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21 mai 2005

Communiqué du Conseil de Coordination des Organisations Turques d’Amérique (ATAA)

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH AND SECRETARY CONDOLEEZZA RICE

The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500

The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

May 20, 2005

Dear Mr. President and Madam Secretary :

I would like to take this opportunity to express my concern for the deteriorating situation in Uzbekistan. With the death toll rising every passing day, innocent victims being killed, and the persistent denial of the Uzbek government regarding actual number of deaths, it is time for the United States to take a principled stance encouraging President Karimov to end violence against his citizens.

Undoubtedly, there are some extreme Islamist groups in Uzbekistan and the surrounding region that are willing to resort to violence in order to rise to power. On the other hand, there are other non-violent Islamic groups. For the most part, Uzbeks are disturbed by the thought of a potential takeover of the militant Islamic groups and have backed the president in the past in his crackdowns on those groups. In order to maintain the support of his citizens, President Karimov must differentiate between violent and non-violent groups and ensure that Islamic extremism is not being used as an excuse to suppress all dissident activities.

Mr. President, Madam Secretary, I strongly urge you to join United Nations, Britain, and the European Union in calling for an international inquiry into the violence against hundreds of protesters in Uzbekistan. As a country that has been a fervent promoter of democracy and human rights, the United States should no doubt be at the forefront of such an investigation.

Sincerely,

Vural Cengiz
President, ATAA