Between the news agencies and the blog posts from Tajikistan's residents, one can get a picture of Tajikistan that makes one wonder what people in Tajikistan are actually allowed to do:
1. Mosque leaders will be tested for religious capability by the state.
2. Unregistered mosques are being demolished.
3. A draft law that would regulate minority religious groups must petition in order to obtain legal recognition.
4. Madina over at NewEurasia.net writes about the new sumptuary laws that were passed earlier this year; and then goes on to detail the “recommended prices” for goods on the shelves, at the suggestion of President Rakhmonov. Dear Mr. Rakhmonov, the U.S. had wage-price freezes in the early 1970's, and they weren't worth a hoot. As Madina explains in her example, an artificial price will completely depress the supply of an item:
. . . according to Asia-Plus in the end of July, the city administration decided to establish the "recommended prices" to the essential goods, in the markets, including meat. As a result the "favorable" prices were set but the meat itself has disappeared from the counters: the merchants simply refused to sell their goods at the "recommended prices". In their turn authorities responded by dismissing heads of the five main markets of Dushanbe. Similar situations took place in the past and still do when the Heads of Governmental Institutions are also dismissed for not having "fulfilled" their duties.
Madina goes on to explain the laws that constrain the media, with the new media draft law which holds journalists vulnerable for what they write.
And then she notes that 'the rule of rule’ will adversely affect human rights and media rights within the state. This will in turn, she writes, have an adverse affect on perceptions of Tajikistan and, the amount of direct investment brought to the state.
She's right.
Photos: Eikongrafia.com; DBHS, Canada; and Sister Mary SmackDown from Jupiter Images
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
