Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to human rights in Central Asia.

Bill: 108-hconres-32
Sponsor: Rep. Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [R-FL-18]
Introduced: 2003-02-11 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Appellate procedure
Armed Forces and National Security
Balance of power
Bribery
Central Asia
Church and state
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Crime and Law Enforcement
Criminal investigation
Democracy
Detention of persons
Diplomacy
Dissenters
Due process of law
Economics and Public Finance
Extradition
Federal advisory bodies
Freedom of speech
Freedom of the press
Government Operations and Politics
Government and the press
Human rights
Immigration
Islam
Kazakhstan
Law
Military agreements
Military assistance
Military relations
Nonprofit organizations
Nonviolence
Opposition (Political science)
Political parties
Political persecution
Political prisoners
Press
Public corruption
Religion
Religion and politics
Religious liberty
Repatriation
Russia
Social Welfare
Tajikistan
Torture
Turkmenistan
United Nations
Uzbekistan

Summary:
action_date: 2003-02-11
text: Calls for the Governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to accelerate democratic reforms and fulfill their human rights obligations. Declares that increased levels of U.S. assistance to the Central Asian governments made possible by their cooperation in the war in Afghanistan can be sustained only if there is substantial and continuing progress towards meeting these goals.
Calls for the President of the United States, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Defense to: (1) continue to raise specific cases of political and religious persecution with the Central Asian governments and urge greater respect for human rights and democratic freedoms; (2) consider progress in meeting such goals when determining diplomatic engagement and foreign assistance; (3) ensure that provisions of the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act are fully implemented to ensure that no U.S. assistance benefits security forces in Central Asia implicated in human rights violations; (4) follow the recommendations of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom by designating Turkmenistan a Country of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and make clear that Uzbekistan risks designation if conditions there do not improve; (5) urge the Government of Turkmenistan to respect the right of imprisoned opposition leader Boris Shikmuradov to due process and a fair trial and to release democratic activists and their family members from prison; (6) urge the Government of the Russian Federation not to extradite political opposition members of Turkmenistan to Turkmenistan; (7) work with the Government of Kazakhstan to create a political climate free of intimidation and harassment and to reduce official corruption; (8) work with the Government of Uzbekistan to address concerns about torture there and to implement recommendations made in the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture; (9) work with the Government of Kyrgyzstan to introduce changes in the recently adopted constitution that would address concerns about protections for human rights and balance of powers; and (10) support through U.S. assistance programs those individuals, non-governmental organizations, and media outlets in Central Asia working to build more open societies, support the victims of human rights abuses, and expose official corruption.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-02-11
text: Referred to the House Committee on International Relations.
action_date: 2003-02-11
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2003-02-11
text: Introduced in House