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All of the speakers at a recent RFE/RL conference on "Media Challenges in Central Asia" agreed that the state of the media -- whether newspapers, television, radio stations, or the Internet -- cannot be considered without reference to political reality in the region. Indeed, with the exception of Afghanistan, the conference revealed that Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are still at the very beginning of the path to a free press.

Opening the conference, RFE/RL President Thomas A. Dine noted that "not one of [the countries of Central Asia] is a democracy, not one of them has a free press, and not one of them is building a genuine market economy, nor even prospering... It is therefore incumbent upon us, as people who care about democracy, to pay attention."

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Freimut Duve echoed Dine's comments concerning the media, stating that "I am extremely critical about the structure of free media in these countries... I have a great respect for [journalists'] courage if they do something against the power structure. And the power structure is former leading Communist dictators that have taken over democracy... We are entering a phase of feudalism."

Speakers at the conference, held at RFE/RL's Prague broadcast operations center, included leading free media advocates such as OSCE free media representative Duve, BBC World Media editor Peter Feuilherade and Internews International Executive Director Eric Johnson. The situation of the media in each of the countries of the region was addressed by RFE/RL language service directors Abbas Djavadi, Andres Ilves, Adolat Najimova, Naz Nazar, Merkhat Sharipzhanov and Tyntchtybek Tchoroev and broadcaster Alik Guilmoulline, as well as Broadcasting Director Michele DuBach, Regional Analysis Director Virginie Coulloudon and analyst Amin Tarzi.

Human Rights And Media In Central Asia

Thomas Dine, President of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Freimut Duve, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
[ AUDIO Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 ]

Current Situation In Afghanistan

Peter Feuilherade, Editor, "BBC World Media" - Developing Media in Afghanistan

Amin Tarzi, RFE/RL Regional Analyst - The Role of the Media in Afghan Nation Building Process

[ AUDIO Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 ]

Challenging Countries: Uzbekistan And Turkmenistan

Adolat Najimova, RFE/RL Uzbek Service Director - Oppression of the Media in Uzbekistan

Naz Nazar, RFE/RL Turkmen Service Director - Media Devoted to the Interests of the State and Its Leader

[ AUDIO Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 ]

On The Way To Freedom: Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, And Kyrgyzstan

Merkhat Sharipzhanov, RFE/RL Kazakh Service Director - Media in Kazakhstan in 2002, an Overview [ SEE ALSO: The Second Eurasian Media Forum Starts In Almaty, Despite Boycotts ]

Tyntchtykbek Tchoroev, RFE/RL Kyrgyz Service Director - Independent Outlets, Supporting Each Other in Hard Times

Abbas Djavadi, RFE/RL Tajik Service Director - Tajikistan: An Open Country?