 RFE/RL Central Asia Report 6/23/2010 3:34:34 PM A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about the five countries of Central Asia. For more stories on Central Asia, please visit and bookmark our Central Asia page . |
 EU Warns Kyrgyz Instability Could Spread The EU Special Representative for Central Asia has warned that recent instability in southern Kyrgyzstan could spill over into other countries along the Ferghana Valley. Pierre Morel, who visited Kyrgyzstan last week, told the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee in Brussels that the EU wants the referendum on Kyrgyzstan's new constitution to go ahead as planned on June 27. More Jalaliddin Salakhuddinov, a former Kyrgyz parliament deputy, told RFE/RL that the reported discovery of ammunition in his Osh office during security operations that began on June 21 is a provocation by law-enforcement officers. More  Kyrgyz Unrest 'Organizers' Detained Officials in Kyrgyzstan's southern Jalal-Abad Oblast say they have detained 12 suspected organizers of the ethnic clashes between local Uzbeks and Kyrgyz. More  Kyrgyzstan: The Story Of One Life Upturned By Ethnic Violence This month's ethnic violence in southern Kyrgyzstan forced some 400,000 people from their homes and left more than 250 dead. RFE/RL correspondents Farangis Najibullah and Bruce Pannier hear the story of one woman caught up in the turmoil in Osh. More  Thousands Of Refugees Return As Kyrgyzstan Prepares For Referendum Kyrgyz officials say thousands of ethnic Uzbeks have begun returning to Kyrgyzstan from refugee camps in neighboring Uzbekistan. But tensions remain high in south Kyrgyzstan as the country’s interim government prepares for a referendum on constitutional reform to be held later this week. RFE/RL’s Central Newsroom and Kyrgyz Service report. More  Kyrgyz: Foreigners Among 'Snipers' Kyrgyz State Security Service chief Keneshbek Duishebaev made the announcement while telling journalists on June 22 that the suspects were captured in special operations by security forces in Kyrgyzstan's Jalal-Abad and Osh regions. More  Kyrgyz Probe Security Forces' Actions The Kyrgyz authorities have launched an investigation into reported cases of beatings and robberies of Osh residents by security forces. More  Kyrgyzstan's Uzbeks Say 'Our Voices Are Not Heard' Contributor Sam Khan says it will go down as one of the crueler ironies of the interethnic clashes convulsing southern Kyrgyzstan that the violence was fueled, in part, by ethnic Uzbeks' concerted effort to integrate into Kyrgyz political life. More  ODIHR Head Buoyed By Turkmen 'Willingness To Engage' A top official from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has praised what he calls a "new readiness" by Turkmen officials to "engage and cooperate" with his organization. More  Southern Kyrgyz Jews Brought To Israel Israeli news outlets are reporting that a dozen Jews from conflict-torn southern Kyrgyzstan arrived in Tel Aviv on June 20 and were immediately offered Israeli citizenship. More  Kazakh Opposition Leaders Ejected Police forced leading members of the Kazakh opposition Azat Social Democratic Party to leave the central Kazakh town of Qarqaraly where they went to meet with supporters, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports. More  Is Bakiev Heading Home? Kurmanbek Bakiev, the ousted president of Kyrgyzstan, could be returning to the conflict-torn Kyrgyz city of Osh – if rumors are to be believed. More Even with our correspondents in southern Kyrgyzstan, it's still incredibly difficult to get a handle on what actually happened after ethnic violence started on June 10. More  No Taxes For Violence-Hit Kyrgyz Cities Kyrgyz interim President Roza Otunbaeva says the government will abolish some taxes for the two southern cities of Osh and Jalal-Abad, where clashes between ethnic Uzbeks and Kyrgyz have caused significant destruction. More  Ethnic Uzbek Villagers Accuse Kyrgyz Troops Of Destroying Passports Ethnic Uzbeks in southern Kyrgyzstan say Kyrgyz government troops raided their Osh neighborhood today, beating people with rifle butts and destroying their personal documents. More  Tajik Cyclists Postpone Long Trek After Bike Stolen In Russia Two Tajik cyclists on a trek through 13 countries have had to postpone their journey after one of their bicycles was stolen in Russia. More Kyrgyzstan's interim government has extended a state of emergency in the southern part of the country until just 48 hours before a scheduled national referendum on a new constitution. Meanwhile, as a humanitarian crisis continues, Kyrgyz troops have begun dismantling barricades erected by ethnic Uzbeks around their neighborhoods in the city of Osh. More  Correspondent Describes Fear Among Ethnic Uzbeks: 'They’re Sure The Military Is Against Them' The southern Kyrgyz city of Osh has been shaken by violence between its ethnic Uzbek and Kyrgyz inhabitants, with hundreds reported killed. RFE/RL correspondent Bruce Pannier, who is in Osh, describes efforts to restore a sense of calm, accusations by Osh's mayor that ethnic Uzbeks are holding Kyrgyz captive and harboring Islamic militants, and the worsening humanitarian situation on the ground. More RFE/RL correspondent Nikolay Pavlov flew into Bishkek on June 16, then hitched a ride on a Kyrgyz military cargo plane carrying Kyrgyz border guards to Osh. More  Kyrgyz Crisis Brings Global Refugee Problem Into Focus The ethnic violence in Kyrgyzstan has displaced some 400,000 people -- an unprecedented event in the country's history. But that figure represents less than 1 percent of the total number of involuntarily uprooted people in the world. More  Correspondent Describes 'Tragic' Situation In Embattled Kyrgyz City The southern Kyrgyz city of Osh was shaken by violence between its ethnic Uzbek and Kyrgyz inhabitants over the course of several days last week. RFE/RL correspondent Bruce Pannier, who is in Osh, describes the current state of the city and the efforts to restore normalcy. More  Is Kyrgyzstan's Interim Government Equal To The Crisis? The Kyrgyz interim government often appears to be playing catch-up in the crisis in the south of the country. Will it be strong enough to take control of the situation now, despite its apparent lack of cohesion and unity? More  Ferghana Valley: A Tinderbox For Violence The violence in Osh has once again put the focus on the Ferghana Valley as one of the potentially most explosive regions of the former Soviet Union. What makes it that way? More Breaking Kyrgyzstan's Cycle Of Violence Analyst Roman Muzalevsky argues that Kyrgyzstan needs to implement a large-scale national development program focusing on the economic integration of its regions and the consolidation of national identity. More  Premier English Soccer Club Denies Links To Maksim Bakiev On mentioning the name of Maksim Bakiev, the former Kyrgyz president's wayward son, it's often mentioned that he's a part owner of Blackpool Football Club (FC), a small seaside team that this year was promoted to the top flight of English soccer, the Premier League. More  The Demise Of Uzbekistan's Cash Cow Zeromax In the case of Uzbekistan's largest private conglomerate, Zeromax, whose activities were stopped and assets seized in May, the obvious question is: Who would stand to benefit from such a move? And while observers are divided on that question, they can agree on one thing: Politics are behind the recent shutdown of the Swiss-registered company, involved in everything from oil and gas to agriculture, textiles, construction, mining, and logistics. More  Uzbek Women Hide In Osh Basement As Humanitarian Disaster Looms On Border From the perspective of four Uzbek women who are hiding in a basement amid the violence in southern Kyrgyzstan, those who have reached the increasingly restive border area with Uzbekistan are the fortunate ones. More  Sphere Of Reluctance: Russia Hesitant About Kyrgyz Intervention A crisis erupts in a former Soviet state and Russia is reluctant to intervene alone and is instead calling for a multilateral response. Is the crisis in Kyrgyzstan the shape of things to come in the region? More |
