http://www.neweurasia.net/politics-and-society/are-reforms-back-on-the-shelf/ Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:53:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.neweurasia.net/politics-and-society/are-reforms-back-on-the-shelf/comment-page-1/#comment-32540 neweurasia.net » CyberChaikhana’s Turkmenistan chapter: “The Length of a Man’s Shadow” Thu, 16 Sep 2010 03:01:03 +0000 http://www.neweurasia.net/?p=6316#comment-32540 [...] —Annasoltan [...] [...] —Annasoltan [...]

]]> http://www.neweurasia.net/politics-and-society/are-reforms-back-on-the-shelf/comment-page-1/#comment-14034 Ekspeditsya Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:24:48 +0000 http://www.neweurasia.net/?p=6316#comment-14034 The Chinese parallel seems quite correct here. Many generously disposed Western observers are keen to point out that Turkmenistan has reached out for assistance in reforming the legal system, for example. In particular, the OSCE and some Western diplomatic missions have pointed to these developments as a sign of progress, despite the fact that the law is used in Turkmenistan as a fig-leaf and not as a institute to protect people's rights. Shamefully, the diplomats visiting the grotesquely wasteful Awaza tourist complex, built on forcibly confiscated land, may well have been the same to boast of Turkmenistan's modest advances in reforming property rights and such. This has become typical Berdymukhamedov modus operandi, which gives Western nations enough room for useful hypocrisy. Education is a perfect example. Some improvements have been in this area, including increasing the number of years of mandatory education, the resumption of funding for the country's science academy, recognition of foreign degrees. Yet, while the government gives with one hand, it takes with the other, as the whole American University students' troubles attests. What has to come as a source of concern about Turkmenistan is not that is has stopped in its progress towards progress, but that it has backslid into the kind of unaccountable, top-down, autocratic politics of the Niyazov years, despite the early promise of the Berdymukhamedov regime. Once again, as with Niyazov, the personality of the president, and the subservience shown to him by the totality of the government service, is key to unravelling the conundrum of this country. Anyhow, just wanted to congratulate you on such an effective post. The Chinese parallel seems quite correct here. Many generously disposed Western observers are keen to point out that Turkmenistan has reached out for assistance in reforming the legal system, for example. In particular, the OSCE and some Western diplomatic missions have pointed to these developments as a sign of progress, despite the fact that the law is used in Turkmenistan as a fig-leaf and not as a institute to protect people’s rights.
Shamefully, the diplomats visiting the grotesquely wasteful Awaza tourist complex, built on forcibly confiscated land, may well have been the same to boast of Turkmenistan’s modest advances in reforming property rights and such.
This has become typical Berdymukhamedov modus operandi, which gives Western nations enough room for useful hypocrisy.
Education is a perfect example. Some improvements have been in this area, including increasing the number of years of mandatory education, the resumption of funding for the country’s science academy, recognition of foreign degrees. Yet, while the government gives with one hand, it takes with the other, as the whole American University students’ troubles attests.
What has to come as a source of concern about Turkmenistan is not that is has stopped in its progress towards progress, but that it has backslid into the kind of unaccountable, top-down, autocratic politics of the Niyazov years, despite the early promise of the Berdymukhamedov regime.
Once again, as with Niyazov, the personality of the president, and the subservience shown to him by the totality of the government service, is key to unravelling the conundrum of this country.
Anyhow, just wanted to congratulate you on such an effective post.

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