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Turkmenistan has experienced a steady decline in educational standards over the past decade, as the curriculum at all levels has come under the growing influence of President Saparmurat Niyazov’s cult of personality. However, as the new school year begins September 1, Niyazov appears to be mulling a change that even his fiercest critics could approve of.
Olivia Allison
Authorities in Uzbekistan are mobilizing mass media to help counter the Islamic radical threat. The Uzbek Defense Ministry is spearheading the government effort to control media content in the aftermath of the late July suicide bombings in Tashkent.
The United States has announced that it will withhold millions of dollars in security and economic assistance to Uzbekistan, citing "disappointment" over Tashkent’s human rights practices. Human rights advocates have praised the US decision, expressing hope that it increases the pressure on Tashkent to implement long-promised reforms to improve civil-society conditions in the country.
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