(((Check this out: the Chinese are exporting their Internet Great Wall of China to previously Internet-deprived Turkmenistan, creating, presumably, the Little Wall of Turkmenistan. Hey, at least they've got a business model: censors for hire.)))
INTERNET CAFES OPEN IN TURKMENISTAN. Two Internet cafes have opened in Ashgabat, turkmenistan.ru reported on February 16. Fifteen more such cafes will soon appear in the capital, with more to come in other parts of Turkmenistan. Greater access to the Internet featured among President Berdymukhammedov's campaign promises in the February
11 presidential election (see "RFE/RL Newsline," January 5, 2007).
Despite the apparent easing of restrictions on the Internet, Deutsche
Welle reported on February 19, citing an unidentified source in
Turkmenistan's National Security Ministry, that Chinese specialists will assist the Turkmen security services in controlling the Internet to ensure that Turkmen citizens cannot access pornography, opposition websites, and media critical of Turkmen authorities. DK
