Arena has a review of 30 websites that Uzbekistan’s government isn’t too keen on.
The government solves the appeared problem in a usual way – if it cannot control the Internet in general, it can control it locally, blocking access to unwanted websites. At that, the blockade includes not only Uzbek opposition websites, but resources that are solely informational as well. The country’s largest Internet providers (ISPs), which operate under the National Security Service (NSS) control, have been ordered to block access to such resources.
The criteria of evaluation of unwanted publications are approximately as follows. All materials containing open criticism of the President Islam Karimov and his surrounding are certainly blocked. The same is with information on corruption, mafia, repressions, torture and harassment practiced by the Uzbek security services.
Besides, ISPs block access to materials about the pace of the cotton harvesting campaign (forced child labor) and other issues. The population should not receive any alternative information about this.
It’s an interesting list. A bunch of sites I’ve never seen before are on the list.
This post was written by...
Nathan Hamm – author of 2973 posts on Registan.net.
Nathan is the Founding Editor and Publisher of Registan.net, which he launched in 2003. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Uzbekistan 2000-2001 and received his MA in Central Asian Studies from the University of Washington in 2007. Since 2007, he has worked full-time as an analyst, consulting with private and government clients on Central Asian affairs, specializing in how socio-cultural and political factors shape risks and opportunities and how organizations can adjust their strategic and operational plans to account for these variables. Nathan is currently seeking research, analysis, and consulting opportunities. He can be contacted via Twitter or email.
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Nathan, The linked article is seriously flawed! Muslim Uzbekistan is an extremist website (even the name is extremist, since Uzbekistan in reality is a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-religious country includiing athiests and secularists.) Yet here is what the misleading link claims, misrepresenting the site:
There is of course no “genocide” in Uzbekistan, whatever the religious problems, such a claim is just a big lie.
Shame on the authors of this article. I’m glad they didn’t mention Registan.net…
I think Arena forgot to add to the list Uzbekistan Online Forum, the forum of uzbeks in foreign countries and Jahongir Muhammad‘s website, a former member of Uzbek parliament who is currently resided in the USA. He has a bunch of stories about current regime based on true life and experience. He exiled from Uzbekistan in early 90′s after the independence for his speech against Karimov.