VZCZCXRO3922
RR RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHPOD RUEHPW
RUEHSK RUEHSL RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHNT #0029/01 0211143
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 211143Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1772
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 0078
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TASHKENT 000029 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV KPAO UZ
SUBJECT: Uzbekistan: Feedback from the Embassy-hosted MLK Day 
Reception 
 
REF: 10 TASHKENT 34; 09 STATE 131744 
 
¶1.       (U) Summary:  On January 19, Post used a reception at 
Ambassador Norland's residence to commemorate the life and work of 
Martin Luther King, Jr., and at the same time reach out to civil 
society and the human rights community regarding the Secretary's 
December 14 Georgetown message.  Participants took the opportunity 
to share their stories and concerns regarding the past year.  Our 
civil society contacts painted a bleak picture of the state of 
affairs in Uzbekistan, but were uniformly pleased that engagement 
with the GOU is on the upswing.  End summary. 
 
 
 
¶2.       (U) Nearly 100 people attended the reception, including 
representatives from the human rights community and civil society, 
government officials, journalists, and members of the diplomatic 
community.  The Ambassador spoke about King's legacy and showed a 
video clip of the "I have a Dream" speech.  The message of the 
evening was that all those in the room should be on the same side, 
working for a fuller realization of King's dream around the world, 
including at home.  The Ambassador drew from the Secretary's 
December 14 Georgetown University speech to outline the 
Administration's support for enduring international human rights, 
and pointed to A/S Posner's Dec. 18 meeting with Foreign Minister 
Norov in Washington. 
 
 
 
An Appreciative Audience 
 
 
 
¶3.       (SBU) The majority of the guests were human rights 
activists, and they came from miles around to attend.  (Note:  Some 
even risked their personal safety by crossing a dangerous mountain 
pass that is the only route from the Ferghana Valley to Tashkent. 
The pass had been closed the day before the event due to avalanche 
concerns.)  In addition to Ferghana, attendees came from the 
Bukhara, Jizzakh, Samarkand, Kashkadaryo, Surdaryo, and Navoi, and 
Tashkent districts. 
 
 
 
¶4.       (SBU) The activists, some of whom have expressed concerns 
in the past that our engagement on human rights has taken a back 
seat to Afghanistan-related issues, universally expressed their 
appreciation for the event.  It is rare for so many activists to be 
able to gather in one place, as law enforcement normally stands in 
the way of such meetings.  In this case, however, not one person 
was stopped or questioned in advance of the event, and several 
people commented on how good it was to be able to speak freely to 
colleagues and the diplomatic community.  The presence of a handful 
of government officials seemed to put no damper on their enthusiasm 
in this regard. 
 
 
 
¶5.       (SBU) Several activists spoke about increased harassment 
and unwanted attention from law enforcement in the months prior to 
the December 27 parliamentary elections.  Many of these said that 
this trend, in fact, continues, even though the elections have 
passed.  Despite the increased pressure, it appears that these 
defenders are actively pursuing their human rights agendas. 
 
 
 
¶6.       (U) Most activists and journalists voiced their support 
for continued engagement with the GOU.  As one activist put it, 
"sanctions and isolation like you do to North Korea and Cuba are 
not the answer here.  They do nothing to help and only make things 
worse for us." 
 
 
 
Journalists and a Photographer Under Scrutiny 
 
TASHKENT 00000029  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶7.       (SBU) Some of the journalists who were recently called in 
to the prosecutor's office for questioning (see ref A) attended the 
event, as did photographer Umida Ahmedova, who is being charged 
with defamation and damaging Uzbekistan's image for pictures she 
took in connection with two documentaries: "Customs of Men and 
Women" and "The Burden of Virginity."  Activists and fellow 
journalists, many of whom have had similar charges levied against 
them, expressed moral support and gave suggestions to their 
beleaguered colleagues. 
 
 
 
¶8.       (SBU) Many attendees were trying to ascertain the reason 
journalists had been called in for questioning.  In general, media 
representatives are very concerned that this is the beginning of 
intensified pressure against independent journalists and that 
criminal charges will follow.  Others doubted that Ahmedova would 
be jailed, but at least one journalist said they will be more 
careful about the topics the choose to write about in the future. 
 
 
 
Official Attendance 
 
 
 
¶9.       (SBU) Of note from the official community, Sayora 
Rashidova, the Human Rights Ombudsman, attended, as did two MFA 
officials, the Deputy Director of the Religious Affairs Committee, 
the Deputy Prosecutor General, and the Deputy Director of Jahon, 
the MFA's official news vehicle. 
 
 
 
¶10.   (SBU)  One MFA official remarked to the DCM, "so who are 
these guys, anyway?" and was surprised to be introduced to 
Ahmedova.  Rashidova, however, did speak with some human rights 
activists, and observers said they had a cordial discussion. 
Getting activists and officials in the same room only happens once 
or twice a year, so any interaction between them is generally a 
positive thing. 
 
 
 
Comment 
 
 
 
¶11.   (SBU) Perhaps because it is so rare that all of these people 
are gathered in one place, diplomats and journalists alike could 
not help but try to get a sense of the big picture at the event. 
Where are we now?  Are things getting worse?  Are they better? 
There is no consensus on the answers.  As has happened in the past, 
authorities seem to target one issue for a while and then move on 
to something else.  The issue on the forefront right now is 
certainly the calling in of the journalists.  All are concerned 
about media freedom and about what will happen if the few remaining 
independent journalists cease their activities.  Generally, 
however, it seems the tough human rights landscape remains 
unchanged.  Some activists faced increased harassment in 2009, but 
this may be because they were more vocal about their issues.  The 
fact remains that, despite the harshly controlling environment in 
Uzbekistan, a significant number of activists and journalists in 
Uzbekistan continue to carry out their work and attend functions 
such as this one. 
 
 
 
NORLAND 
NORLAND