Tajikistan has to protect its information security!

The chairman of the board of public organization “Union of Young Russian Compatriots of the Republic of Tajikistan”, the journalist and analyst Mikhail Petrushkov considers that problems of ensuring information security came today to the forefront. He proves it on the example of Tajikistan:

- Now, when the whole world becomes “digital” and the governments, the countries and society “electronic”, the information opposition comes to take the place of the armed opposition which sometimes turns into information wars.

And therefore, in our opinion, the information opposition of the countries, different international structures and associations, groups of influence, multinational corporations, political and religious trends and also information terrorism are the main threats and safety calls around the world and in Central Asia in particular. Thus, in our opinion, the system of information and PR - providing of the Republic of Tajikistan is a key problem in realization of national interests of Tajikistan.

Certainly, it is necessary to notice that Tajikistan historically and geopolitically is in structure of the countries of “arch of political instability” or as still it is called in geopolitics “a conflict arch” — the area covering the continent of Eurasia from the south and the southwest in which there are if not everything, but overwhelming quantity of the military conflicts during the period after World War II. At first sight, the armed groups of rebels and terrorists and as of “local production”, so mercenaries from other countries throw the challenge down to the states entering into this arch.

Also it will be reasonable to ask a question: so why we regard information wars and opposition as of paramount importance? Why we put forward the thesis that we should be begun with the fight against misinformation and exactly creation of favourable image of the state?!

Let's try to explain.

Firstly, the information support of mass media of the republic and respectively the information literacy, awareness of the population also creates credibility to the state and its power structures. As practice shows, the competent information policy of the state yields good fruits especially in our country! And unsaid things, closeness, talks in the corridors generate a wave of mistrust and uncertainty in tomorrow. In due time, having thought the confidential dialogue with own people as important, dear sir Rahmon not only could install confidence in tomorrow at the supporters, but also won round sympathies of opponents, the final result of that became the signing of the peace agreement between warring parties.

In the next years the president, undertaking a number of the steps showing his remarkable political will, consolidated the reached results and almost completely developed “the ship of the Tajik statehood” towards democratization and publicity. The testimony of it is functioning of a row of independent mass media in the Republic of Tajikistan, having own point of view, different from official, often objectionable to many officials and heads of the state. It seems to them that if not the activity of the independent press, everything in Tajikistan would be fine both their miscalculations and misses wouldn't be visible to simple citizens.

However, owing to misunderstanding of essence of the modern world and its information transparency, dear sirs don't understand that information is not an awl and murder will out! On the contrary, any unsaid things, even sometimes a hint on existence of any secret, often imaginary, is like “red rag” for world news agencies (by the way, this reception of creation of “open secret” is widely used by PR specialists in the work), which begin regardless of desire or unwillingness of the authorities the journalistic investigations.

Thus there are cases when in a type of small value of “information occasion”, journalists often frequent build the conclusions and the covering of occurring events not on own supervision, but the opinion and stories of so-called independent observers, witnesses of eyewitnesses. And here the form and relative objectivity of giving of news in many respects start depending directly on as far as the journalist can and wants “to separate grains from a ryegrass". Sometimes it is caused by simply fantastic figures of losses, the unusual details terrifying the facts, imaginary sensational nature and incorrect analytics which in aggregate do irreparable harm to image of the state.

Except “spoiled image”, taking of our country by ill-wishers in the category of the countries with unstable political system and the smoldering military conflict, from the image of which we seemingly successfully got rid by 2000, as a result of inappropriate statements of certain officials, our country is again carried to number of the countries in which there is a pressure and threat of mass media.

Besides, there are also straight “investment losses”. So, at the beginning of October, 2010 the forum of investors “Pamir-investment” had to take place on Pamir, for participation in which the foreign applications were submitted by mainly the European investors. However, because of that reliable information about events in our republic wasn’t in the official channels on the basis of which it would be possible to count really potential threat of life of investors and the received, contradictory information from informal sources caused concern, the governments of the countries of accommodation of potential investors recommended to the citizens to refrain from trips to Tajikistan temporarily.

The result is the temporary cancellation of carrying out an investment forum “Pamir-investment” and as a result of it, potentially possible investments into economy of Tajikistan in which our republic needs in great need, won’t be achieved by the citizens of Tajikistan.

Besides, I think that we won't open a big secret if tell that exactly the absence of the accurate program information and PR advances of the Republic of Tajikistan is the most powerful brake in realization of new national (including investment) projects.

So, in our deepest opinion, absence of the accurate PR company doesn't allow to find investors in world mass media for completion and starting into operation of Rogunsky hydroelectric power station, or its completion by own efforts. On the international scene any motions in this question become possible only thanks to continued, some kind of selfless work of the president of Tajikistan, however even in old time spoke: “one's as good as none”. Especially, now, when separate groups resist to natural desire of the citizens of Tajikistan to have energy security, whom don’t like the strengthening of our country on the international scene to what an exit from power blockade will logically lead.

In the matter, in our opinion, it is necessary to leave from positions of “false”, so-called "flag-waving”, to admit fairly to itself that at this stage we have no experts of rather high qualification for the organization of the competent PR -company at least at regional level, without speaking already about the world level. It is necessary to involve the leading world PR specialists into the development, carrying out and monitoring of the company. Namely such way was chosen by Russia in due time, the examples of the successful PR companies are shown us by Kazakhstan, Georgia which understood and most effectively uses “information weapon” on the former Soviet Union.

In the Central Asian region, in our opinion, disregarding Kazakhstan which in our opinion, doesn't apply “information weapon” in the PR companies, Uzbekistan is in the lead in this matter which not only successfully resists to information attacks from the outside, but also sometimes conducts quite aggressive information policy. So, with the purpose of pressure strengthening on neighbouring countries, in particular to Tajikistan, in due time in the Uzbek mass media and mass media of other states information attacks went to the Tajik aluminum plant which activity puts, on the postulates put in a basis of information company, irreparable harm to all ecosystem of Uzbekistan.

For advance of this company the wide range of methods and manipulation receptions by public opinion was used, statistical data, statements of experts, ecologists, public figures were given, there was an active social advertising on radio, television, the potential of so-called means carriers of outdoor advertising was used for strengthening of efficiency. Fortunately, the professionalism of PR specialists of Uzbekistan is far from perfect and foreign high quality experts, as far as we know, didn't attract the authorities.

However it isn't necessary to hope that next time everything will pass so rather safely for our country. After all the same Aluminium plant is a leader of the Tajik economy, and problems in its work will immediately affect all economic condition of the republic that already is in turn very notable and tangible call of national security.

Successes of Uzbekistan in information opposition are shown most visually, in my opinion, by that fact that the international structures on which Uzbekistan has competent, with deep arguments and logical information impact, at the moment refused unconditional support of efforts of Tajikistan connected with completion of Rogunsky hydroelectric power station and made the decision again to carry out ecological, technical and other types of examinations. Though the previous expert examinations, which have been carried out by the European experts, showed ecological, technical, logistic and other types of safety of Rogunsky hydroelectric power station. Besides, the experts accurately proved the economic need of completion of Rogunsky hydroelectric power station. Also it is not a secret that the Rogunsky hydroelectric power station is the project of Uzbekistan in many respects and it is capable to solve many problems of the neighbouring country, first of all - irrigational.

However, as we see, today, as a result of underestimation of importance of PR maintenance of construction of Rogunsky hydroelectric power station among the world community and a complex of information attacks from Uzbekistan, construction “is frozen” and practically there is no interest from potential investors to hydroelectric power station. Actually, today, we are compelled to establish the fact that this information opposition is lost.

We think that we won't tell practically something new if we declare that now, in many countries, in particular in Russia, there is very certain stereotype of perception of a citizen of Tajikistan as such.

Alas, but it is not so. Today, judging by the majority of publications in those mass media of the Russian Federation which conduct the information wars on money of geopolitical opponents of Tajikistan and Russia and present the frank misinformation to the reader, all citizens of Tajikistan are divided into two classes: “the guest worker from Tajikistan” and “drug messenger”.

The created image of “guest worker from Tajikistan” is an image of the dirty, very near, pity person not capable of work performance, demanding existence of specialized secondary knowledge, without speaking already about intellectual work. The maximum of abilities of this character is a primitive, physical, monotonous activity. Representatives of other countries are positioned differently, so for example, the citizens of Uzbekistan are the cooks, experts in the field of public catering, the citizens of Azerbaijan – businessmen, flower growers, Moldavians - builders, etc.

This image firmly takes roots in the minds of the Russians, besides, that natives of Tajikistan are one of the leaders in respect of representation in scientific, pedagogical, medical, cultural, administrative personnel for which Russia is famous. Such situation is possible in many respects thanks to that our state doesn't put “an jot of efforts and means” in PR advance of the concrete personnel which has reached the heights in this or that sphere of human relationship and human activity, which make “gold fund” of Tajikistan in the same civil society of the Russian Federation. And after all “advancing” successful people in civil society of other countries, gradually we advance also an image of “success”, “development” of the country which they represent, the citizens or natives of which they are.

Let's look together at another, more “dirty character” of “fairy tales” of information enemies of Tajikistan: “drug messenger”! Judging by publications of the same unscrpulous mass media the information activities of which are similar to Gebbels promotion, nearly 100% of all drugs arrive from Tajikistan to Russia and drugs get to the Russian Federation in stomachs and other bodies of citizens of Tajikistan. The separate editions “report” already before that they start declaring that drugs are not only transported through Tajikistan, but they also are grown up and made in Tajikistan that a priori is the complete nonsense for any sane person.

Certainly, we may as well confess, there are many cases of transportation of drugs through the territory of Tajikistan, however similar and often in incomparably large numbers, are observed in all countries adjoining on Afghanistan. And the quantitative indices of the drugs withdrawn by law enforcement agencies in the Republic of Tajikistan say that our intelligence services struggle with “this evil” much more effectively, than their colleagues in the adjacent countries.

Considering a misinformation postulate on ways of delivery of heroin to Russia, having approximately estimated the consumption volumes (from 9 million of using drugs about 5 million are drug dependent, who take heroin and who use to 200 tons of heroin a year by different estimates) and ability of one person to transport for once at most to 0,5 kg of heroin, this way of delivery of heroin to Russia doesn't maintain any criticism. Even without calculations of this sort, everyone understands that the supply of heroin to Russia, however, as well as to other countries of Europe, is under the strictest control of transnational drug groups. “Swallowers” or so-called “live containers” are only small drop in that huge stream which overflows all Europe, including Russia being a natural barrier on a drug route.

Besides, the geopolitical information activities of enemies of Russia and Tajikistan are directed on incitement of xenophobia, intolerance, race, religious hatred in the Russian society. This information terrorism is directed on all people of the former Soviet Union, however, in our opinion, the citizens of Tajikistan suffer from it most of all. Suffer owing to the smallest information security as because of practical lack of the pro-Tajik mass media in Russia, and because of muffled information and PR politicians of Tajikistan on the world scene.

Certainly, the opponents can object that our respected Emomalii Rahmon does much in this direction, so for example, on his initiative and as a result of his political will and full support the satellite broadcasting of the state channels of television for the whole world was organized. Besides, understanding the importance and unconditional need for good-neighbourhood, at the request of the president the Days of culture of Tajikistan are organized in the various countries. It seems, there are actions, there is a work, so why practically there are no fruits?!

In our opinion, it occurs because that the persons who realize the ideas and initiatives of the President are the officials who don’t understand the importance of initiatives of this sort, or in the professional plan don't correspond to the duties assigned to them. Therefore so necessary and important actions which are carrying out for the sake of “tick”, could affect well the image of Tajikistan, show to citizens of other countries that our republic possesses not only the richest traditional east culture, literature and art, but also doesn't lag behind other countries of Asia in the development plan of the modern directions, being the country of cultural diversity and peaceful co-existence of the various directions and currents, traditions and innovation.

The most important, the most necessary step is to find the courage and to admit own weakness in a question of information and PR advances of Tajikistan on the world scene and to start creation of the relevant structures having within the jurisdiction, regional, public status. It is necessary to involve in work the experts of the state and private mass media, experts and figures of civil society of the Republic of Tajikistan and, without fail, the international experts and practical men.

It is necessary to begin this work in the nearest future, to show a certain political will at creation of these structures, to develop and accept the program of protection of an information field of Tajikistan, the program of measures for information advance of the Republic of Tajikistan and to develop the PR company of Tajikistan in information world space for what to provide a separate item of expenses in the state budge, and process of an expenditure of these means has to be widely covered in mass media of Tajikistan. Besides, it is necessary to provide the existence of special, reserve fund of “oppositions to information threats and wars”, for emergency reaction in cases of information threats or cases of information terrorism.

Having paraphrasing the wisdom and adapted it for new geopolitical realities and formed type of the person “Homo informaticus”, it is possible to declare surely: “Who owns the information and who creates this information and extends, that owns the world”. In this regard, at least, before new scientific and technical revolution and new types of information and communication technologies, “Strategy and tactics of information advance, information fight, information counteraction and PR advance” of any country and in particular, the Republic of Tajikistan at fundamental level will define the ways, terms and potential possibility of realization of national interests of Tajikistan in the conditions of transformation of all essence of existence of the modern world.