Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ASHGABAT1379
2007-12-19 11:56:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: DAS BARKS-RUGGLES VISIT HIGHLIGHTED IN
how-toVZCZCXRO5596 RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHAH #1379 3531156 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 191156Z DEC 07 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9916 INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0949 RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 3134 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0823 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1397 RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2022 RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 001379
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD, DRL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID ECON KPAO TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: DAS BARKS-RUGGLES VISIT HIGHLIGHTED IN
WESTERN/LOCAL PRESS
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 001379
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD, DRL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID ECON KPAO TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: DAS BARKS-RUGGLES VISIT HIGHLIGHTED IN
WESTERN/LOCAL PRESS
1. (U) SUMMARY. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human
Rights and Labor Erica Barks-Ruggles visited Turkmenistan December
6-9, 2007. State media highlighted her meetings at Turkmenistan's
ministries and government agencies. "Reuters" gave accurate
coverage of the visit, focusing on a post-conducted press conference
with the Deputy Assistant Secretary. END SUMMARY.
STATE MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS BARKS-RUGGLES VISIT
2. (U) On December 7, pro-government website TURKMENISTAN.RU
(Russian, English) reported the arrival in Turkmenistan of a
delegation led by Deputy Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human
Rights, and Labor Erica Barks-Ruggles and outlined the schedule of
official meetings. On December 8, state "Watan" TV news program
(Turkmen) gave positive coverage on the delegation's meetings at
Turkmenistan's National Parliament, Institute for Democracy and
Human Rights, Council on Religious Affairs, Ministry of Justice and
Central Electoral Commission, emphasizing that the delegation was
briefed about the current status of reform in Turkmenistan. Video
excerpts showed Barks-Ruggles talking to government officials. On
December 10, state dailies "Neutral Turkmenistan" (Russian, circ.
39,061) and "Turkmenistan" (Turkmen, circ. 29,091) carried articles
similar in content to "Watan" State TV news.
ACCURATE REPORTING ON BARKS-RUGGLES MESSAGE
3. (SBU) Reuters' December 10 article on the Barks-Ruggles visit
accurately carried quotes from her December 8 press-conference with
foreign media stringers, emphasizing that the United States urged
Turkmenistan to take more active steps to improve human rights
protection. The article underlined Barks-Ruggles message on the
need for more open judicial proceedings and urged Turkmenistan's
government to review prison sentences held in closed courts under
Niyazov. It also noted her message on the need to ease media
control, improve activist organizations registration, the importance
of access to information and State Department concern over foreign
travel restrictions for citizens of Turkmenistan.
4. (U) COMMENT: Despite the overlapping, high-level visits of the
Turkish and Tajik presidents, state media covered the lower-level
Barks-Ruggles visit which focused on a less comfortable subject
matter: human rights. State media have continued a path of
increasing comfort with human rights issues in addition to the
positive portrayal of U.S.-Turkmenistan relations. While frank
discussion of human rights or even criticism of the government is
still taboo, the Barks-Ruggles visit demonstrated the continuing and
gradual expansion of state media's coverage. END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD, DRL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID ECON KPAO TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: DAS BARKS-RUGGLES VISIT HIGHLIGHTED IN
WESTERN/LOCAL PRESS
1. (U) SUMMARY. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human
Rights and Labor Erica Barks-Ruggles visited Turkmenistan December
6-9, 2007. State media highlighted her meetings at Turkmenistan's
ministries and government agencies. "Reuters" gave accurate
coverage of the visit, focusing on a post-conducted press conference
with the Deputy Assistant Secretary. END SUMMARY.
STATE MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS BARKS-RUGGLES VISIT
2. (U) On December 7, pro-government website TURKMENISTAN.RU
(Russian, English) reported the arrival in Turkmenistan of a
delegation led by Deputy Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human
Rights, and Labor Erica Barks-Ruggles and outlined the schedule of
official meetings. On December 8, state "Watan" TV news program
(Turkmen) gave positive coverage on the delegation's meetings at
Turkmenistan's National Parliament, Institute for Democracy and
Human Rights, Council on Religious Affairs, Ministry of Justice and
Central Electoral Commission, emphasizing that the delegation was
briefed about the current status of reform in Turkmenistan. Video
excerpts showed Barks-Ruggles talking to government officials. On
December 10, state dailies "Neutral Turkmenistan" (Russian, circ.
39,061) and "Turkmenistan" (Turkmen, circ. 29,091) carried articles
similar in content to "Watan" State TV news.
ACCURATE REPORTING ON BARKS-RUGGLES MESSAGE
3. (SBU) Reuters' December 10 article on the Barks-Ruggles visit
accurately carried quotes from her December 8 press-conference with
foreign media stringers, emphasizing that the United States urged
Turkmenistan to take more active steps to improve human rights
protection. The article underlined Barks-Ruggles message on the
need for more open judicial proceedings and urged Turkmenistan's
government to review prison sentences held in closed courts under
Niyazov. It also noted her message on the need to ease media
control, improve activist organizations registration, the importance
of access to information and State Department concern over foreign
travel restrictions for citizens of Turkmenistan.
4. (U) COMMENT: Despite the overlapping, high-level visits of the
Turkish and Tajik presidents, state media covered the lower-level
Barks-Ruggles visit which focused on a less comfortable subject
matter: human rights. State media have continued a path of
increasing comfort with human rights issues in addition to the
positive portrayal of U.S.-Turkmenistan relations. While frank
discussion of human rights or even criticism of the government is
still taboo, the Barks-Ruggles visit demonstrated the continuing and
gradual expansion of state media's coverage. END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND