Voice of Democracy
Published by Kazakhstan 21st Century Foundation · Washington, D.C. Mar. 20, 2002

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TO CATCH A THIEF -- How and why did Kazakh government funds wind up in foreign bank accounts that have been frozen on suspicion of money laundering? That's what a pair of Kazakh lawmakers are asking the government to explain, reports the AP from Almaty. An investigation by Swiss and American authorities into corruption and money-laundering extends to the highest levels of the Kazakh government, including the president and members of his family, according to western media reports. Lawyers representing President Nazarbayev's daughter, Dinara Kulibayeva, content funds deposited in the British Virgin Islands were for official government use, but a Swiss tribunal ruled they belonged to a private group. Deputy Serikbolsyn Abdildin, an influential member of parliament, demanded to know why "huge sums of money" that the Nazarbayev regime says belong to the country are secreted away "in the accounts of private offshore companies that are directed by the highest-ranking bureaucrats and relatives of the president." http://www.ap.org

LIVE AND LET DIE -- At least four persons were killed and another 62 wounded when Kyrgyz police clashed with an estimated 2,000 demonstrators demanding the release of a Parliamentary deputy who human rights advocates say was jailed on trumped up charges. Azimbek Beknazarov was officially arrested in January on charges of abusing his position as a prosecutor seven years ago, but his real crime was probably criticizing the government's recent decision to transfer Kyrgyz territory to China and Kazakhstan, according to the International Federation of Human Rights. The Kyrgyz government, once considered an island of democracy in Central Asia, reported Agence France-Presse, has become increasingly repressive and autocratic, following the Kzakh example of brutal crackdowns on the independent media and political opponents. A Kyrgyz human rights leader warned that the violence could be a harbinger of worse to come. "When there is no rule of law, when there is a tyranny of power and the violation of human rights, extremism appears," he told AFP. http://www.afp.com/english/home/

THE ODD COUPLE -- President George W. Bush may welcome Uzbek support for the war against terrorism, but he's apparently somewhat uncomfortable with his the man who has been called "perhaps the most embarrassing of Washington's new allies." President Islam Karimov, one of the more ruthless dictators in a region where that species grows like weeds, got no state dinner or fancy ceremony, but he did get "a 45 minute chat with Bush on Mar. 12 before being politely and discreetly ushered to the door and sent on his way," according to analyst Jim Lobe in the Inter Press Service. But the Uzbek dictator didn't go home empty handed: he'll get a picture of himself and Bush, a tripling of American economic assistance, promises of millions in military aid, export credits, political promises and documents suitable for framing. Human rights advocates have criticized the Bush administration for failing to demand more than token gestures from a regime that regularly represses the political opposition, imprisons its critics, crushes any independent media, persecutes religious minorities and conducts Stalin-like "hate rallies." "There is no reason to give away benefits like assistance or summit without some strings attached, said Elizabeth Andersen of Human Rights Watch. http://www.ips.org/

TOP GUN -- Looking for a used MiG jet fighter or a squadron? Or maybe some Soviet-built tanks, artillery, rockets and guns? Planning to start your own army or national liberation movement, or just a little terrorist organization? Well, search no more, friends, Nursultan Nazarbayev has just what you're looking for. He accepts cash, and you already know about his famous offshore bank accounts in the Caribbean. It seems that Kazakhstan has some 3,500 surplus pieces of military equipment, including more than 600 aircraft. Defense Minister Mukhtar Altynbayev has put the booty on the block, but be careful. He got fired in 1999 for clandestinely selling 40 MiG 21's to North Korea; the government denied any knowledge of the sale, reports AFP. However, it was widely believed that a transaction of that scope could not have been carried off without the permission of Nazarbayev himself, and that the proceeds were destined for private pockets, not the national treasury. Altynbayev took the fall and lost his job, but he was soon reinstated, which critics say lends credence to charges of Nazarbayev's direct involvement in the North Korean scandal. http://www.afp.com/english/home/

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.