Monday, June 30, 2008

Guantanamo Uighurs

From an insightful editorial in the Wall Street Journal called Uighur Justice:

Like Tibetans, Uighurs have endured decades of discrimination and brutal oppression under Chinese rule. A religious and ethnic minority, they are routinely denied basic civil, religious and political rights. Uighurs are -- almost without exception -- the only ethnic group in China to be routinely executed for political offenses. Since 9/11, China has used the U.S.-led "war on terror" as an excuse to oppress Uighurs with impunity, persecuting many who have peacefully protested their treatment. China regularly dubs Uighur historians, poets and writers "intellectual terrorists" and sends them to jail. In 2005, a young intellectual, Nurmemet Yasin, was sentenced to a decade in prison for writing an allegory likening the Uighur predicament to that of a pigeon in a cage.

Until Communist China recognizes Uighurs' democratic freedoms, U.S. resettlement is a far better solution. Uighurs constitute perhaps the most pro-American and pro-Western Muslims in the world. In the early 20th century, the Uighurs' homeland of East Turkistan was the first secular and democratic republic in the Muslim world, outside of Turkey. The Uighurs want to re-establish this republic, complete with guarantees of religious freedom and peaceful enjoyment of their human rights. Many Uighurs fully agree when America professes the need to end tyranny in the world. They maintain that democracy and respect for human rights is the best defense against terrorism.

Tibet is the more popular cause among activists, but ethnic Uighurs in China have been persecuted just as badly, arguably worse, than their Tibetan neighbors. The U.S. has captured or been sold by bounty hunters quite a few Uighur prisoners in Afghanistan and now faces a dilemma concerning their future. So far, no Uighur has been ruled a threat to the United States. China wants them expedited, which the U.S. won't do, knowing that they face torture and execution, but they also are very reticent to repatriate them to the United States which would spark a serious row with the Chinese. The situation Uighurs in China face is starkly different to that of most Islamic militants and adds a difficult moral dilemma to America's 'War on Terror.' It will be interesting to see how this plays out, especially given the certainty of a new president in six months.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Sole Tajikistan Synagogue Razed

Reuters reports that Tajikistan's only synagogue has been razed to make room for a new palace for President Imomali Rakhmon, who has ruled since 1992. There are talks in the works to build a new synagogue, but it sounds like nothing concrete has been agreed upon. This community of 350 Jews in Dushanbe is part of the 2,000 year old Persian-speaking Bukharan Jewish community, which is centered in Bukhara, Uzbekistan.

I don't have much analysis to add to this except to add that it is no small tragedy. Not only was it the spiritual home of Dushanbe's mostly impoverished and elderly Jewish community, but the
the 19th century synagogue was a historical heritage site. According to Radio Free Europe UNESCO petitioned the Tajik government to make it a protected landmark, but their request was ignored. Jews in Central Asia have faced increased discrimination and persecution since the fall of the Soviet Union and many have made their way to Israel. Tajikistan's Jewish community has shrunk from 15,000 at the fall of the USSR, to its current number of 1,000.

While I was in Bukhara my brother and I had the unique opportunity to surreptitiously observe a group of Jews in Bukhara, Uzbekistan at study for moment through a crack in the wooden doors of the synagogue. Watching them study was a brief glance back in time and one of the most memorable moments of the trip.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

EU Sanctions Suspended

Nearly two months after the European Union ruled that sanctions against Uzbekistan would remain suspended for six months, there are signs that Western governments continue to seek rapprochement with Tashkent. The trend is happening even while human rights bodies caution that lifting sanctions altogether will leave the West with no leverage to seek improvements in the country’s dismal human rights record. (via Eurasianet.org)

I think this could be the right direction, as long as it's part of a longer-term strategy. The current warming of relations between Uzbekistan and the West seems to be more tactical than strategic, the focus being on the GWoT and the war in Afghanistan. Hopefully, the suspension of sanctions indicates that the US and the EU aim to make themselves more appealing allies and competitive with the no-strings-attached China and long-time ally Russia. With a diplomatic and economic foot in the door, the US and EU will have more leverage to encourage democratic and human rights reform. But this will only work as part of comprehensive Central Asia strategy, which is something that has been sorely lacking US foreign policy for the past nearly twenty years.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Welcome

Welcome to the Black Sand Dune blog. We hope to keep this updated frequently with book reviews, current events, travelogues and opinion pieces. This is a collective venture by two Brigham Young University students (one current, one alumnus). We are both passionate about Central Asia and have both lived, worked and traveled there in addition to studying about the region at BYU. We hope that we can shed some light on Central Asian issues and bring new perspectives to the community of Central Asia bloggers.