The head of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) warned Russia and Uzbekistan on Monday against exploiting the US-led attacks on Afghanistan to clamp down on political opposition at home.
"No-one said that the anti-terrorist campaign could be used to put pressure on those opposing a current regime. ... Neither Americans nor the British nor Europeans," said OSCE Chairman Mircea Geoana, who is also Romania's foreign minister.
"All those who want to exploit this situation to attain ends other than a legitimate fight against terrorism are making a serious mistake," he warned.
He said Russia could miss "a great chance to become integrated into the West" by trying to gain international support for its war in Chechnya, which Moscow has dubbed "an anti-terrorist operation". Russia's interests would be better defended by political dialogue, he stressed.
The OSCE chairman also appealed to Uzbekistan, urging Tashkent: "Why not introduce punishments other than the death penalty, why not free opposition members from prisons?"
"You have now trump cards to play with. For the first time you have a chance to become part of an international coalition, a golden chance to change Central Asia's destiny, and you must not allow it to slip away," he said.
He told reporters his advice was valid for other countries in the region too.
Geoana also warned that supporting the US-led "campaign against terrorism" would not be enough to reap real rewards and urged Central Asian leaders to "gently and gradually open themselves to democracy".
"The rulers of these countries must be convinced that the only worthwhile policy against extremism and terrorism is a transition to a more open society," he said, stressing that the OSCE was first and foremost an advocate of human rights.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW), frequently condemn the harsh treatment meted out to Uzbek President Islam Karimov's political opponents and have urged the international community not to ignore the political repression in Uzbekistan.
Karimov's opponents, and sometimes their relatives, are subject to arrests, torture and disappearances.
The rights groups have also voiced concern about Uzbekistan allowing the United States to use its territory to launch attacks on Afghanistan. They say that move may be linked to Washington's decision to list the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, a major opposition force, as a target of its anti-terrorist campaign.
Geoana is due to meet Karimov on Monday and then travel to Baku for talks later in the day with Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Vilayat Guliyev.
He is then scheduled to travel to Moscow to meet Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and his French counterpart Hubert Vedrine -- Tashkent, (AFP)
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
