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September 07, 2003
Forward about Ruslan
This is a letter from a colleague of mine. Freedom is always a choice.
Yes, I know that I do keep on about this, but I have no choice, as I think I've explained before. I feel a certain responsibility for the situation that Ruslan finds himself in. I encouraged him. While I was a Peace Corps volunteer, teaching economics, I told him that things would change in Uzbekistan when the people got disgusted enough to take things back into their own hands, and Ruslan took it from there. Oh I don't claim credit for his activism, but I hope
you can understand that I do have some feelings of involvement.
Anyway, things are not going well over there. Now Surat Ikramov has been beaten while trying to demonstrate on hehalf of Ruslan. The regime has clamped down even harder on dissidents, and it's likely to get much worse.
In too many ways, the bad old Soviet days are alive and well in Tashkent.
In the meanwhile, there is nobody at the American Embassy who will pay any attention to this case, not even extending the courtesy of answering our mail. They will do nothing about trying to pressure the Karimov regime to lessen their assault on dissenters. The European Union, in its various agencies, is doing a hell of a lot more than our government is, and their involvement is greatly appreciated. There is some action from at least one member of the Canadian Parliament. But damn it, it's embarrassing for us Americans!
How is it that our government never learns from its mistakes? How can we continue to support dictators like Karimov and the Saudi royals, while claiming the moral high ground in attacking the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq? Is anyone paying attention to this?
Anyway, I thought that you might be interested in the following websites about Ruslan's case and related matters. Keep those cards and letters going. Perhaps if we awaken our own representatives in congress, they will do something to influence the Bush administration to open its eyes to the trouble brewing in Central Asia.
And think of that skinny, geeky kid with the big ears, in an Uzbek prison, charged with sodomy. Imagine what hell he's going through. That thought keeps me awake nights.
Thanks,
John Smart
http://www.hrw.org/press/2003/08/uzbek083003.htm
http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?archive/rca/rca_200308_229_1_eng.txt
http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/uzbekistan/sharipov.htm
Posted by G at September 7, 2003 01:23 PM
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