The Expert Working Group, a collection of young human rights activists in the country, participated in the 98th session of the UN Human Rights Committee in New York, and has just posted this account of the review session on 11-12 March.  Akmal Saidov, the government’s representative and head of the “National Human Rights Institute” (at one time created and richly funded by the UNDP, btw) had this to say (my translation from the Russian):

Assertions that forced child labor is used to harvest cotton have no basis in fact… Not long ago, Uzbekistan halted sales of cotton to the US and to other European countries.  We used to sell cotton through the Liverpool cotton exchange, but at the present time we sell cotton through the Tashkent cotton exchange.  Of course this does not suit those trading companies that used to buy Uzbek cotton.  Accusations on the use of forced child labor are part of their massive misinformation campaign.  This is an instrument of unfair economic and trade competition.  Moreover, cotton is grown by farmers, and the government doesn’t meddle in their activity.

There are so many different lies and distortions here, one hardly knows where to begin.  What is notable though is that Saidov didn’t try the usual tactic: it’s family-driven, on family farms, and besides we have laws, committees, etc.   Rather–just total denial.  Even though the HRC (not to mention the Committee on the Rights of the Child) has been questioning them on the issue for 5 years now.  It’s a stance likely to frustrate those international organizations that are trying to make progress working the inside track with Uzbekistan.  It certainly doesn’t help to justify their “quiet diplomacy” approach.

With that kind of a black mark in their past, any expelled student has little chance of ever completing higher education at home, which leaves the most likely option for survival in a country with mass un- and underemployment that of migrating for seasonal manual labor to Russia.  But in the downturn, thousands of those migrants have been forced to return home…or forced into criminal activity.

According to Abdusalom Ergashev, a human rights defender from Ferghana city, today on Nov. 16 hearings on a criminal case against Ganikhon Mamatkhanov, a human rights activist, shall begin in Akhunbabaev district court on criminal cases (Ferghana district). On October 10^th 2009 Ganikhon Mamatkhonov, a human rights defender from Ferghana region, was arrested by Ferghana city public procurator’s office under the charges of money extortion. Mr.Mamatkhonov alleges that a local farmer who has been cooperating with the local law enforcement officers planted 500.000 Uzbek sums (approximately $ 350 USD) to Mr. Mamatkhonov’s pocket when the latter was talking to him. Mr. Mamatkhonov then immediately arrested by the officers of the public procurator’s office who were waiting nearby. Mr. Mamatkhonov and his colleagues think that the authorities want to prosecute the outspoken human rights activist who used to openly speak about human rights violations.

And yet, here is another law on the same subject, according to the reporting of Uzmetronom.com.  The legislature on November 3 adopted the law “On amendments to the Administrative Code,” which also concern the implementation of the Action [inaction] plan on the implementation of the ILO Convention on the Prohibition and Immediate Measures to Eradicate the Worst Forms of Child Labor, and the Convention on the Minimum Age of Employment.

And what, you might ask, has been the result of all this lawmaking?  Hoja Nasreddin, are you listening?  ”No matter how many times you say the word ‘halva’…”