US Democracy

Promotion Policy in
Central Asian
Republics: Myth or
Reality
Précis Presentation By: Sanaullah Khan
19 October 2010
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 Enayatollah Yazdani is Assistant Professor of
International Relations, Department of Political
Science, University of Isfahan, Iran
 Renowned scholoar and prolific writer,
participates in international seminars
 US Democracy Promotion Policy in Central Asian
Republics: Myth or Reality was published in
Journal of the School of International Studies,
Jawahar Lal University in 2007

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 Article aims to examine US democracy
promotion policy in Central Asia
 Discusses how such policy has gone through
different stages of US engagement with the
region
 Argues that US policies did not have positive
impact on democratic reforms in CAR and
instead have helped the leaders to monoplize
the power

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 US Democracy Promotion Policy in Central
Asian Republics: Myth or Reality
Abstract
 ‘Democracy Promotion Policy’ has enjoyed
prominence in US relations with Central Asia since
1991
 Initiative like Freedom Support Act in 1992
 US aid to regimes in power despite poor record of
human rights paricularly in Uzbekistan and
Turkmenistan to further her own intersts in the
region
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 Abstract Contd….
 US believed that market reforms in the national
economy would trigger democratic reforms in
political life
 US money and policies didnot improve the
situation in CARs, for example, Kazakhstan and
Uzbekistan, but they helped the leaders to
establish monopoly on power

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 Abstract Contd….
 After 9/11 terrorist attacks, compulsions of US
only increased in terms of its need for bases
which has necessitated turning a relatively blind
eye to the dismal human rights records of the
regimes in Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan
 Notwithstanding the desire of US to integrate
the CARs into the Western orbit, it has failed to
promote political changes and economic
reforms in these countries
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 Rhetoric of democracy and freedom is apparent
in discourse on US interests around the world
 Belief seems to be that open and democratic
societies serve as instruments for furtherance of
US national interests
 ‘Democracy Promotion Strategy’ is based on
belief that political character of other states has
enormous impact on US ability to enhance its
security and economic interests
 Value of democracy has run through US foreign
policy
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 US financed and supported non-democratic
states
 After colapse of USSR in 1991, President Bill
Clinton formulated new policy ‘enlargement
of free-market democracies’ to replace
communism of Soviet Union
 Promotion of human rights and democracy top
priority of US

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Democracy in Central Asia: The First Stage
of US Involvement in the Region

 In 1991 US Secretary of State James Baker

outlined 5 principles of peaceful and orderly
dissolution of Soviet Union:

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1. Peaceful self-determination consistent with
democratic values and principles
2. Respect for existing borders with any changes
occuring peacefully and consensually
3. Respect for democracy and rule of law
especially elections and referenda
4. Human rights; particularly minority rights
5. Respect for international laws and obligations

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 Commitments to these principles was pre-
condtion for opening embasies in the republics
 Rhetorically US encouraged pluralism, freedom
and democracy in these stategically important
states
 US continued to support CARs
 Freedom for Russia and Emerging Eurasian
Democracies and Open Markets (FREEDOM)
Support Act passed on 24 Oct 1992

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 The Act laid foundation for multifaceted
assistance to CARs initially focussing on
democracy, free market economy, education
and social programmes
 In addition, Central Asian-American Enterprise
Fund was incorporated in 1994; its function was
to provide budget for programmes and practices
conducive to promoting development in private
sector
 Was the aid restrictive or not? Or were the
conditions of democratic reforms real or not?
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 During his visit to Central Asia in 1993, Strobe
Talbott suggested that US aid might be tied to
their human rights performance record
 US signed bilateral agreement with Kyrgyzstan
being ‘Island of Democracy’
 Aid to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan continued
despite bad record on human rights
 Leadership in most CARs remained self-centered
and more authoritarian than Gorbachev Regime

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 Some US politicians / scholars acknowledged that
CARs are far from democracy
 Despite huge sum of US aid (2.2 Billion to
Caucasian and CARs for period from 1992 to 1997),
no worthwhile market reforms and democratic
values flourished
 Kazak journalist Duanov wrote in 2001 that US aid
had counter-productive effect i.e. concentration of
wealth and authority in same personalities
(appointing donkey to guard grain)

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 Democratization Score
(Electoral Process, Political Rights, Civil
Liberties, Independent Media and Governance)
Country 1993 1994 1995 1996

Kazakhstan 5.5 NF 6.4 NF 6.5 NF 6.5 NF

Kyrgystan 4.2 PF 5.3 PF 4.3 PF 4.3 PF

Tajikistan 6.6 NF 7.7 NF 7.7 NF 7.7 NF

Turkmenistan 7.6 NF 7.7 NF 7.7 NF 7.7 NF

Uzbekistan 6.6 NF 7.7 NF 7.7 NF 7.7 NF

Ranking Scale: 1 to 8 1 represents highest and 8 represents

lowest degree of achievement
Status: F (Free), PF (Partly Free), NF (Not Free) 16
 Democratization Score
(Electoral Process, Political Rights, Civil
Liberties, Independent Media and Governance)
Country 1997 1998 1999 2000

Kazakhstan 6.5 NF 6.5 NF 6.5 NF 6.5 NF

Kyrgystan 4.4 PF 4.4 PF 5.5 PF 5.5 PF

Tajikistan 6.6 NF 6.6 NF 6.6 NF 6.6 NF

Turkmenistan 7.7 NF 7.7 NF 7.7 NF 7.7 NF

Uzbekistan 7.6 NF 7.6 NF 7.6 NF 7.6 NF

Ranking Scale: 1 to 8 1 represents highest and 8 represents

lowest degree of achievement
Status: F (Free), PF (Partly Free), NF (Not Free) 17
 Economic Liberalization in CARs
Country 1997 1998 1999-2000 2001

Kazakhstan 4.38 4.50 4.50 4.50

Kyrgystan 3.75 3.75 3.83 4

Tajikistan 6.13 6.13 6 5.50

Turkmenistan 6.38 6.42 6.42 6.50

Uzbekistan 6.25 6.25 6.25 6.17

Ranking Scale: 1 to 7 1 represents highest and 7

represents lowest of achievement

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 During testimony in House of Representatives in
2000, Congressman Christopher H Smith said “It
seems bizarre, but it will not be out of realm of
possibility that some of these leaders who
already head what are, for all intent and
purpose, royal families are planning to establish
what can only be described as family dynasties”
 Power never left the hand of communist elites
and US double standards towards these leaders
never motivated them to change to change their
behaviour
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 US has lacked commitment to promotion of
democracy and human rights in the region
 Why US support such leaders?
 Duvanov wrote in 2001, that US aid is sincere only
when it coincides with the intesets of democracy
(like Yugoslavia). In all other cases it is like a
show up, a façade just to justify US presences
 N Choamsky said “it is beyond doubt that US has
no problem with dictators and tyrants if the serve
US interests, and will attack and destroy
committed democrats if they depart from their
service function
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 US Attempts for ‘Democracy Promotion’ in
Central Asia During the Second Period
 In the second period, US considered, Democracy
Promotion and economic reforms significant
 US Secretary of State Warren Christopher said in 1996
that stable democracies in former Soviet Union will
improve US security
 In 1999, ‘US National Strategy for New Century’ outlined
“the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and
democratic / economic reforms of Newly Independent
states are important to American interests”

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 US State Department's country reports on Human Rights
Practices 1999 outlined that Presidential powers in
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan overshadow legislative and
judicial powers, and that Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan had lost grounds in democratization and
respect for human rights

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 Democratization Score
(Electoral Process, Political Rights, Civil
Liberties, Independent Media and Governance)
Country 1993 2001 2002 2003

Kazakhstan 5.5 NF 6.5 NF 6.5 NF 6.5 NF

Kyrgystan 4.2 PF 6.5 NF 6.5 NF 6.5 NF

Tajikistan 6.6 NF 6.6 NF 6.6 NF 6.5 NF

Turkmenistan 7.6 NF 7.7 NF 7.7 NF 7.7 NF

Uzbekistan 6.6 NF 7.6 NF 7.6 NF 7.6 NF

Ranking Scale: 1 to 8 1 represents highest and 8 represents

lowest degree of achievement
Status: F (Free), PF (Partly Free), NF (Not Free) 23
 Kyrgyz President was admired by westerns as ‘man of
democracy’ however political parties under his rule were
banned, opposition leaders forced into exile, media
critical of his repressive rule
 Turkmenistan regime described as

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September 11 and ‘Democracy Promotion’
in Central Asia:
Supporting the Authoritarian Regimes

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 During testimony in House of Representatives in
2000, Congressman Christopher H Smith said “It
seems bizarre, but it will not be out of realm of
possibility that some of these leaders who
already head what are, for all intent and
purpose, royal families are planning to establish
what can only be described as family dynasties”
 Power never left the hand of communist elites
and US double standards towards these leaders
never motivated them to change their behaviour

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 US has lacked commitment to promotion of
democracy and human rights in the region
 Why US supports such leaders?
 Duvanov wrote in 2001, that US aid is sincere only
when it coincides with the intesets of democracy
(like Yugoslavia). In all other cases it is like a
show up, a façade just to justify US presences
 Noam Choamsky said “it is beyond doubt that US
has no problem with dictators and tyrants if they
serve US interests, and will attack and destroy
committed democrats if they depart from their
service function
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September 11 and ‘Democracy Promotion’
in Central Asia:
Supporting the Authoritarian Regimes

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 Conclusion
 US apparently has been determined to use
promotion of democracy and economic power to
integrate CARs into western orbit, it has failed
to promote political changes and economic
reforms in these countries
 US failed to pursue region’s leaders to
democracy, pluralism, respecting political
opinion, and reform economic system
 Instead of any improvement, regions’ leadership
has monopolized power
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 Created through the act are the U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation, the
Armenia School Connectivity Program and other organizations founded to foster growth in the
former Soviet Union.
 Section 102 of the FREEDOM Support Act creates the position of a Coordinator within the
Department of State.
 In 1992, funding from the FREEDOM Support Act and USAID helped create (ABCs) under the
United States Commercial Service, designed to operate in the developing markets of Russia and the
Newly Independent States to stimulate economic growth and create jobs in the United States
 Post-Cold War "new world order"
 The phrase "new world order", as used to herald in the post-Cold War era, had no developed or substantive
definition. There appear to have been three distinct periods in which it was progressively redefined, first
by the Soviets, and later by the United States before the Malta Conference, and again after Bush's speech
of September 11, 1990. Throughout the period of the phrase’s use, the public seemed to expect much more
from the phrase than any politicians did, and predictions about the new order quickly outraced the rather
lukewarm descriptions made in official speeches.
 At first, the new world order dealt almost exclusively with nuclear disarmament and security
arrangements. Gorbachev would then expand the phrase to include UN strengthening, and great power
cooperation on a range of North-South, economic, and security problems. Implications for NATO, the
Warsaw Pact, and European integration were subsequently included.
 The Malta Conference collected these various expectations, and they were fleshed out in more detail by the
press. German reunification, human rights, and the polarity of the international system were then included.
 The Gulf War crisis refocused the term on superpower cooperation and regional crises. Economics, North-
South problems, the integration of the Soviets into the international system, and the changes in economic
and military polarity received greater attention.
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