VZCZCXRO7800
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAH #1078/01 2781119
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 051119Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9499
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 2846
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 0667
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0543
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 1119
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 1800
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
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RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001078 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN:  OSCE SEES IMPROVEMENT IN HUMAN 
RIGHTS 
 
 
 ¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  OSCE sees an improvement in human rights, 
in the attitude of the government toward human rights, and in 
the ability of the OSCE Ashgabat Center to do business, since 
Berdimuhamedov came to power in early 2007.  For the first 
time ever, government officials have been able to travel 
abroad for OSCE-sponsored training, and the Turkmenistan 
government has been willing to cooperate with ODIHR.  Most 
importantly, while all impediments have not disappeared, 
OSCE's ability to work with and provide services to ordinary 
people has increased tremendously.  OSCE's civil society work 
has expanded and local residents are no longer routinely 
hindered by the government from participating.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The OSCE has noted an improvement in human rights, 
as well as the Turkmenistan government's attitude toward 
human rights, since President Berdimuhamedov came to power. 
According to Ashgabat OSCE Center Human Dimensions officer 
Benjamin Moreau, cooperation between OSCE and the Turkmen 
government has blossomed over the past nine months.  For 
example, in 2006 OSCE was able to hold only one seminar on 
the general topic of understanding human rights.  In 2007, 
OSCE has held four seminars teaching human rights standards 
to judges and prosecutors.  Over 80 people participated in 
the four seminars.  In addition, OSCE has started a human 
rights course in one of the universities.  Approximately 40 
second- and third-year students in the international law, 
law, and diplomacy programs, as well as professors, are in 
the course. 
 
EXCHANGES/VISITS 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Travel and exchanges have also expanded, Moreau 
said.  In fact, for the first time since 1999, Turkmenistan 
officials have participated in overseas seminars.  A total of 
14 government officials attened various OSCE seminars, 
including six from the Ministry of Education.  Four 
parliamentarians recently went to Berlin to learn how the 
Bundestag functions and to learn more about local 
self-governance in Germany.  Moreau said OSCE hopes to expand 
cooperation with parliament.  He believes the role of that 
body may be evolving, because Turkmenistan government 
contacts have said there are plans to double the size of the 
body (to 100 members) by the 2008 parliamentary elections.  A 
number of OSCE officials have visited Turkmenistan, 
including, for the first time ever, two separate ODIHR 
delegations. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) In another major change from the past, Moreau said, 
the Turkmenistan government did not object this year to OSCE 
sending ordinary citizens abroad for training.  Previously, 
government officials would discourage people from going.  A 
record 16 people since the beginning of 2007 have traveled 
for OSCE training in other countries. 
 
CIVIL SOCIETY 
 
¶6. (SBU)  Moreau said 2007 marked the first time OSCE was not 
prevented or hindered by the government form providing civil 
society training.  In the past, security officials would 
actually stop invitees from attending.  OSCE's three resource 
centers have been able to expand their courses from English 
and computer literacy to now include leadership-skills 
training, human rights, and healthy living.  Most notably, 
Moreau said, the Turkmenistan Red Crescent Society has 
proposed several joint projects, including one on HIV/AIDS. 
 
LEGAL CONSULTATIONS 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Moreau said the OSCE Center continues to receive 
complainants regarding human rights issues on a daily basis 
 
ASHGABAT 00001078  002 OF 002 
 
 
and to provide advocacy.  However, the number of drop in 
cases has decreased.  (NOTE:  Both Post and the UK Embassy 
have also noted a marked decrease in the number of people 
seeking our assistance on human rights cases.  END NOTE.)  At 
the same time, there are fewer barriers to potential clients, 
although monitoring of who comes and goes continues.  Moreau 
said the government has responded to a majority of diplomatic 
notes sent regarding cases, unlike in the past. In 2007, the 
OSCE Center has provided 906 legal consultations to 200 
people.  A freedom of movement case involving the family of 
former Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers for 
Financial Affairs and Central Bank Chairman Orazov, who was 
fired for embezzlement and fled the country, was positively 
resolved, and they were able to leave the country. 
 
HOPES FOR 2008 
 
¶8.  (SBU) The Turkmenistan government has accepted OSCE's 
proposed 2008 plan of activity.  ODIHR has also submitted, 
for the first time, a plan of activity to the government and 
is awaiting a response.  Moreau said Berdimuhamedov had 
agreed orally to cooperation with ODIHR, and so OSCE would 
see if that translates into action. 
 
¶9. (SBU) COMMENT: While Turkmenistan has a long way to go to 
reach "international standards" on human rights, the changes 
noted by OSCE are a positive sign that while the steps are 
slow, they appear to be in the right direction.  It is 
important for the United Staes and other Western countries to 
encourage Turkmenistan's changes and provide the necessary 
assistance to keep things on the right track.  END COMMENT. 
HOAGLAND