American ambassador has praised Uzbekistan for human rights

By Shavkat Turon, writing in OzodOvoz

On December, 10, 2004 the plenipotentiary ambassador of the USA in Uzbekistan John Purnell, talking with journalists of foreign mass media, has told, that Uzbekistan has made considerable progress in sphere of human rights. The correspondent of Ozod Ovoz Shavkat Turon informs from Tashkent.

The praise of the American diplomatic corps head has sounded in hotel Le Meridien in Tashkent on the celebratory action organized by representations of Freedom House and USAID in honor of the World day of human rights. In interview to the correspondents of radio BBC, “Ozodlik”, Deutche Welle and other foreign news agencies John Purnell has told: In comparison with former years Uzbekistan has made considerable progress in sphere of observance of human rights .

The main American diplomat in Uzbekistan has proved the words up to conversation with foreign journalists, during special speech to participants of the celebratory action organized in honor of the World day of human rights.

John Purnell began the story from apart, having told, that by education he is a historian. Therefore I want to address to history , – the ambassador has told and informed, that in the beginning of 80th years he worked as the 2-secretary of the USA embassy in the former USSR, in Moscow. Then the simple Soviet people marked this holiday that came to Pushkin’s monument in Moscow and simply removed the caps. And the Soviet militia arrested them only that they removed the headdresses. Thank God, that now it is not present: nobody pursues people for removal of headdresses , – John Purnell has told.

And after this speech the American ambassador has given interview to foreign mass media and has noted considerable progress in sphere of observance of human rights in Uzbekistan .

The American flattery aside the official Tashkent has been perceived by participants of celebratory action easy. One of the Uzbek human rights activist, invited on the celebratory action, has told, that all world has got used to hypocrisy of the USA concerning the dictatorial regime in Uzbekistan. Americans are not Scots, and John Purnell is not Craig Murray , – has told the Uzbek human rights activist.

Shavkat Turon is pseudonym of the correspondent of Ozod Ovoz in Tashkent