Voice of Democracy
Published by Kazakhstan 21st Century Foundation · Washington, D.C. ·December 18, 2002

MANUFACTURING THE NEWS ­ The Washington Post looked like any government-run newspaper in Kazakhstan on Monday, or at least the bottom half of page A-22. Anyone looking for accuracy, truth and reality had to go elsewhere; here was the news according to Nazarbayev, whose government bought a half-page ad in an apparent effort to provide some fantasy to balance the reality of the hard news that has been published lately about the widespread corruption and abuses of the Nazarbayev dictatorship. There was no mention of the dictator's unsuccessful plea to President Bush to cut a deal with the Justice Department to give Kazakh president immunity from prosecution in exchange for ratting on his friends. Instead, the caption beneath a picture of the two presidents mentioned only "their commitment to strengthening a 'long-term strategic partnership,'" and not a commitment for a despot's long prison term. Naturally, the ad didn’t mention Washington's disappointment over the level of Kazakh cooperation in the war against terror or the Bush Administration’s repeated protests about Nazarbayev's worsening abuse of human rights or his orchestrated attacks on independent media and political opponents. The creative fiction writers who compiled the ad even had the chutzpa to claim progress toward democracy at a time when virtually the entire democratic world is harshly critical of Nazarbayev for leading his country in exactly the opposite direction. Self-serving ads like this are common in Washington papers; they are taken out by sycophants to flatter their bosses who aren't told that the ads provoke ridicule, not respect. http://www.washingtonpost.com

CAVIAR CRISIS -- Exploitation of Kazakhstan's oil wealth could be a disaster for caviar lovers. That's because the vast Kashagan oil field, which promises to be the second largest in the world, lies at the mouth of the Ural River. And the Ural, "the last natural breeding ground of the famed, but endangered beluga sturgeon, which produce the world's most expensive caviar," reports The Guardian (London), stands (or, more appropriately, flows) in the way of what some are calling "progress." It's not just the fisherman fearing the demise of the sturgeon -- and their livelihood -- who are objecting. Environmentalists fear damage to water life because the sea is so shallow at that point and they also point to the danger of triggering massive earthquakes and the risks of releasing sulphur. http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/

STRAIGHTEN UP AND FLY RIGHT ­ The Bush Administration has called on the Kazakh government to reverse its restrictive business practices and create a more "favorable investment climate." Undersecretary of State Alan Larson told an Almaty audience that foreign investors are "increasingly concerned" that the Nazarbayev regime is "showing less adherence to openness" and a capricious disregard for good business practices. He said foreign investors and the international financial media are questioning newly enacted laws, "awkward" regulations on oil and gas firms, restrictions on employment permits, "dubious" environmental fines and attempts to rewrite signed contracts. In an apparent reference to the problem of corruption throughout the Nazarbayev government, he said Washington wants to see "a safe approach that will lead to the prosperity of both foreign investors and Kazakhstan's people." http://www.interfax-news.com/

For the full stories, see the web citations above or contact us at News@Kazakhstan21.org. The Kazakhstan 21st Century Foundation promotes democracy and human rights in Kazakhstan through public affairs and educational programs in the United States and Europe. This material is distributed by Kazakhstan 21st Century Foundation. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice,  Washington, D.C.