Posted on 05/15/2005 2:27:10 PM PDT by Lukasz
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has called for democratic change in Uzbekistan as unrest continued in Andijan city. Mr Straw said there had been a "clear abuse of human rights" in the country after soldiers opened fire in the city square on Friday.
It was reported that Uzbek security forces had sealed off the city centre but it is still unknown how many people died.
Mr Straw told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend programme: "The situation is very serious, there has been a clear abuse of human rights, a lack of democracy and a lack of openness." He said the British ambassador was meeting with officials today to re-iterate Britain's call for "transparency about what is happening in the country, to allow the Red Cross and other foreign observers in so they can see what is happening, and on the wider canvas, to repeat the points we've been making for a long time about the need for a step-change to take place in respect of human rights and for moves to be made towards democracy."
Uzbek President Islam Karimov has blamed the unrest in Andijan on criminals and Islamic radicals linked to the banned Hizb ut-Tahrir movement.
However, critics argue he is using the threat of extremism as a cover to crush opposition. Critics of the United States also say the US government has turned a "blind eye" to the situation.
The US has an air base there and Uzbekistan is considered an ally in the war on terror.
Mr Straw said: "I haven't seen in detail the United States position but the United States government has taken a very clear view about the importance of democracy and democracy as a universal value, and democracy is nothing if not universal.
"We've seen the United States supporting movements towards democracy elsewhere, in what was the former Soviet Union, and I'm quite clear that they would support in principle such moves here."
From what I been reading the gov is fighting terrorists and criminals. Maybe Straw ought to stop running his mouth until he knows what he is talking about.
I think it's likely that his sources are more highly informed than yours, to be fair.
Apologies if you do actually have resources in place in Uzbekistan reporting to you personally...
Well, only local dictator said that, he is not creditable source at all. I would rather trust in Straw’s words, British intelligence is quite good.
You might be right, we'll see.
They'll get a colored revolution: Green. Just like in Pakistan where the Islamic fanatics hold all the power.
Yea like that great info about WMD's in Iraq!
only local dictator said that, he is not creditable source at all.
Last time we pulled out support for a dictator ally of ours because we thought his citizens protesting in the street were being abused unjustly was in Iran. Remember the Shah?
Yea pulling the rug on him in hopes of a Green Revolution turned out great right?
Uzbekistan is filled with Islamists and the current dictator is best we got. The Islamists are hiding behind women and children while storming a prison to free their fellow savages. They all deserved to be shot that is the only language they will understand!
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