Caucasus/Central Asia: U.S. Sees Human Rights Backsliding In Former Soviet Union

By Jeffrey Donovan

Two senior U.S. diplomats, Elizabeth Jones and Lorne Craner, criticized democracy and human rights setbacks in Russia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia yesterday in testimony before the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe.


Washington, 10 September 2003 (RFE/RL) -- Despite some small signs of hope, Washington sees more setbacks than advances in democracy and human rights in many countries of the former Soviet Union.

That, at least, was a key messages conveyed yesterday by two U.S. assistant secretaries of state in testimony before the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe -- an independent, bipartisan federal agency that promotes human rights.

Elizabeth Jones and Lorne Craner took part in the hearing on U.S. policy toward nations of concern in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a regional security group that includes all of Europe, the former Soviet Union, America, and Canada.

The hearing addressed human rights concerns in such problem areas as Chechnya, Belarus, and Central Asia ahead of a key OSCE human rights meeting next month in Poland.

The U.S. diplomats said they see recent signs of progress on democracy and human rights in some places, such as the Balkans, while much of the rest of Eastern Europe gets ready to join NATO and the European Union next year.

But they were quick to note that nations with significant problems on human rights and democracy usually took more steps backward than forward during the past year.

"When we look at countries in the region that have made extraordinary progress in the last 10 or 15 years, the lack of progress by other countries is all the more disheartening. It is most disheartening for the people of those countries who see other nations which have emerged from the Soviet empire now joining NATO and the EU and enjoying the fruits of democracy," Craner said.

Craner went on to talk about Central Asia.

(snip)

Elsewhere, Craner said, Armenia failed to make democratic progress when its elections earlier this year were marred by manipulation. He urged other countries not to make the same mistake as they look to upcoming elections that could greatly affect their democratic development. They include Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, and Russia.

Craner added: "As to the October presidential election in Chechnya, holding a democratic election in such an environment will be extremely difficult. Nonetheless, it is possible that a legitimate election could potentially contribute to the end of that conflict."

But Congressman Christopher Smith, co-chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, had some other tough questions on Chechnya ahead of U.S. President George W. Bush's summit later this month at his Camp David retreat with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"By admission of the official Moscow-backed authorities in Chechnya, there are 49 mass graves containing about 3,000 bodies in Chechnya. I wonder if you can tell us: will President Bush raise these atrocities with Moscow?" Smith asked.

Craner's colleague Jones replied that Chechnya will be on Bush's summit agenda, but could not say whether he would bring up this issue.

(snip)

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