VZCZCXRO9840
RR RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHNEH RUEHPOD
RUEHPW RUEHSK RUEHSL RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHNT #1097/01 1771236
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 261238Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1068
INFO ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
CIS COLLECTIVE
NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0202
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TASHKENT 001097 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL UZ OSCE KDEM
SUBJECT: Uzbekistan:  Embassy Input for OSCE Human Dimension Meeting 
 
REF: 09 STATE 59944 
 
¶1.       (SBU) Summary: Per reftel request on the Organization for 
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Human Dimension 
Implementation Meeting (HDIM) in Warsaw (scheduled for September 
28-October 9), we are providing the following input for the 
pre-HDIM demarche to the Uzbek government.  We would like the 
pre-HDIM demarche to commend the Uzbek government for those steps 
it has taken in 2009 to improve human rights, including adopting 
legal measures intended to curb child labor, increasing efforts to 
combat trafficking-in-persons,  and reforming legislation to 
strengthen defendants' rights.  However, we also want to urge 
progress on specific human rights issues, including expanding a 
program of prison visits by the International Committee of the Red 
Cross (ICRC); allowing international monitors to assess the use of 
child labor during the annual cotton harvest, and releasing certain 
prisoners.  Lastly, we would like to again express our willingness 
to cooperate with the Uzbek government on human rights projects. 
End summary. 
 
 
 
¶2.       (U) We commend the government of Uzbekistan for taking 
certain steps to improve human rights in 2009, including:  signing 
an Annual Work Plan with UNICEF addressing the elimination of child 
labor, passing criminal code amendments that will strengthen 
penalties against human traffickers; constructing a shelter for TIP 
victims that is expected to open in the next few months, and 
adopting several new laws strengthening the rights of criminal 
defendants, including the habeas corpus law. 
 
 
 
¶3.       (SBU) We urge the government to continue its progress in 
several areas.  First, we urge the government to extend last year's 
ICRC program that allowed observers into Uzbekistan prisons, and to 
expand the program to also allow access to pre-trial detention 
facilities run by the National Security Service.  Second, we 
encourage the government to allow international monitors to conduct 
an objective assessment of the use of child labor during the fall 
cotton harvest.  An objective assessment would provide reliable 
information about the true scope of the problem - something that 
has been hotly disputed for several years.  Finally, we urge the 
government to broaden its prisoner amnesty program in order to 
release individuals who are being held in custody for their 
political or religious views. 
 
 
 
¶4.       (SBU) We also express our concern over some negative steps 
on human rights in 2009.  Two U.S.-based NGOs were registered in 
2008, which was a very positive first step in allowing the return 
of NGOs and media that were forced to depart the country after the 
2005 Andijon events.  However, the government has showed few signs 
of liberalizing its restrictions on NGOs or their activities since 
then.  We encourage the government to move forward in this area, 
and a good step would be to register the International Organization 
for Migration(IOM), which already operates in Uzbekistan through a 
local, sponsoring NGO.  We also encourage the government to 
reconsider the registration and testing requirements imposed on the 
legal defense bar this year, which so far appear to be overly 
subjective and open to abuse as a vehicle to control or even 
suspend the activities of certain defense lawyers.  Finally, we 
further urge the government to take steps to allow religious groups 
in the country to practice more freely regardless of their size or 
location. 
 
 
 
¶5.       (U) We also would like to affirm our willingness to 
continue to cooperate with Uzbekistan on human rights programs, 
which in the past have included such things as training for law 
enforcement officers, legal exchanges, and participation in 
conferences in areas like habeas corpus.  Future programs could be 
expanded into new fields, as well, including the rights of women 
and the disabled.  We recognize that the Government of Uzbekistan 
seeks to meet international standards, and we look forward to 
facilitating this process by providing assistance on human 
 
TASHKENT 00001097  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
rights-related projects. 
 
 
 
NORLAND 
NORLAND