VZCZCXRO8774
RR RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #2226 3531252
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191252Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9249
INFO RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1950
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1941
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1914
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1865
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1391
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 1142
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0766

UNCLAS DUSHANBE 002226 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL/SEA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KPAO KDEM TI
SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS DAY EVENTS IN TAJIKISTAN 
 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  Embassy Dushanbe commemorated International Human 
Rights Day/Week with a variety of events: having students paint 
a mural on the Embassy walls, showing a Human Rights related 
movie followed by a discussion group, and hosting a number of 
public speaking events focused on the theme "Defending the 
Defenders."  END SUMMARY 
 
¶2.  Embassy Dushanbe teamed with 15 local design students to 
create and paint a mural outside the Embassy commemorating Human 
Rights Day.  The Ambassador opened up the event with brief 
remarks on the meaning of the day, and then the design students 
went to work.  This mural is the first of a series of paintings 
planned around the Embassy compound to mark such events as Earth 
Day and Women's Day. 
 
¶3.  PAO, PolOff and DCM spoke at three different local 
universities about the importance of Human Rights Day, the UN 
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the current status of 
freedom in Tajikistan.  Between 25 and 50 students showed up for 
each event, with the students asking a variety of perceptive 
questions on topics from media self-censorship in Tajikistan to 
the U.S.'s role in the war in Iraq.   The appetite for Embassy 
speakers was apparent when rectors, teachers and students all 
asked for increased  officer visits for roundtables and the 
chance to speak English with a native speaker.  PAO also led a 
roundtable on human rights at the Embassy-sponsored weekly 
English Language conversation club. 
 
¶4.  Keeping with the "Defending the Defenders" theme, Saturday 
culminated with a screening of "Hotel Rwanda" and discussion 
about genocide.  Approximately 50 locals and expats, including 
students and NGO workers attended the event.  The program opened 
with an American citizen NGO director with experience in Rwanda 
providing background facts about the genocide  and ended up with 
him leading a lively discussion after the movie. 
 
¶5.  The Embassy also distributed the Fact Sheet on U.S. Human 
Rights Initiatives and the Secretary's December 14 remarks. 
 
¶6.  COMMENT:  The discussions with students and locals showed 
that Tajiks are aware of the human rights problems in their 
country and desire change.  Many of the students with whom we 
met recognized the problem of self-censorship in the Tajik 
media, and rely instead on information from the Internet to 
shape their opinions.  All sought more opportunities to meet 
with Americans and other foreigners in order to increase their 
exposure to the outside world.  This younger generation of 
Tajiks has little direct memory of the civil war and does not 
unquestioningly credit the government or President Rahmonov with 
maintaining stability.  As they comes of age, they may begin 
demanding greater changes from their government with respect to 
issues such as corruption and freedom of speech.  This week's 
human rights focused meetings remind us once again that 
Tajikistan would benefit greatly from increased exchange 
opportunities.  END COMMENT. 
 
JACOBSON