[Turkmenistan] ...golden poverty

From Monsters and Critics

By Ayesha Akram

UNITED NATIONS, United States (UPI) -- A U.N. report says by remaining isolated, Turkmenistan could end up being the loser.

'Turkmenistan risks being left behind in terms of economic growth and human development,' said Wednesday a U.N. Development Program report on Central Asia titled 'Bringing Down Barriers.'

Since separating from the Soviet Empire in 1991, Turkmenistan has become famous for the idiosyncrasies of its President Saparmurat Niyazov, the latest of which was to launch his book on a booster rocket from Kazakhstan`s Baikonur launch site.

On Aug. 11, Niyazov revealed the latest of his architectural plans -- a palace made of ice situated in one of the hottest desert countries on earth.

'Let us build a palace of ice,' said President Niyazov, 'big and grand enough for 1,000 people.'

While some objectives of the country`s leader may be laughable, the nation`s future appears tragic.

Between 1990 and 1996 Turkmenistan`s gross domestic product fell 50 percent, said the UNDP report.

Turkmenistan lags behind other Central Asian countries in economic reform, said the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

The Wall Street Journal/Heritage Index of Economic Freedom rates Turkmenistan among the 10 worst countries in the world in terms of economic freedom

'The financial sector in Turkmenistan is underdeveloped. The system is small and mainly state controlled,' said the U.N. report.

State control may be the biggest problem facing this country of 5 million.

Niyazov, known as Turkmenbashi, or father of the Turkmen, has ruled the desert state since Soviet times. Proclaimed president for life, Niyazov makes Turkmenistan dance to his tune.

In August, he forbade the playing of recorded music at all public events. Earlier, he banned opera and ballet, calling them 'unnecessary,' according to the BBC. In 2001, he ordered youths not to get gold tooth caps and issued a crackdown on young men wearing beards or long hair.

His authoritarian rule is harming the country, critics say.

'The grimmest situation prevails in Turkmenistan, whose leadership has systematically weakened its traditional education system, conducted a deliberate policy of self isolation and refused recognition of diplomats from other Commonwealth of Independent States,' said the U.N. report.

Though the country, sandwiched between Afghanistan and Iran, sits on a treasure trove of oil, it has been unable to enjoy the benefits of this enviable commodity.

'The gas and oil pipeline monopoly that Russia exercises over Turkmenistan limits the country`s ability to reap the full benefits of world market oil and gas prices that direct access to broader world markets would allow,' said the U.N. report.

But Niyazov`s influence has tarnished more than just Turkmenistan`s economy.

'The state controls the curriculum and academic freedom in schools in Turkmenistan,' said the report.

Secondary school enrolments in Turkmenistan have roughly halved between 1989 and 2001, while admissions have increased in other Central Asian states.

The government regulates the media in Turkmenistan and so people only hear what Niyazov`s wants them to. The controls even extend to the blogosphere.

'In Turkmenistan Internet services have to comply with government controls,' said the report.

In 2003, Turkmenistan stepped up its isolationist policies by forbidding any resident from leaving the country without government permission.

Though the country is one of the leading gas producers, with a world market share of around 2 percent, the average monthly income is little more than $50. Analysts say this disparity is due to government mismanagement.

Behind the imposing statues and grandiose palaces of Niyazov lies a nation struggling to survive.

Life expectancy in Turkmenistan hovers around 62 years, lower than most countries in Europe and Central Asia.

A couple of years ago, the president closed all hospitals in the capital, eliminated the practice of free health care and laid off more than 10,000 health care workers in one day. The BBC reported a sudden increase in TB and HIV.

'The country is claiming there are currently no cases, but unofficial sources report there are perhaps thousands of infected people,' said Bernd Rechel from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Rampant poverty has forced many children to work. A UNICEF report referred to child labor as a 'scar on the world`s conscience' and said they were worried about the extent of the problem in Central Asia.

The International Labor Organization said child labor is a concern in all five Central Asian states -- Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. In Turkmenistan alone, U.S. State Department figures estimated more than 1 million children were part of the labor force in 2000.

His critics say one man`s actions apparently have turned what could be a prosperous country into a slum. With Turkmenistan continuing to isolate itself, it may soon become hard to hear the cries of its people.