[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 17409] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]URGING HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY IN KAZAKHSTAN _____ HON. ALAN B. MOLLOHAN of west virginia in the house of representatives Wednesday, September 29, 2010 Mr. MOLLOHAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to alert my colleagues to some growing concerns in Kazakhstan. As an ex-Soviet republic, Kazakhstan has made great strides in the past several decades. In fact, it was just 1991 when Kazakhstan became the last of the Soviet republics to declare its independence. Today, Kazakhstan serves as the Chair of the 56 member-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). While I commend Kazakhstan for the progress it has made over the past several decades toward becoming a more democratic nation, I am increasingly concerned about ongoing allegations of corruption, human rights abuses, human trafficking, religious persecution, election tampering and suppression of free speech within the nation. In recent years, I have seen reports indicating that Kazakhstan's governmental system lacks the basic rights of democracy--elections are often fraught with fraud; political opposition is suppressed; few independent media outlets exist; and respect for human rights, religious freedom, and freedom of speech is questionable. The United States has sought a mutually beneficial relationship with Kazakhstan and provides aid to Kazakhstan to enhance economic growth, democracy, security and humanitarian needs. We understand, because of Kazakhstan's centralized location between Europe and Asia, that it is in a unique position to help bridge East and West. However, I am concerned that the current U.S.-Kazakhstan relationship could be compromised and I think it is time we critically evaluate these very serious allegations. I applaud the work of the Helsinki Commission under the current leadership of Senator Ben Cardin, and previously, Congressman Alcee Hastings for their ongoing commitment to bringing these matters to light and I would urge my colleagues to take the time to look into this issue. ____________________