Soros Foundation Closes in Uzbekistan

[Harold F. Schiffman]

April 19, 2004
Soros' Foundation Closes in Uzbekistan
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 10:19 a.m. ET

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan (AP) -- The Uzbek government labeled the activities
of George Soros' foundation ``undesirable'' Monday after the billionaire
philanthropist said its office was being forced to close and blasted human
rights abuses in this Central Asian nation.

``If Soros was not accredited, that means the foundation's activity in
Uzbekistan is undesirable,'' said Foreign Ministry spokesman Ilkhom
Zakirov, adding that Soros was a ``private person'' so whether or not he
liked Uzbekistan was his own business.

On Sunday, American financier Soros said the Uzbek branch of his Open
Society Institute -- which aims to build free and open societies around
the world, and has spent more than $22 million here since 1996 -- was
being forced to shut down after the government refused to renew its
registration.

In a rejection letter from the Justice Ministry last week, the government
claimed OSI was trying to discredit its policies and that materials it
supplied to universities ``distort the essence and the content of
socio-economic, public and political reforms.'' Soros said the foundation
planned to appeal and called on the United States to reconsider ties with
Uzbekistan, its closest regional ally and home to hundreds of U.S. troops
stationed at a military base near the Afghan border

The Uzbek government has long been criticized over allegations of torture,
lack of civil liberties and crackdowns on Muslims who worship outside
state-run mosques.

``Uzbekistan is stifling civil society and has a horrendous human rights
record,'' Soros said in a statement, claiming that OSI staff in the
country had suffered threats and intimidation. He said the only other
country where OSI had been forced to close was the authoritarian former
Soviet republic of Belarus.

Earlier this month, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
issued a rare public rebuke of Uzbekistan and said it would limit
investment due to the country's lack of progress on democratic and
economic reforms, a move that Soros applauded.

The government imposed new registration requirements on civil groups late
last year following the ouster of President Eduard Shevardnadze in the
former Soviet republic of Georgia. Shevardnadze, a close friend of Uzbek
President Islam Karimov, accused Soros of funding the peaceful uprising
that forced him to resign.

Western officials in Tashkent said the Uzbek government feared
international organizations were training potential opposition forces to
stage a Georgia-style revolution here. OSI appeared to be the only
foundation whose registration was not renewed.

Under the new rules, foreign organizations must register with the Justice
Ministry instead of the Foreign Ministry, submit detailed financial
records and notify Uzbek officials of planned seminars.

Allison Gill, Human Rights Watch researcher in Uzbekistan, said Monday the
decision against OSI proves the new requirement ``allows the government to
weed out organizations they don't like for political reasons.''

Fears of instability have grown in Uzbekistan following recent bombings
and other attacks that killed at least 47 people.

The government has sought to portray itself as a victim of global terror,
blaming the attacks on Islamic militants. But opposition and human rights
groups say the attacks were more likely spawned by domestic discontent.

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/UZBEKISTAN_SOROS_FOUNDATION?SITE=APWEB&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT