Sir, Tony Blair, in his interview with Lionel Barber (“Waiting in the Wings”, Life & Arts, June 30), claims that the purpose of his multimillion-pound consultancy contract with the Kazakhstan government is “not to make money. It’s to make a difference.”
If so, then Mr Blair should be more transparent about the advice he is giving and his views on the direction Kazakhstan is taking. His unique high-level access to government would be valuable to those concerned about the country. Kazakhstan is central Asia’s economic powerhouse and a key energy partner for the west, but it is also authoritarian and intolerant of independent voices that challenge the government.
Several opposition leaders and an internationally acclaimed theatre director are in pre-trial detention facing vague and unsubstantiated criminal charges, including “inciting social discord”, in connection with violent clashes that took place in western Kazakhstan in December 2011, following an extended labour strike. It would be helpful for Mr Blair to raise with the authorities in Astana any concerns he has about the misuse of the judiciary to crack down on government critics, and to make public what they say. After all, judicial issues are among those he told Mr Barber he is advising Astana on.
Mr Barber suggests Mr Blair is “deluding himself” that a client such as Kazakhstan is keen to listen and really change its ways. Rather, Astana may be using Mr Blair for “encouraging the perception of change”, Mr Barber suggests. A clear stance on a sensitive issue such as this crackdown would test the motives of both Tony Blair and the Kazakhstan government.
Hugh Williamson, Director, Europe & Central Asia Division, Human Rights Watch, Berlin, Germany
