Talk:Human rights in Turkmenistan

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I'd like to save this and help inform the world of HR violations, but I don't know enough. Can someone write a stub so it's not just a link? Jwrosenzweig 20:41, 31 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Is this a candidate for speedy removal or Vfd. There is only links on this page. Wikipedia is not a link directory. Quinwound 20:46, Mar 31, 2004 (UTC)

Contents

[edit] Moved article

I moved the article so its title fits in with other human rights in X articles. Grunners 01:50, 30 Jan 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Freedom of FACIAL HAIR ???

I simply cannot believe this. -DarkBard 15:32, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

It is neither neutral nor sourced; but it may well be true. Septentrionalis 17:09, 8 August 2006 (UTC)

I changed the section to more broadly cover Turkmenbashi's bizaare and irrational behavior. I've never heard anybody say that the beard ban is due to Turkmenbashi's own hairlessness, but I'm leaving it in as it seems very likely given the man's crazy Napoleon-complex ego. Augustgrahl

[edit] Translation

I am extremly alarmed at the translations of individual entries. It seems they contain quite different information depending on the language. My primary concern is about the English- Turkish translation of the government of Turkmenistan. It is infact a dictatorship, yet translates to "republic". Is this saying something about how each country views the entry?

I haven't read this article in any of the other translations, but Turkmenistan is definitely a dictatorship, with a very poor human rights record. -- Augustgrahl 22:29, 16 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Public smoking ban

Is the public smoking ban really bizarre or eccentric? Grzes 14:12, 19 November 2006 (UTC)

Saparmurat Niyazov has a tendency to ban things based on seemingly arbitrary whims rather than real, logical reasons, so I don't think it would be incorrect to include his ban on smoking. It fits into his pattern of outlawing just about everything that he finds distasteful. -- Augustgrahl 15:23, 19 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Bans section

This needs work. The section implies that all these things were actually banned and disappeared from life in Turkmenistan. This wasn't usually the case. Nyýazow often talked at length about what came to his mind, and most of these things were "suggestions" that weren't codified or enforced, especially outside the capital or outside government employment. All the international news agencies assumed they were real bans because they didn't understand subtleties of Nyyazow's relationship with the country.

The public smoking and beards are sort of in effect, but not rigorously enforced. Car radios and video games are still around. There are little libraries outside the capital.

Problem is finding citations to back my assertions since media in Turkmenistan is only for the things that aren't true, and all the truths are things that people know but aren't printed.

While Nyyazow's 'moral' suggestions deserve mention because they had some effect, the impact they had on most Turkmen was very small. They're of secondary importance to the serious issues like rule of law, police/KNB, religious, et cetera in the article.

And if the subsections are supposed to be alphabetical, some of them are not. If it's by importance, then it's wrong too. I need to read the wikipedia procedures I guess. Saýlaw 16:16, 3 May 2007 (UTC)


[edit] Sexuality issues, curfew for foregners?

The article regarding Turkmenistan mentions "freedom of sexuality issues". There is no mention of this in the article.

Also, I was chatting the other day with a non-Turkmen gay guy working in Turkmenistan, and he reported:

"Foreigners are not allowed to drive, phone calls and internet access are strictly monitored, there's a curfew on all foreigners after 11pm and, needless to say, homosexuality is strictly prohibited."

Maybe somebody can comment/expand on his words [which are the only source I have]? Cheers. Rgiuntoli 08:25, 3 June 2007 (UTC)

Driving: They can be allowed to drive if they have diplomatic/organization (blue) or international corporation (yellow) Turkmen plates on the vehicle. Unsure of limitations for others, but tourists are sometimes allowed to drive their foreign plated vehicles through the country (for example to visit a tourist attraction).

Monitoring of phone and internet (and opening of mail) occurs to foreigners and local people, but impossible to say how often or strictly.

11:00 curfew is in place for all people including Turkmen. Restaurants, bars, and weddings close at 11:00 except when arrangements have been made. Police usually don't bother people in the street after 11:00 if they walk purposefully and don't look suspicious.

Homosexuality: outlawed, but and there seems to be a discreet small community . Also, male prostitutes continue to do business.

I think the one law in Turkmenistan that is strictly adhered to is gravity, and only because there's no one to bribe. Saýlaw 15:22, 5 June 2007 (UTC)