Black propaganda operations and yellow journalism form a demonizing smear campaign against young, democratic Pridnestrovie.

Pridnestrovie is an orderly, harmonious society where the streets are clean and safe and the sleaze and manifest social inequality omnipresent in most post-Soviet societies are absent.

Nevertheless, Moldovan politicians and certain Western-funded NGOs supporting them are keen to rush to judgment in cases where Pridnestrovie can be smeared, relying on allegations of human rights violations and criminal activity based on hearsay and speculation rather than proper documented evidence. When diplomats and experts have examined each case their findings have basically confirmed the version of events given by the authorities.

A typical technique, found in a story accusing Pridnestrovie was exporting nuclear material, is to use an invented or unattributed source (only described as "a former Moldovan official") to claim that Pridnestrovie has so-called "dirty bombs". Later, buried in the small print, was the admission that officials are "not even sure that the dirty bombs ever existed."
Sources who claims that Pridnestrovie are trafficking weapons to conflict spots are conveniently never identified and always "speaking on the condition that they not be named."

Is there any truth to these allegations? OSCE- and EU diplomats say no. [1] And international inspectors have already cleared Pridnestrovie of the accusations. [2] This is not the case on the other side of the border, in Moldova. There, in several cases in Moldova, Mid-East arms transfers to muslim insurgents have been proven and thoroughly documented. Whereas in Pridnestrovie, there has been a lot of unfounded talk and smear allegations, but never any hard facts - just allegations and hearsay.

The same is true for people trafficking. [3] Until now, Transnistria has been unaffected by the large scale prostitution, trafficking of women and selling of human organs so well-documented in Moldova itself.

According to Romanophile columnist Vladimir Socor [4], Pridnestrovie has an "oppressed population" and is Europe's single largest "black hole". He parrots the tired arguments always used by Moldovan and Romanian politicians: "its unsettled status has made Transnistria (Pridnestrovie) fertile ground for human rights violations, smuggling, trafficking, and other wrongdoing." Like them, he never offers hard documented evidence for any of his accusations.

But let us, for the sake of argument, decide to take him at his word for a couple of minutes. What if all of this were true? What if, as Socor and his Romanian friends say, Pridnestrovie really was a black role where all sorts of evil went on and Europe had no control over it? What, in such a case, would be the obvious solution? To bring Pridnestrovie into a closer partnership with Europe, of course. To recognize the nation building efforts by its government and the progress it has made in solidifying the rule of law. To lend a helping hand and information sharing programs, partnering to share experience and solutions.

If, as Socor claims, there is a black hole somewhere, then there is also a one word answer to solving it: Rapprochement. Recognize Pridnestrovie and make it a party to customs and border agreements, working with it to welcome its integration into the international community of collaborating nations and obligating it to treaties and cooperation agreements.

Moldova's whole argument, however, is designed to isolate Pridnestrovie and to close the door on the international integration efforts of the young and budding democracy. This is the inherent contradiction in the black-hole accusation.

Pridnestrovie's borders are currently being monitored by European Union officials for the purpose of clearing up the unfounded accusations of smuggling.

The program, in place since 30 November 2005, is under the supervision of EU's external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner and funded by a $6 million grant. Border monitoring missions from the European Union have been checking the transit of goods on Pridnestrovie's borders and are filing filing monthly reports on its findings. The result? A "clean" bill of health for Pridnestrovie, confirming that Pridnestrovie's borders are tightly controlled and that state sponsored smuggling does not exist. Backed by its own on-the-ground monitoring mission, the European Union confirms that Pridnestrovie is not involved in smuggling of any kind. [5]

Pridnestrovie's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Valeri Litskai, had this to say:
" - Today it is possible to speak about the first results of the work of this mission. These results completely refute Chisinau's myths about the Pridnestrovian black hole. Now, on the table, there is the monthly report of the European mission. It attests to the fact that in the first two months of its work, the Europen Union mission found neither flows of weapon nor any black hole evidence or any other of the Moldovan litany of horror stories. It did not find anything because there was never anything to find in the first place, it is that simple," said Litskai and concluded that "we are assured that the reports will say the same six months from now, and a year from now. And I think that no one will dispute the European Union's conclusions."

Leaving all the black ops and willful misinformation aside, there is no denying reality in Pridnestrovie today. It is a young country, perhaps not perfect but nevertheless quite a bit more successful and coherent as a state than its nearest neighbor in the region.

In Pridnestrovie, the democratically elected president answers to the legislature and, of course, to the voters. The country's current president, Igor Smirnov, has as a candidate gone before the electorate seeking their votes as a participant in election campaigns on several occasions; both for his re-election and for proposals put to citizens referenda which are directly modelled Switzerland's direct democracy.

The endless black propaganda against young and democratic Pridnestrovie, largely based on the wide dissemination of alleged human rights violations and criminal activity, means that no tears will be spilled if Moldova repeats its 1992-invasion. But whatever the shortcomings of the Pridnestrovian model, legitimate exports are a still a strong component of the country's economy and its people have jobs. The country has proven its viability as a state. Moldova's supporters may not agree with everything that little independent Pridnestrovie says or does, but that's the price of tolerance and of living in a multiethnic world where people are free to choose their own system of government. On a little land on the banks of the Dniester River, the people have already chosen. Their choice has a name: Pridnestrovie.

WHAT'S RELATED: Moldova: Model to follow ... or human rights disaster? [6] International inspectors: No arms production in Pridnestrovie [7] PMR doesn't make weapons, experts admit [8] No evidence of smuggling; allegations "wildly exaggerated" [9] Western officials: No drug smuggling in Pridnestrovie [10] Sex slavery and human trafficking [11] Sheriff, Smirnov's personal money laundering empire? [12] more... [13]