WASHINGTON, DC – The Central Asia Democracy and Human Rights Act of 2006 (HR 3189), a bill authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), moved one step closer to passage after being overwhelmingly approved by his Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations. 

The Central Asia Democracy and Human Rights Act of 2006 would provide constructive foreign assistance to support democratization, human rights and radio broadcasting, as well as condition US aid to the central governments.   

“Nearly 15 years since the end of Soviet misrule, the countries of Central Asia are still struggling to overcome the legacy of the past,” said Rep. Smith, Co-Chairman of the Helsinki Commission.  “The peoples of Central Asia deserve to live in freedom and dignity and my bill is designed to encourage governments of that important region to initiate or accelerate reforms to ensure that.”

Smith noted that trends concerning democratic governance and human rights are moving in the wrong direction in Central Asia and that the US policy must be founded upon continuous engagement rather than abandonment.

Smith’s bill would condition all non-humanitarian US assistance – both economic and military – to the individual governments of Central Asia upon the President’s determination that a country is making “substantial, sustained and demonstrable progress” toward full respect of human rights.

That determination would be based on five categories: democratization; free speech; freedom of religion; prevention of torture; and rule of law.  Assistance withheld by the US could be redirected to programming both inside and outside of a country which supports civil society and democratic activity.

“Considering the geo-strategic importance of Central Asia, the United States must use all of our means to encourage greater respect for human rights and democratic development in these countries,” said Smith.  “We can no longer afford to remain silent while dictators oppress their citizens and terrorize their own people with impunity.”