Jennifer Lopez Oblivious To Human Rights Issues In Turkmenistan

Jennifer Lopez committed somewhat of a faux pas by singing 'Happy Birthday' to Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, the president of Turkmenistan. The song was sang at a private concert she gave in the former Soviet republic for executives from the China National Petroleum Corp.

"The event was vetted by her representatives, had there been knowledge of human-right issues of any kind, Jennifer would not have attended," said Mark Young, Lopez's publicist, who added that "Happy Birthday" was a last-minute request made by the oil firm that the singer obliged to. The statement added, "This was not a government sponsored event or political in nature."

A representative of Human Rights Watch said it would have been easy enough to vet the gig. "Just do a few Google clicks to look up their human-rights record," said Rachel Denber, deputy director for Europe and Central Asia. "It's hard to know why they [pop stars] gravitate toward these unsavory leaders. It's worth noting that these leaders want public noticeability and prestige that these celebrities offer."

Berdymukhamedov’s name isn’t just hard to spell, it’s synonymous with human rights violations. His regime has been accused by the United Nations of systematic repression of its 5.5 million strong population. This could have something to do with the fact it has the world's fourth-largest known natural gas reserves.