Yevgeny Zhovtis is among Central Asia’s most prominent human rights advocates. On November 9, 1999, a fire destroyed the human rights bureau’s offices in Almaty. [For background see "A Fire With Human Rights Implications."] Investigators have confirmed that the blaze was an act of arson. However, no suspects have thus far been detained in connection with the fire. During a visit to New York in mid February, Mr. Zhovtis spoke with the Central Eurasia Project about civil society development in Central Asia

CEP: How would you describe current conditions concerning human rights observance in Kazakhstan?

Zhovtis: It is clear that the situation is deteriorating. …This has been the case during the aftermath of the presidential and parliamentary elections of last year. The government failed to keep its promises to conduct free and fair elections. … During the campaign for parliamentary elections, opposition parties were denied real access to mass media, and there were instances of interference by authorities in the work of the election commissions on all levels. … Also in January, there was a court decision that gave police the authority to be present at any meeting of any public association, even if the meeting occurs in the organization’s own office. This is something that takes place only in dictatorial regimes that have no opposition. … This is something new for a democratic state.

CEP: Is the burning of the Offices of the Kazakhstan Bureau for Human Rights and the Rule of Law, and the more recent attack on a newspaper office, connected to a political crackdown? [For background see CEP Daily Digest for February 3, 2000 – "Newspaper Office Vandalized."]

Zhovtis: I cannot say for sure. Up to now there is no clear results of the investigation, according to my office. … The investigation is still going on. The only results that we have at this point is that the fire was an act of arson. But who committed this act is not known, and, it seems, that it will never be known.

CEP: What is prompting government policies?

Zhovtis: The ruling elite in the post-Communist era does not want to follow democratic principles and standards. The leaders are turning back to the well-known style of management in dealing with society. That means no dialogue with society. Just control, control and more control. … It is a trend that began in 1995, and it is continuing. It concerns not only the electoral process and freedom of association. It also concerns mass media. We have no really independent electronic mass media. … It seems to me that the socio-economic crisis is still going on, the political crisis is also ongoing, and this makes authorities very afraid. The leadership worries that the trends may provoke a crisis, and they are trying to control the situation as much as possible. In mid-1999, the president [Nursultan Nazarbayev] appointed his son-in-law to be the head of the Almaty committee of national security. This shows the ruling elite, or clan, wants to control the capital, including developments inside opposition circles.

CEP: Is this trend restricted only to Kazakhstan, or is there a broader regional trend?

Zhovtis: It is a trend that is prevalent not only in Central Asia, but throughout the former Soviet Union. Look at the situation in Russia. It is obvious that the secret services have come to power. It is military-minded people, who are trying to make people afraid. … The authorities are very strong. They have the military, the secret services and law enforcement bodies under their control. And if they want to, they will use these tools to silence society. They do this in Russia. They do this a little in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. They do this in a much broader sense in Uzbekistan and to the full extent in Turkmenistan. But everywhere there are similarities. …

CEP: What are the implications for the future in Central Asia?

Zhovtis: You can’t consider the situation without taking into account the geopolitical context. Kazakhstan, in particular, is in a very difficult geopolitical situation when you consider it is between China and Russia, and keeping in mind the tendency of Islamic fundamentalism coming from Afghanistan. It seems to me that the Central Asia as a region is approaching a period of instability. Nobody knows what kind of conflicts can arise out of this instability. … I am very concerned about what may happen this spring and summer regarding the "boiyeviks" (fighters) from Afghanistan and Tajikistan, moving through Kyrgyzstan to Uzbekistan. We had some indications last year. … The governments will use this threat as an excuse for more repressive measures. They will make excuses to the West that they (Central Asian governments) are forced to fight religious extremism using harsh measures. This will not give authorities much of a chance to overcome the crisis. But they have already chosen their course, and it is absolutely obvious what is going on. The trends are clear.

CEP: Is there any way for governments in Central Asia, given current economic conditions, to respect individual rights and, at the same time, maintain stability?

Zhovtis: It is difficult to say. … Now, it seems to me, we are sliding backwards, returning to 1991 (to the Soviet era). … The only real actor that could play a role to reverse the trend is the West – the OSCE, European institutions, the United States. The West could help influence Central Asian governments to change legislation and practices so that they would at least, to some extent, conform to international standards. There is no real potential within society to fight that (government repression) because society is tired. A large portion of society, unfortunately, is waiting for a "strong hand" – somebody who will provide a clear explanation of what is going on, somebody who can restore order. … Governments do not seem to be interested in dialogue. Thus the gap between society and governments is growing wider, and I am afraid that without strong pressure from the West, it (liberalization) cannot happen. … Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are sliding towards Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to some extent.

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Posted February 22, 2000 ©Eurasianet
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	The Central Eurasia Project aims, through its website, meetings, papers, and grants, to foster a more informed debate about the social, politcal and economic developments of the Caucasus and Central Asia. It is a program of the Open Society Institute-New York. The Open Society Institute-New York is a private operating and grantmaking foundation that promotes the development of open societies around the world by supporting educational, social, and legal reform, and by encouraging alternative approaches to complex and controversial issues. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the position of the Open Society Institute and are the sole responsibility of the author or authors.