News

Tajikistan admits to pneumonia crisis, but not coronavirus

Asia-Plus newspaper on April 27 cited the Health Ministry to report that 319 people had been diagnosed with pneumonia at one hospital alone, Dushanbe’s City Medical Center No. 1. Out of that overall number, 136 are health workers. Officials said at least 11 people had died, but they provided no timeframe.

Central Asian Labor Migrants Amid Lockdown in Russia

As the world is now discussing the possible impact of the novel Coronavirus crisis on economies, societies, and lifestyles of people in a post-pandemic world, many Central Asian labor migrants in Russia are trying to figure out if they can make it through the lockdown.

Uzbekistan Calls For End Of Cotton Boycott Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Uzbekistan has called on a global human rights coalition, the Cotton Campaign, to lift an international boycott of Uzbek cotton and textiles, citing progress in eliminating forced labor and the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

Kyrgyz Doctor Begs For Forgiveness After Criticizing Poor Equipment

A doctor in Kyrgyzstan was apparently forced to make a video retracting his earlier criticism of the protective equipment he was given. His about-face has sparked a wave of outrage.

Brands Need Assurances on Forced Labor and Civil Society in Uzbekistan

The Cotton Campaign is taking the initiative to develop a framework to encourage responsible sourcing, while providing brands with assurances that forced labor is addressed and civil society is empowered.

Turkmenistan: Who Cares about People? Turkmen.news Film on Istanbul Tragedy

The tragic deaths of more than 50 of our compatriots in Istanbul have exposed the bankruptcy of Turkmenistan’s official slogan “The state is for the people!” The state, or to be more exact its authorities, could not give a damn about the people. In March more than fifty citizens of our country – migrant workers in Turkey – were poisoned by bootlegged alcohol. Turkish media reported that the Turkmen workers were trying to protect themselves from coronavirus…

FAILURE TO REGISTER – PLEASE SUBMIT AGAIN: UZBEK HUMAN RIGHTS NGO REJECTED ONCE MORE

The latest refusal by the Uzbek authorities to register Chiroq, an independent human rights organization, was not only disappointing but anticipated. Human rights activist and founder of Chiroq, Azimbay Ataniyazov, received confirmation from the Ministry of Justice in Karakalpakstan on 31 March that his organization had failed to comply with several laws pertaining to NGOs and provided a list of amendments to be made for the next submission – the third in three months. The first application was rejected in January 2020.

Turkmen Banks Stop Paying Out Dollars

From April 1, employees of foreign companies in Turkmenistan who are paid in US dollars can withdraw their cash only in manats converted at the state exchange rate. The Central Bank of Turkmenistan has told the country’s financial institutions to stop issuing dollars in cash to employees whose salaries are paid into their accounts in hard currency. Salaries will continue to be transferred into these employees’ accounts in dollars, but they will no longer be able to withdraw those dollars.

COTTON CLUSTERS AND THE DESPAIR OF UZBEK FARMERS: LAND CONFISCATIONS, BLANK CONTRACTS AND FAILED PAYMENTS

Regulation of NGOs in Uzbekistan: Control or Partnership?

«Unnecessary regulation of the non-governmental non-profit sector, the maintenance of bureaucratic hurdles and the prevalence of the control functions over building an equal social partnership – all together impede the development of civil society in Uzbekistan», experts Dilmurad Yusupov and Oybek Isakov note in their article for CABAR.asia.