Domestic Forced Labor Not Enough

On February 6, the Russian-language website Uzmetronom.com ran an article on a new project to attract foreign tourists to Uzbekistan. Uzbektourism, which identifies itself as “an authorized state body for the tourism industry” that “report[s] to the Cabinet of Ministers on its activities,” was planning to give tourists the once in a lifetime opportunity to visit rural Uzbekistan in the fall to pick cotton! No star accommodation to be provided in 100-person barracks; with drinking water from the irrigation system – loaded with pesticides. Yummy!

The publicity may have caused Uzbektourism to reconsider – at least for now. When you click on the article’s links to the firm’s website you are now told that the “page can’t be found.”