on a case-by-case basis. These articles are
generally shorter and more accessible than those on the Department of State and Amnesty
International websites.
US
Department of State Report (2001)
This collection of reports put together by the Department of State represent a
complete view of human rights abuses in Europe and Central Asia. The report is sorted by
country and can be searched by topic. Each country report is broken down to analyze the
country's performance in each of the following categories: Respect for the Integrity of
the Person, Respect for Civil Liberties, Respect for Political Rights, Governmental
Attitude Regarding International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Violations
of Human Rights, Discrimination Based on Race, Sex, Religion, Disability, Language, or
Social Status and finally Worker Rights.
Resources
Country
Watch - Russia and the Newly Independent States
Central
Asia - Internet Resources
News Sources
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
This website provides an informative and well updated resource for human rights and other
information. There are a large number of articles and links and the site is searchable.
PreventConflict.org
This page is the gateway for a number of articles written by experts in various fields,
including human rights. The site can be navigated by topic or by country and contains
region-specific weekly updates.
Eurasianet.org
These pages have numerous links to information on human rights from the big
non-governmental organizations.
BBC
This website provides up-to-date news stories and has a searchable archive of past
stories.
July 1, 2002
http://www.asiasource.org/news |