What has the United States done to promote human rights and religious freedoms in Central Asia?
The U.S. Government maintains an intense dialogue with the governments of each of the countries in the region on human rights and democratization and continues to be a frequent, and sometimes public, critic of each of the five Central Asian states’ records in this area. We report objectively and in great detail in the annual Human Rights Report, the Trafficking in Persons Report, and the International Religious Freedom Report. Recognizing that significant political change will take time, we have designed our assistance programs to promote the development of democratic freedoms. In the last fiscal year we spent about $50 million in Central Asia specifically on democracy programs. This includes everything from NGO support and Internet access for the region’s citizens to promoting rule of law, judicial reform, grass-roots political development, and the ability of local governments to be responsive to citizens’ needs.
