Increased internet censorship: mass mobilisation for regime-praising events continues

This is an update on developments affecting freedoms of expression, association and assembly in Turkmenistan in the period from November 2019 to January 2020. International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) and Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights (TIHR) have prepared this update as part of their cooperation with the CIVICUS Monitor.

Turkmenistan has consistently featured at the bottom of international indexes measuring the level of freedom and democracy in countries across the world. In the 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index, published by Transparency International in January 2020, Turkmenistan was ranked 165th among 180 countries, which was the lowest ranking of any country in the former Soviet Union. While corruption is widespread in Turkmenistan, the authorities have failed to take systematic measures to address this problem, and their campaign against corruption is largely “demonstrative” in nature. For example, when two former high-ranking government officials were convicted of large-scale corruption in late November 2019, the case was prominently covered on state TV for the apparent purposes of demonstrating that the authorities are fighting corruption and setting an example for other officials.

As repeatedly covered before, the Turkmenistani authorities control all national media and use them as outlets for state propaganda. At the same time, they restrict access to foreign sources of information, in particular the internet. Internet access remains slow, expensive and highly censored as many independent Turkmenistan-covering sites, social media platforms and communication apps are blocked. In new examples of internet censorship seen during the period covered by this update, the global online encyclopedia Wikipedia was blocked in the country after it featured an unflattering description of Turkmenistan’s president, and an increasing number of VPN (Virtual Private Network) apps used to circumvent internet censorship became unavailable. Amid government fears of growing opposition to its policies among Turkmenistani diaspora communities, there were reports of an increasing number of cases in which citizens were arbitrarily barred from leaving the country to work and study abroad. The authorities also continued attempts to cover up socio-economic problems in the country, forced state employees and students to participate in regime-praising events and to help cover the costs associated with such events, at the threat of repercussions. In one case that TIHR learned about, several kindergarten teachers quit their jobs because they were tired of constantly having to take part in state-organised mass events and to pay for decorations, costumes and the like from their meagre salaries.

Due to the lack of opportunities to protest at home, citizens sometimes see appeals to foreign-based Turkmenistan-covering outlets as the only avenue to draw attention to injustices faced in the country. These issues are described in more detail below.

Peaceful assembly

Continued practice of forceful mobilisation for state events

As reported previously on the Monitor, authorities continue to mobilise residents for state-organised celebrations and other mass events, on the threat of dismissal or other repercussions. These events are often preceded by time-consuming rehearsals, such as in this case:

• For several days prior to the Neutrality Day celebrations held in the capital on 12th December 2019, employees at state institutions and students were required to participate in hour-long rehearsals at the stadium in the Olympic village. According to TIHR’s information, this resulted in a lack of staff at many institutions, which was particularly noticeable at medical facilities where patients seeking treatment were sent home or forced to wait for hours because most personnel were attending rehearsals. Students, who attended the rehearsals after their classes had ended for the day, complained that they were left with little time for independent study.
• In addition to being mobilised to participate in various state events, state employees and students are also often required to provide contributions to help cover costs associated with such events. For example, the Turkmen service of RFE/RL reported that university students in Ashgabat were required to pay 1200 Manat (USD 340 according to the official exchange rate, which corresponds to an average monthly salary) for the purchase of costumes to wear during their participation in official New Year celebrations. The service noted that students are typically warned that they may be suspended if they refuse to pay these contributions.
• In another example, TIHR’s monitors reported that people working at state institutions in the Lebap region were required to help pay for Christmas tree decorations for the official New Year celebrations in this region, in which state employees and students were also mobilised to take part. A sum of 30 Manat was withheld from the monthly salary of the employees affected, and the heads of state institutions reportedly stated that those who did not agree to pay would be regarded as obstructing the organisation of a state event and expected to leave their jobs.
• TIHR also learned about a case in which a number of kindergarten employees in Turkmenabad – the main city of the Lebap region – quit their jobs because they were tired of constantly being required to participate in various mass events and contribute to funds to cover the costs related to such events and other state needs. According to the kindergarten employees, when they were hired they had been asked to sign a standard agreement that they may be dismissed and should have no complaints if they refused to participate in “mass events aimed at glorifying the great achievements of the country and its leadership” or undertook other actions “that may be regarded as disrespectful to the authorities”.

Expression

Slow and expensive internet

As reported previously on the Monitor, internet access in Turkmenistan is expensive and connectivity is slow compared to global standards. The cheapest unlimited, fixed internet connection offered by the state provider, Turkmen Telekom, costs 150 Manat (some 40 EUR, or about 10 percent of the average salary) per month, with a speed of 256 Kbps (0.25 Mbps). However, a test carried out by a TIHR correspondent showed that the real speed was even lower, at about 130 Kbps (0.13 Mbps) during the busiest hours of internet usage during the day. According to TIHR’s sources, the speed of the internet connection varies depending on the number of internet users online, so at times the speed may be slightly higher. The fastest unlimited, fixed internet connection the Turkmen state provider offers to private individuals has an announced speed of 2 Mbps. This option comes at a stately price of 350 Manat (or about 90 EUR) per month. Yet, this speed is still significantly slower than the global average which, according to the Speed Test Global Index was 74.32 Mbps in January 2020. Turkmenistan was last in the global index provided by this site which covered 176 countries. The slow speed of the internet plays a role in censorship exercised in the country. Through the slow speed of the internet, citizens are denied access to independent sources of information, social networks and instant messaging services. Thus, this has a limiting effect on freedom of expression.

Wikipedia site blocked

Websites that provide independent coverage of developments in Turkmenistan, such as TIHR’s site, continue to be blocked in the country. At the beginning of November 2019, the global online encyclopedia Wikipedia was also reportedly blocked in the country after the Russian-language entry under the ‘personality and views’ section on Turkmenistan’s President Berdimukhamedov was updated with unfavourable quotes. The section featured documents and some correspondence from the US Embassy in Ashgabat which were published on Wikileaks. According to the leaked information, which was published by Wikileaks, Berdimukhamedov is “vain, fastidious, vindictive”, “does not like people who are smarter than he is” and is “suspicious, incredulous and very conservative”.