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◆人生のサイクルに関する大統領令

トルクメニスタン大統領、独裁暴走 85歳まで続投？
「人生サイクル令」公布で駄目押し…現在は「霊感期」とか
【モスクワ8月20日】サパルムラト・ニヤゾフ大統領(六二)の独裁が十七年間も続く旧ソ連・中央アジアの「永世中立国」トルクメニスタンで、「老年期は八十五歳から」などと人生のサイクルを十二歳ごとに“規定”した大統領令がこのほど布告された。真意は不明だが、すでに「終身大統領」となっているニヤゾフ氏が最低八十五歳までは現役を続けるとの駄目押しの意思表示ともみられている。
ニヤゾフ大統領は今月初めには、一年十二カ月のそれぞれの「月」の呼び名を自分やその母親らの名前に変更したばかりで、トルクメニスタンでは同大統領の意のままの止めどなき独裁体制と個人崇拝が日増しに強化されている。
新大統領令によると、トルクメニスタン国民の十三歳までは「幼年期」、二十五歳までは「若年期」、三十七歳までは「青年期」、四十九歳までは「熟年期」と、ここまでは常識的。ところが、六十一歳までは「予言期」、大統領自身が属する六十二歳から七十三歳までは「霊感期」と何やら神がかり的となる。六十一歳以上を老年期としないことがミソだ。
その「老年期」はやっと八十五歳から始まり、九十七歳まで生きた人はトルクメン人の始祖の「オグズハーン」の称号がもらえるとしている。
人生のサイクルを大統領令で定めた国は過去、前例がない。
ニヤゾフ氏はソ連時代の一九八五年に当時のトルクメン共和国の共産党第一書記となった後、九〇年十月に同共和国大統領に就任。ソ連崩壊後の九二年六月に「トルクメニスタン大統領」として再選され、九四年一月の国民投票で任期が今年まで延長されたあと、今月八日、最高国民代表機関の「国民評議会」で「終身大統領」になることが決まった。

◆ Young Turkmen face beard ban -Niyazov's laws are increasingly aimed at individualism BBCi (2004.2.25)

Turkmenistan President Saparmurat Niyazov has passed a decree forbidding young men in the country to wear long hair or beards.

The president said the Education Ministry should be in charge of checking people's hair as the issue was most pressing among the young.
Mr Niyazov's rule in the central Asian state has always been authoritarian. But his latest decree takes to a new level the degree of state intervention in people's private lives.
President Niyazov appeared on television saying that men can no longer grow their hair and that beards are not allowed, at least among the young.
He gave no reason - but that is not unusual in Turkmenistan.
In this part of the world, rulings on hair are generally connected to Islam in some way, but it seems likely that Mr Niyazov's decree is more broadly directed against individualism of any kind.

Isolated

The goatee beard is currently in vogue in the capital, Ashgabat, and these will probably be the first to be shaved off.
Mr Niyazov's laws are becoming more and more personal.
It is forbidden now to listen to car radios or to smoke in the street; opera and ballet performances have been banned on the grounds that they are unnecessary.
The rules invite comparison between Turkmenistan and Albania in the 1970s under Enver Hoxha, who also made great lists of things illegal, including beards.
President Niyazov has moreover just brought in a ruling that public places and government ministries should have video monitors for, he said, the protection of the people.
Turkmenistan is ever more cut off from the outside world, and there are few checks and balances against Mr Niyazov's style of government.
On Sunday he is to fire 15,000 nurses and other health workers and replace them with army conscripts.

◆ He's banned beards, honoured melons and offers dental advice. Is this the world's craziest dictator? (14 April 2004) independence (ニヤゾフ大統領、金歯も禁止。歯を丈夫にするためには骨を噛むべし）

He has banned beards and listening to car radios, and instituted a national holiday in honour of a melon. Now the world's craziest dictator has identified a new and pressing danger to his people: gold teeth.
It was atone of the interminable events in his honour that the President of Turkmenistan, Saparmurat Niyazov, turned to the young student from an agricultural university reading an address praising her President and told her to get her gold teeth removed and replaced with white ones. "Here's the health minister, himself a dentist," he told the unfortunate woman. "He will give you white teeth."
The great dictator did not stop there. He had some remarkable advice for the people of his former Soviet republic on how to avoid losing their teeth. "I watched young dogs when I was young," he said. "They were given bones to gnaw. Those of you whose teeth have fallen out did not gnaw on bones. This is my advice."
Gold teeth are popular in the desert country where, despite the health minister's credentials, dentistry standards are poor and many lose their teeth young. But they are expected to disappear in coming weeks: tips from Mr Niyazov are regarded as law.
This sort of eccentricity is becoming the norm under Mr Niyazov, who prefers to be known as Turkmenbashi, "Leader of the Turkmens". In many ways he is the classic dictator. Turkmenistan is littered with gold statues of him, including a giant revolving one in the capital, Ashgabat. He has appointed himself "president for life", and his rule is absolute.
But in Mr Niyazov's case this has meant his country of five million isforced to live under some of the weirdest laws of our times. Two months ago he used another television appearance to ban beards and long hair for men. Opera and ballet are not allowed, because Mr Niyazov decided they were unnecessary. He has changed street names in Ashgabat to numbers, and forced his ministers to take part in a 36km "health walk".
Surreally, he has followed in the footsteps of the fictional dictator in Woody Allen's movie Bananas, to redefine the ages of his citizens. Adolescence now lasts until 25, youth doesn't end until 37, and old age starts at 85.
Last year Mr Niyazov instituted a holiday in honour of the muskmelon, a relative of the watermelon, complete with lavish festivities, and ordered that everybody take part. "This godsend has a glorious history," national television announced. "Our great leader, who has a great love of his nation, has brought the name of the tasty melons to the level of a national holiday."
Behind the craziness, say human rights groups, lurks a deeply disturbing state. "Turkmenistan only makes the news because of these zany stories, but it is also an extremely repressive country," John MacLeod, of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, said.
The United Nations Human Rights Commission is due to vote this week on a resolution condemning Mr Niyazov, saying his rule is based "on the repression of all opposition political activities". It expresses grave concern over "arbitrary detention and imprisonment ... suppression of independent media ... restrictions on the exercise of freedom of thought ... discrimination against ethnic Russian, Uzbek and other minorities".
His regime did not just prevent dissent, Mr MacLeod said, it demanded constant loyalty. Schoolchildren were forced to study the Ruhnama, a weird stream-of-consciousness book by Mr Niyazov, full of disjointed pseudo-philosophy and slogans.
The apparatchik was in charge of the central Asian republic from the mid-1980s under communist rule, and easily took power when the country became independent in 1991. Since then he has ruthlessly removed potential rivals, to the extent that observers say he is without competent advisers, isolated from reality. He has visited the same fate upon his country, maintaining wary relations at best with neighbours and regional powers.
Mr Niyazov has also mismanaged the economy to the extent that it remains mired in poverty despite vast reserves of natural gas. But while the West has long been prepared to turn a blind eye to Mr Niyazov's excesses as companies compete for a planned pipeline to export gas through Afghanistan, observers say Mr Niyazov may have overreached himself in turning on the Russian minority, banning dual citizenship. Moscow is believed to be irritated.

REIGNS OF TERROR
Cambodia's Pol Pot
Executed Cambodians who wore glasses or spoke a foreign language.
Abolished money, religion, private property, hospitals and schools in a bid to return to 'year zero'.
Roman Emperor Nero
Made many attempts on his mother's life - finally succeeding - and staged musical contests from which no one was allowed out for any reason while he was performing.
Libya's Muammar Gaddafi
Deported half the Palestinian refugees and told them to walk back to Palestine.
Uganda's Idi Amin
Wanting "a black man's country", Amin expelled the country's 40,000 to 80,000 Indians and Pakistanis. Rumours surrounding Amin included charges of keeping severed heads in a freezer.

◆独裁体制に批判高まる＝トルクメニスタン大統領（ロシア・東欧情報ファイルより）

中央アジア・トルクメニスタンのニヤゾフ政権への批判が高まっている。北朝鮮に匹敵する極端な大統領への個人崇拝を実施しているのに加え、野党に対する徹底的な弾圧と言論統制を強めているためだ。
一方で、埋蔵量世界第４位の天然ガスなど豊富な資源を背景に、米国やロシア、日本の企業を開発に巻き込むことで国際的孤立化を避けるしたたかさも見せている。
「独裁国家と批判されているが、現在は（民主主義への）転換期だ。不自然な多党化は認めない」。日本の経済代表団の表敬を受けたニヤゾフ大統領は２２日、自国が民主国家でないと認めた上で、当面、民主党による一党独裁を維持する考えを表明した。
旧ソ連トルクメン共産党第一書記から１９９０年に初代大統領に当選した大統領は権限強化や任期延長、終身大統領化などで権力を強化。昨年１１月の暗殺未遂事件後は、多数の反体制活動家を拘束し、体制をさらに盤石にした。
首都アシガバートの西側外交筋によると、事件の主犯格とされた反体制派のシフムラドフ元外相は家族への迫害を恐れ、亡命先から帰国。拘束され、拷問を受けた後に国営テレビで犯行を「自白」した。
元外相はその後、憲法の定める最高刑、禁固２５年を宣告されたが、大統領が最高刑を終身刑とするよう憲法改正を提案。即座に改正され元外相は終身刑にされるなど「法の手続きを無視しためちゃくちゃな事が行われている」（同筋）。
こうした事態を受け、国連人権委員会はこのほど、人権侵害への懸念を表明する決議を採択。欧州安保協力機構（ＯＳＣＥ）も報告書で裁判の不当性を批判した。加盟国からは、同国をＯＳＣＥから脱退させるよう求める声も上がっている。
ニヤゾフ大統領は今月１０日にロシアを訪問し、長期の天然ガス供給・開発協力協定を結ぶなど、資源外交を通じた孤立回避に懸命だ。米国もカスピ海での同国の石油・天然ガス開発に参加することを期待し、表立った批判を控えている。
しかし、失業率は３０％に上るとされるなど、経済的にも国民の困窮は深刻だ。大統領をたたえる記念碑が並ぶ首都の公園で清掃作業していた男性は「大統領に反対すればどうなるか」との質問に、手を小銃の形にして「銃殺される」と表現した。
　　　　　＊　　　　＊　　　　＊
ニヤゾフ大統領はトルクメニスタンで「偉大なるトルクメンバシ（トルクメニスタンの首領）」と呼ばれ、空港や道路、街の名称に使われている。著書「ルフナマ（精神）」はコーランに匹敵する宗教書として憲法の上位の文書とされる。首都アシガバートには至る所に大統領の肖像画が掲げられ、巨大な大統領像や「ルフナマ」の表紙を形取った記念碑が並ぶ。昨年８月、トルクメニスタンの最高国民代表機関「国民評議会」はニヤゾフ大統領を終身大統領に決定。１月を「大統領の月」と命名した。（アシガバート共同）

◆The world's worst: Turkmenistan - Stalinism in one country (The World in 2004 - The Economist)

Where will be the worst place to live in 2004?
This time the world's worst prize goes, perhaps surprisingly, to Turkministan.
（中略）
Opera and theatre are banned. Any foreigner wanting to marry a Turkmen must pay$50,000- although this is unlikely to affect many, since entry into Turkmenistan is now practical impossible. Leaving is also extremely difficult, and banned outright for women under 35 unless they have had at least two children. Those with one or none, it is understood, have failed to fulfil their duty to perperuate the Turkmen race.

注：別のソースによると、＄50,000を政府に納めるだけではなく、結婚式費用の＄1,000を負担することも定められている。トルクメン政府は同法の実施について「トルクメンの女性は美しいため、この課金により外国人男性が結婚を尻込みすることはない」としている。

◆トルクメニスタン大統領、閣僚などにベンツを支給　世界日報　(2003.2.6)

【モスクワ５日大川佳宏】トルクメニスタンからの報道によると、同国のニヤゾフ大統領は五日、国営テレビでの演説の中で、すべての閣僚、地方行政府長官、軍人などに支給するためのベンツの新車をすでに発注した述べた。またニヤゾフ大統領はベンツの新車の支給は毎年行われ、前年に支給されたベンツは補佐官などに譲ればよいと付け加えた。
　トルクメニスタンではニヤゾフ大統領に対する個人崇拝体制が強化されつつある。

◆ Turkmen leader inspires devotion to melon BBCi (2003.8.11)

Turkmenistan has devoted a day of festivities to celebrate the country's muskmelon, a close relative of the watermelon.

The holiday was inspired by President Saparmurat Niyazov, who prefers to be known as Turkmenbashi, or leader of the Turkmens.
"Do celebrate Muskmelon Day well, as a real holiday. Make sure that all associations and enterprises take part in it," the Turkmen television showed the leader telling state officials.
The television report on Monday about the holiday waxed lyrical over the fruit.
"This godsend has a glorious history that goes back centuries," it said, adding that its advantages were the product of Turkmenistan's "blazing sun, mild weather, productive land and tasty water, as well as peasants' kindness".

Melon mania

The fruit, which the report said was praised as a "miracle" in the middle ages, has been honoured with a national holiday since 1994.
"Since we became independent, our great leader, who has a great love of his nation and country, has brought the name of the tasty melons to the level of a national holiday," the TV said.
The day's celebrations featured a large display of the fruit in all its varieties, as well as a series of dance and music events, in the country's capital, Ashgabat.
Summing up the festivities, Turkmen TV said: "It made the love towards one's dear homeland, the great leader and kind nation grow even stronger."

◆「独裁者の末路」トルクメニスタンで放映禁止読売新聞 (2002.8.31)

　ニヤゾフ大統領の独裁色が強まる旧ソ連のトルクメニスタンで、独裁者の悲惨な末路を伝える番組の放映を禁じる決定が下された。２９日付のロシアの有力紙「独立新聞」が報じた。
　処刑されたチャウシェスク・ルーマニア元大統領や、英国で逮捕されたピノチェト・チリ元大統領らに関する史実の報道が今後、検閲の対象となる。同国では欧米のニュースを伝えるロシアのテレビ放送枠も大幅に制限され、ケーブルテレビも廃止されるなど、メディアへの統制を強めている。
　同紙によると、ロシアのメディアが大統領に批判的な報道を展開したことが、大統領の逆鱗（げきりん）に触れ、言論統制が強化されたのだという。（モスクワ支局）

◆ Turkmenistan: Saparmurat Niyazov's Invincible Rule Translations Online(チェコ）より

The constitution presupposes regular presidential elections and establishes a two-term limit. Here Niyazov's extensive experience from the communist time proved helpful. He was first elected president in 1990, then re-elected in 1992, and in 1994 his presidential term of office was extended by a referendum. Each time, he received more than 90 percent of the vote.

According to eyewitnesses who have observed the system in action, his electoral scheme is brutally simplistic. One week before an election, chiefs of each electoral district receive instructions from the Central Committee concerning the required results. Three days before the elections, each district receives double the number of voting papers and ballot boxes than there are voters in the district (for instance, lists of 2,000 voters instead of 1,000 and four ballot boxes instead of two). On the eve of the elections, members of the electoral district are assembled, most frequently in a local office of Niyazov's Democratic Party. The process of "voting" starts in strict accordance with the instructions received from the Central Election Committee. By the end of the day the only meaningful "vote" is over.

The public voting procedure starts the next day. Citizens visit the ballot boxes in their electoral districts and vote, many of them "against," at times marking their voting papers with obscenities. Shortly before the end of the voting, substitution of the ballot boxes is done with lightning speed. Specifically, those ballot boxes filled with the previous night's "votes" are switched with ballot boxes that had been used for actual voting. When it's all over, journalists and observers are invited to witness the "impartial and fair calculation of the votes." The result equals what is intended. It proves once more the "unity of the people and the president" and "the triumph of democracy."

◆Kim Jong-Il v Saparmurat Niyazov The Observer

'I am about the size of a dwarf.' It's quite a way to introduce yourself, but if you're Kim Jong-iI, North Korean dictator, you can say whatever you like. You can also wear high heels in an effort to hide your tiny stature and employ 100 people to subtitle your favourite films into Korean while your citizens starve. Kim isn't the world's most insane despot but vies for that honour with one Saparmurat Niyazov, president of Turkmenistan. While Kim will be grabbing headlines as the man at the tip of the 'axis of evil', Niyazov's increasingly bizarre behaviour and his country's rich oil reserves will ensure constant attention in 2003. He has written a spiritual tract that the state media compares to the Koran or the Bible and has declared that there are only eight months in the year. Both leaders have parental fixations: Kim took over his dictatorship from his father, who, although dead, is still officially president, while Niyazov is obsessed with his dead mother, Gurbansoltan-edzhe. He has named the month of April and the word for 'bread' after her. We'll know next year who has done Mum and Dad most proud.

◆Best Turkmen pupils know “Ruhnama” best of all Prima Newsより

The jury did not ask the finalists questions on math, physics, chemistry, biology, literature, geography or foreign languages. The expert panel tested their knowledge of the country’s modern history, particularly of great achievements in the implementation of such state projects as “Health”, “New Education”, “Green Belt”, “New Village”, “Grain Crop”, as well as current domestic and foreign policies and goals of the spiritual and moral code for the Turkmen people, the sacred book “Ruhnama”.
The finalists were given just half a minute to answer ten questions designed to test their knowledge of “Ruhnama”. Maisa Shemmiyeva appeared to be the best in reciting and understanding the poetic heritage of the Father of All Turkmen. The girl read one of Turkmenbashi’s verse both in Russian and English. The finalists had also to show their patriotism, veneration of sacred things and strong dedication to ideas of the ‘great steersman’.

日経ネットナビ（2004年4月号）に紹介されました。
この雑誌は、この号をもって廃刊らしい。廃刊間際にトルクメンバシを紹介するという暴挙に出たらしい。

ちなみに、この記事で当サイトは「アンチ定番サイト厳選500」の「違った世界が見える～国際情勢」部門の第二位に選ばれたのですが、
１．North Korea Today
２．トルクメニスタン共和国へようこそ！！
３．アジア放送研究会
４．イランへの扉
５．韓国・北朝鮮ニュース
　・・・
１０．アフガニスタン国民の現実とアメリカのテロ事件対応に関する疑問
これらはまぁいいとして、6位～9位が外務省・ユニセフ・UNHCR・JICAとなっていた・・・。これらのどこが「アンチ定番」なのだろうか。かなりの手抜き記事とみた。ライター（菅野哲氏）の紹介欄に趣味でいわゆる「危険」とされる国の情報をウォッチしていると書かれているけど、そのわりには貧弱なセレクションだ。

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