I 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5382 
To promote the development of democratic institutions and full respect for 
human rights in the countries of Central Asia. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 11, 2006 
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. MCCOTTER, Mr. 
LANTOS, Mr. PITTS, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, and Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS 
of Virginia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on International Relations, and in addition to the Committee on 
the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To promote the development of democratic institutions and 
full respect for human rights in the countries of Central 
Asia. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Central Asia Democ-
racy and Human Rights Promotion Act of 2006’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
00:24 May 14, 2006
Jkt 049196
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5382.IH
H5382
ccoleman on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
(1) Fifteen years after independence, the five 
countries of Central Asia—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, 
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan—are 
struggling, to varying degrees, with their transition 
from authoritarian rule to democratic societies that 
fully respect human rights and uphold their freely 
undertaken commitments as participating States in 
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in 
Europe (OSCE). 
(2) As OSCE participating States, the countries 
of Central Asia committed themselves in the Charter 
of Paris for a New Europe to ‘‘build, consolidate 
and strengthen democracy as the only system of gov-
ernment of our nations’’. 
(3) In the Global War on Terrorism, the United 
States is increasingly engaged with the countries of 
Central Asia on a political, economic, and military 
basis. 
(4) In the Global War on Terrorism, policies 
that bolster authoritarian governments which sup-
press and terrorize their own people will ultimately 
be self defeating, as repression often breeds extre-
mism and terrorism. 
(5) The Final Report of the National Commis-
sion on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
00:24 May 14, 2006
Jkt 049196
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5382.IH
H5382
ccoleman on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
(commonly referred to as the ‘‘9/11 Commission’’) 
recommended: ‘‘[T]he United States must stand for 
a better future. One of the lessons of the long Cold 
War was that short-term gains in cooperating with 
the most repressive and brutal governments were too 
often outweighed by long-term setbacks for Amer-
ica’s stature and interests.’’. 
(6) The September 2004 Final Report of the 
Defense Science Board Task Force on Strategic 
Communication stated: ‘‘The perception of intimate 
U.S. support of tyrannies in the Muslim World is 
perhaps the critical vulnerability in American strat-
egy. It strongly undercuts our message, while 
strongly promoting that of the enemy.’’. 
(7) In a speech to the United Nations General 
Assembly on September 21, 2004, President George 
W. Bush stated: ‘‘People everywhere are capable of 
freedom, and worthy of freedom . . . For too long, 
many nations, including my own, tolerated, even ex-
cused, oppression in the Middle East in the name of 
stability. Oppression became common, but stability 
never arrived. We must take a different approach.’’. 
(8) In his second inaugural address on January 
20, 2005, President George W. Bush stated: ‘‘For 
as long as whole regions of the world simmer in re-
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
00:24 May 14, 2006
Jkt 049196
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5382.IH
H5382
ccoleman on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
sentment and tyranny—prone to ideologies that feed 
hatred and excuse murder—violence will gather, and 
multiply in destructive power, and cross the most de-
fended borders, and raise a mortal threat.’’. In this 
address, President Bush further declared: ‘‘It is the 
policy of the United States to seek and support the 
growth of democratic movements and institutions in 
every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of 
ending tyranny in our world.’’. 
(9) The October 2005 National Intelligence 
Strategy of the United States of America, issued by 
the Director of National Intelligence, stated: ‘‘We 
have learned at our peril that the lack of freedom in 
one state endangers the peace and freedom of oth-
ers. . . . Self-sustaining democratic states are essen-
tial to world peace and development.’’. 
(10) The March 2006 National Security Strat-
egy of the United States of America states: ‘‘The 
United States must defend liberty and justice be-
cause these principles are right and true for all peo-
ple everywhere.’’. 
(11) The National Security Strategy of the 
United States of America further elaborates: ‘‘These 
nonnegotiable demands of human dignity are pro-
tected most securely in democracies. The United 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
00:24 May 14, 2006
Jkt 049196
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5382.IH
H5382
ccoleman on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
States Government will work to advance human dig-
nity in word and deed, speaking out for freedom and 
against violations of human rights and allocating ap-
propriate resources to advance these ideals.’’. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) the United States should support those gov-
ernments and individuals making substantial and 
sustained progress to establish democracy, guarantee 
the rule of law, and protect human rights; 
(2) the United States should use every peaceful 
means at its disposal to encourage the countries of 
Central Asia to provide greater respect for democ-
racy, the rule of law, and human rights, thereby pro-
moting the long-term stability and security of the 
Central Asian region, and ensure that all assistance 
programs for the Central Asian region support and 
communicate this goal; and 
(3) the United States should seek and support 
the growth of democratic movements and institu-
tions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate 
goal of ending tyranny in our world. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
00:24 May 14, 2006
Jkt 049196
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5382.IH
H5382
ccoleman on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
SEC. 4. ASSISTANCE TO PROMOTE DEMOCRACY, RULE OF 
LAW, AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE COUN-
TRIES OF CENTRAL ASIA. 
(a) PURPOSES OF ASSISTANCE.—The purposes of as-
sistance under this section include— 
(1) to encourage free and fair presidential, par-
liamentary, and local elections in the countries of 
Central Asia, conducted in a manner consistent with 
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Eu-
rope (OSCE) and internationally accepted stand-
ards; 
(2) to ensure in the countries of Central Asia 
the full respect for all human rights, including free-
dom of expression and the media, freedom of reli-
gion and association, prevention of torture, and the 
end of human trafficking from, to, and through the 
Central Asian region, conducted in a manner con-
sistent with OSCE and internationally accepted 
standards; and 
(3) to develop rule of law, in particular inde-
pendent judicial systems and professional law en-
forcement, and to combat corruption, conducted in a 
manner consistent with OSCE and internationally 
accepted standards. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION FOR ASSISTANCE.— 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
00:24 May 14, 2006
Jkt 049196
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5382.IH
H5382
ccoleman on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
(1) IN GENERAL.—To carry out the purposes of 
subsection (a), the President is authorized to provide 
assistance for the countries of Central Asia to sup-
port the activities described in subsection (c). 
(2) LIMITATION.—The authority to provide as-
sistance for the countries of Central Asia under 
paragraph (1) shall be subject to all applicable limi-
tations on assistance for such countries and other 
requirements relating to assistance for such coun-
tries under any Act making appropriations for for-
eign operations, export financing, and related pro-
grams. 
(c) ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED.—Activities that may be 
supported by assistance under subsection (b) include— 
(1) observing elections and promoting free and 
fair electoral processes; 
(2) encouraging the development of sustainable 
civic structures representative of society, such as en-
vironmental groups, independent labor unions, demo-
cratic political parties, and other community-based 
organizations; 
(3) maintaining libraries in the languages of 
Central Asia to explain democracy in the United 
States; 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
00:24 May 14, 2006
Jkt 049196
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5382.IH
H5382
ccoleman on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
(4) developing independent media to work in 
the countries of Central Asia, supported by 
nonstate-controlled printing facilities; 
(5) independent radio and television broad-
casting to and within the countries of Central Asia; 
(6) encouraging the liberalization of laws affect-
ing religious practice and their enforcement to pro-
mote greater freedoms for individuals to meet alone 
or in community with others, to move freely, and in 
the sharing of beliefs; 
(7) educating law enforcement officials with re-
spect to the existence and enforcement of legal pro-
hibitions concerning torture; 
(8) prosecuting human traffickers, as well as 
providing increased police training and education ef-
forts, including on forced labor; 
(9) training and assistance for judicial reform 
and development; 
(10) training in democratic governance and 
human rights for nationals and exiles of the coun-
tries of Central Asia who are unable to live in their 
own country due to fear of persecution; 
(11) training in effective human rights and hu-
manitarian law as a part of non-lethal training pro-
grams for units of the security forces of the coun-
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
00:24 May 14, 2006
Jkt 049196
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5382.IH
H5382
ccoleman on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
tries of Central Asia (other than any unit of the se-
curity forces of such countries with respect to which 
the Secretary of State has credible evidence that 
such unit has committed gross violations of human 
rights); 
(12) establishing programs to combat corrup-
tion and support good governance; and 
(13) other activities consistent with the pur-
poses of this section. 
(d) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually 
thereafter, the President shall transmit to the appro-
priate congressional committees a report on assist-
ance provided for the countries of Central Asia 
under this section for the one-year period ending 30 
days prior to the transmission of the report. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The report shall include with 
respect to each country of Central Asia a detailed 
description of each of the following: 
(A) The types and amount of assistance 
provided under this section, including the types 
and amount of defense articles and defense 
services and the amount of financial assistance. 
In addition, the name of each department or 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
00:24 May 14, 2006
Jkt 049196
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5382.IH
H5382
ccoleman on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
agency of the Government of the United States 
that provides assistance under this section and 
the name of each recipient of such assistance. 
(B) The use of such assistance, including 
the use of defense articles, defense services, and 
financial assistance, by units of the armed 
forces, border guards, or other security forces 
of the country. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the President to carry out this sec-
tion $118,200,000 for each of the fiscal years 2007 
and 2008. 
(2) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts appropriated pur-
suant to the authorization of appropriations under 
paragraph (1) are authorized to remain available 
until expended. 
SEC. 5. RADIO BROADCASTING TO THE COUNTRIES OF CEN-
TRAL ASIA. 
(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to au-
thorize increased support for surrogate radio broadcasting 
to the countries of Central Asia that will facilitate the 
unhindered dissemination of information in the Central 
Asian region regarding the activities supported by this 
Act. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
00:24 May 14, 2006
Jkt 049196
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5382.IH
H5382
ccoleman on PROD1PC71 with BILLS