Girls just want to have fun, Cyndi Lauper once sang. But in totalitarian Turkmenistan, having fun can spell trouble, especially if evidence lands on the Internet.
In the days since a video clip featuring a posse of schoolgirls in national dress rocking out to California-based Far East Movement’s party song “Turn Up the Love” turned up on YouTube, authorities have launched a nationwide crackdown on mobile phones in schools, a dissident-run website claims. The video currently has over 38,000 views.
Western music is officially frowned upon in Turkmenistan, where cultural protectionism – at the cost of near total isolation from the world – is a trademark of the repressive regime.
Perhaps to challenge Turkmen society’s deeply ingrained perceptions of gender roles – or perhaps because there were no better props at hand – the sextet swung about with items associated with domestic chores. The lead singer appeared to be yelling into a mop. Two faux guitarists jammed on brooms while, provocatively, another used a mini Turkmen flag to bow a newspaper as if it were a violin.
According to the Chronicles of Turkmenistan – a news outlet run by exiles that is generally hard to fact-check – the government response has been swift:
Prosecutors in Lebap province (formerly Chardzhou region) have been touring schools in the region for the last week, checking cell phones for students that contain photos and videos.
There were cases when prosecutors found that boys’ mobile phones contained photos with erotic content. In these cases, the school director received an official reprimand and parents were warned.
The same process is at work in other regions of the country. We were told that in the village of Gyorogly in Dashoguz province, representatives of the local prosecutor's office visited schools №1, №6 and №18. Several students’ mobile phones were seized.
Some readers were concerned for the students’ safety: “I appeal to the parents of these girls, I beg you, do not let them get hurt,” wrote one commenter. “Do not stay silent if [officials] begin to investigate them!”
Chris Rickleton is a journalist based in Almaty.
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