Turkménistan, digne de la Corée du Nord

Turkménistan, digne de la Corée du Nord

Above the clouds, far from the fray of men. This is where the face appeared to us by Gourbangouly Berdimuhamedow, the president of Turkmenistan, for the first time. The national airline displays the portrait of the beloved president. Everywhere, a tyrant on glossy paper.

His diet is considered one of the most authoritarian in the world. We film discreetly using a cell phone. – Transfer ? – No, no transfer. The country lives in seclusion. Journalists are usually prohibited from entry. Turkmenistan organizes the games Asian indoor sports and martial arts,

And exceptionally, the regime distributed visas to a privileged few. Other media saw themselves refuse the precious sesame. Berdimuhamedow runs the country since 2007, with an iron fist. This former dentist, former Minister of Health, is obsessed with hygiene. – You over there, get behind me. Who smoked a cigarette? I would eventually find out.

The protector, as he calls himself, regularly performs on national television. He established a cult of personality worthy of Kim Jong Un. With song, sport is Berdimuhamedow’s big fad. The Asian Games are the fulfillment of a dream. The opening ceremony was conceived as a grandiose spectacle, a great patriotic mass.

“And now a word of the President of Turkmenistan.” – Dear spectators! The world will know that Turkmenistan is a healthy country, of great moral purity and high spirit. I wish good luck to all the athletes. 7,600 extras, 4 hours of sound and light and hundreds of Turkmen horses. The national emblem.

The ceremony would have cost more expensive than that of the Rio Olympics, because the country is 3 quarters desert has a lot of money. It has the fourth largest gas reserves in the world. The president wants to make these Games a show of force, and a colorful hymn to his glory.

At the end of the village brand new Olympic, is the hotel where will be restricted foreign media. Each journalist is assigned a guide to pretty students, under the supervision of his officials in black suits. No interviews are will do without their consent, and they planned for us a whole filming schedule.

It starts with a visit of wonderful Ashgabat, in joy and good humor. Jamal, 25 years old, will be my guard. His father works for the company who built the Olympic Village. In a few years, the despot built a new capital, thanks to gas money. Dozens of monuments in gold and white marble,

The largest concentration in the world, with a unique style, the Persico Palladian style created from scratch, to assert national power. – Here is the monument which represents the protector. It’s our president’s nickname. It was inaugurated on May 25, 2015. Turkmenistan became independent in 1991 with the fall of the USSR,

And has never known democracy. The inhabitants learn to cherish their leaders from a young age. – This is our president’s book. It’s called “The Grandson Who fulfills his grandfather’s dream.” – What does it talk about ? – It’s called the new era of renewal.

The History Museum of Turkmenistan contains a rich collection of statues and handicrafts. But the funniest attraction is at the end of the visit, a space dedicated to a man’s passion. – Our president likes motor sports. He likes cycling and also riding horses. And that’s why we keep these relics in our museum.

The city tour ends in this shopping center. Another student takes over to praise the Turkmen dream and make the article. – Here is the school uniform, the outfit for gym and normal wear. And here is our traditional dress, all Turkmen women have them. – Young girls too? – Yes, everyone, all ages.

But when it comes to interviewing residents, it gets complicated. The propaganda is derailed. – The journalist wants to know if sales are good. You have to tell him that everything is fine. – But no, I don’t know what to say. You don’t want to tell him? I can’t exaggerate.

– Tell him sales are booming. Ask the customer to respond to you. – Why are you buying this jersey? – It’s to go see the Games. Difficult to get people to speak Turkmens that we meet, in a country without free information, they fear the consequences an interview or even a simple plan.

The thousands of sweepers who are vying for every corner of the city, received instructions. And in Turkmenistan, the police are not joking. For 20 years, there have been hundreds journalists, opponents, of human rights activists to have been thrown into the dungeon. Most were tortured, and some died.

Those who remain must work in secrecy or to remain silent. We want to meet one of them. Back at the hotel, we continue connects with a contact based in Prague, the editor-in-chief of Radio Free Europe. This media broadcasts reports sent from Turkmenistan, by a handful of activists. Using encrypted messaging,

We had to meet the last radio journalist to work openly in the country. Soltan Achilova, a 67-year-old grandmother, but a few days before the Games, she had to flee, after several death threats. – I was constantly monitored.

There are sometimes 5-6 people who were posted at the bottom of the building where I live. Last April 11, during the night, 2 young people came on the parking lot of the building where we live. A neighbor captured the entire scene from the third floor.

The car is unusable, even though my son needs it. He is disabled and now it is blocked. Soltan entered into resistance after that the state razed the family home 10 years ago, to build the new capital in marble and gold. Entire neighborhoods were destroyed and hundreds of impoverished families,

Were relocated to apartments smaller and sometimes unsanitary, without any real possible dispute. – They destroyed the house that we we built with our own hands. She belonged to our family. They completely shaved it. I wrote to the president, ministers, to judges in vain. In Turkmenistan, you need relationships.

Soltan’s reports tell another story from Turkmenistan, that of ordinary inhabitants faced with water cuts, unemployed which would reach 50% in the capital and the arbitrariness of the State. – Because of the money spent on the Games, we have become poorer and human rights are absent from the country.

They would like us sit quietly, while our rights disappear, we should remain silent, live unhappy. For what ? This is the question I ask myself, This is why I continue to protest. Soltan now lives in Georgia, hosted by an NGO. The grandmother, angry, hopes to be able to reunite with his family,

Within a few weeks, and continue to make your voice heard. During the Games, it is these beautiful images that have been provided to accredited journalists. And there’s no question of spoiling the party. Several Anglo-Saxon media were unable to enter the country. 5 days after the start of the event,

Officials summon a press conference, and the censors assume. – Thank you to all the journalists for your reports that portrayed our country in such a positive way. You did a good job on these days and it warms my heart. The world now knows what Turkmenistan is capable.

– We do not welcome that sports journalists, who come to talk about sport. We are sports people, but some journalists respect only their own culture. On this day, no questions will be asked on the lack of democracy in Turkmenistan.

– I have been traveling the world for 28 years and that I see sports facilities. And I have never seen such a beautiful result. I would also like to sincerely thank from the heart of the Turkmen people. For answering the call of the beloved president. The result is truly unique. Thank you.

James Bolly is a consultant global specialist English, of the organization of large sport events. He oversaw the 2012 London Olympics before starting your own business, who won the biggest contracts in recent years, including that of Ashgabat. – You help the diet to make propaganda, however, Turkmenistan

Is considered one of the diets the most repressive in the world. This poses no problem to you? – We worked closely with the Turkmen government and the Asian Olympic Committee, to organize this fabulous event. And that’s our goal, create the most beautiful games possible.

– You’re not going to answer my question? – I will not make any comments. After this interview, no Turkmen official will be available for an interview. The journey into absurdity comes to an end. Despite the authoritarianism of the regime, the 1000 and a light of the Turkmen gas pot,

Continue to attract businesses around the world. Their logo sparkles prominently on this avenue of the capital. The tyrant is received everywhere: Berlin, Paris, London and Washington. The future of human rights the man seems very dark, and there is no indication that dawn is near.