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Uzbekistan says to act against foreign NGOs

07 Feb 2007 14:55:07 GMT
Source: Reuters

TASHKENT, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Uzbekistan said on Wednesday it would take "measures" against the handful of foreign charities and media outlets still operating in the Central Asian state because they were in breach of the law.

Uzbekistan became increasingly hostile to Western-funded organisations after Washington and Europe criticised the way it quelled a riot in the town of Andizhan in May 2005, described by witnesses as a massacre by government troops.

Uzbekistan's Justice Ministry said around 10 foreign organisations, including New York-based Human Rights Watch, had not yet submitted detailed reports on their activities and funding as required by the law.

"Despite the fact that the heads of these representative offices were duly warned in written form, respective reports have not been submitted to date," the ministry said on the official Web site www.press-uz.info.

"Relevant measures, envisaged by legislation in force, will be taken regarding all these facts in the near future."

The ministry did not specify what measures would be taken.

"We are still making every effort to comply with the law," said Alison Gill who headed the Human Rights Watch office in Tashkent in 2004-2005 and now works in Moscow.

"I certainly hope that if there was a delay in the report it doesn't mean that we will be banned because it would seem a completely disproportionate response ... and in violation of Uzbekistan's commitment to protect civil society."

Britain's BBC World Service closed its Uzbek office in 2005 citing harassment of its staff by officials. Radio Free Europe, the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and a number of U.S.-funded charities have also closed their offices in Uzbekistan.

"We all know that Uzbekistan has for a long time targeted civil society and it has long wanted international organisations and local organisations, frankly, to either be completely compliant with the government or shut down," Gill said.

Ex-Soviet Uzbekistan also expelled a U.S. airbase and instead forged a close political and economic partnership with Russia.

President Islam Karimov's government says 187 people -- mainly "terrorists" and security forces -- died in Andizhan during an attempted coup by Islamist extremists.

But witnesses estimate that hundreds were killed, including many women and children. (Additional reporting by Olesya Dmitracova in Moscow)

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Last updated:Wed Feb 7 14:55:52 2007