The government of Uzbekistan, a key ally in Washington's "war on terrorism," is stepping up harassment of prominent dissidents, according to Human Rights Watch and Central Asia specialists, and by persecutng Muslims, fueling a potentially violent reaction by the country's militant Islamist movement.
In the latest move, the government of President Islam Karimov, who has ruled Uzbekistan with an iron hand since even before the collapse of the former Soviet Union, blocked a major opposition party from holding its congress in the capital, Tashkent.
"Uzbek officials use the rhetoric of rule of law and democracy," said Rachel Denber, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Europe and Central Asia division. "Yet they refuse to allow an opposition political party to hold a simple meeting."
karimov justifies his crackdown any opposition as part of his fight against the islamic movement of uzbekistan. the IMU, was thought to be in disarray (if not disbanned) after its leader juma namangani was killed fighting for the taliban in afghanistan. but recently, there seems to be signs that the IMU is still around, although with its new name: the islamic movement of turkestan (turkestan is a historic name for the area that includes the five central asian former soviet republics, plus the uighur areas of western china). personally, i think karimov's strategy only makes things worse. as the article says:
"Rather than smother militancy," correspondent Peter Baker wrote, "Karimov's campaign threatens to radicalize some of those Muslims who previously eschewed violence, according to an array of Islamic activists, scholars, human rights workers and foreign diplomats."
UPDATE: another article here and here (via body and soul)
