Central Asia Newswrap

Bit of a catch-up session here after a week away, so here goes, country-by-country:

The latest RFE/RL Central Asia Report (vol. 5, no. 22) is available here (or you can subscribe here) and includes articles on continuing lawlessness in Kyrgyzstan, analysis of the Andijon massacre and Sanjar Umarov as a potential challenger to Uzbek President Islam Karimov.

IWPR's latest editions of Reporting Central Asia are also available (nos. 385, 386, 387). They also have a very useful "Tulip Revolution Timeline" on the site.

Central Asia Media On-line Organisation is now providing TV news from Kyrgyzstan that is available for download. Downloads cost USD 1.95 each as far as I can tell, and there is a free sample for download. The service is is Russian at the moment, but Kyrgyz and English versions are planned.

1. Kyrgyzstan

• RFE reports that Kyrgyzstan remains less than stable, despite Kurmanbek Bakiev's claim during an address to the OSCE in Vienna that the situation had been brought back to normal.
• Kommersant has an article on the candidates in the Presidential elections and the continuing problems in the republic, quoting a current joke: “Bribes used to be demanded to feed the family [of ex-president Askar Akaev]. Now bureaucrats take them to fight corruption.”
• On the subject of corruption, the Eurasia Daily Monitor reports that Kyrgyzstan is adopting the Georgian model to fight corruption.
• Meanwhile attempts continue to target Akaev and his family in an investigation to the familiy's personal holdings, reports the Moscow Times.
• The status of Meshketian Turks in Kyrgyzstan is highlighted by Reuters Alerts.
• There have been reports that a British citizen was killed in Bishkek last Friday, though I am still chasing an actual story.
• There are reports on the shooting on Friday of Jyrgalbek Surabaldiyev in Bishkek from BBC News, Khaleej Times, and RFE/RL among others. Zaman has a brief report on the aftermath.
• The sending back of four Uzbek refugees from Kyrgyzstan has provoked an outcry from human rights groups, with the acting government promising to punish the officials responsible for handing over the men, reports Reuters.
• There are reports (subscription only) from AkiPress that the office building of the Turtaly market in Karasuu was ransacked by 150 men.
• AkiPress also reports (full text subscription only) that 2 of Kurmanbek Bakiev's security guards were badly beaten on Saturday at Bakiev's election HQ.
• There are also reports that the Alai hotel in Osh has been attacked reports RIA Novosti. The hotel is apparently owned by Bayaman Erkinbaev, who survived an attempt on his life several weeks ago, according to Voice of America. ITAR-TASS quotes a source as saying that the attack was provoked by interference in the south's business structures. The attack led to 4 people being injured when security guards opened fire to repel the attackers. Cnews also has a report.
• Erkinbaev meanwhile has denied causing unrest and accused the government of being behind the attacks during an interview on Independent Bishkek TV, reports monstersandcritics.com.
• Presidential favourite Kurmanbek Bakiev has registered for the forthcoming elections, having left it until the last hour, if not the last minute, reports RFE/RL.
• Angus-Reid reports the results of a poll by Bishkek-based M-Vector suggesting that 81.7% of respondents support Bakiev. Full text here.
• RFE/RL repots on the increase in violence in the run-up to the presidential elections scheduled for July 10, as does Eurasianet.org.
• Similarly, Kommersant reviews the situation and what is at stake with reference to the various groups and clans that are vying for influence.
• On a non-political, but still downbeat note, Turks.us reports on flooding in southern Kyrgyzstan in Jalalabad.
• Ferghana.ru reports that relations between the local population and Uzbek refugees remain tense, with fears of Islamic radicalism amongst the refugees provoking conflict.
• Finally, in light of all the reports of violence in Kyrgyzstan, it is worth reading this from someone on the ground in Osh regarding safety in the republic at the moment:

"Life in Kyrgyzstan at the moment carries on prettymuch as normal. Bishkek is quiet, Osh is quiet -although as is well documented in the media there areoccasional outbursts of violence. There is an air ofhesitancy and expectation, the elections are less thana month away and people appear to be almost surprisedat these violent episodes. In Bishkek on Monday I passed a crowd of peopledemonstrating in front of the White House where 30minutes earlier there was nobody. But that didn't affect the traffic of cars in the street, or coffee drinkers and pedestrians in the cafes on the side. In Osh (from where I write) the shoot out yesterdaywas a surprise. A few roads were closed, confusionabout what actually was going on abounded, and thevast majority of Osh citizens carried on with theirdaily lives.Yes there is uncertainty. Yes the political situationis unstable. But the fabric of life, society andcommunity continues to function as normal. If you are sensible, your travel arrangements inCentral Asia will not be on a 'Swiss' timetable. InMarch the suddenness of events caught everyone bysurprise, and Osh was cut-off from Bishkek by road andair for the best part of a week. In my opinion I feelit unlikely that this will happen again - although itis always a possibility, and that is just my opinion.If there is a bit of leeway in your movements, youshould be able to get to Peak Lenin withoutsignificant problems. The most sensible route to PeakLenin is through Osh.The travel warnings by various governments againstcoming to Kyrgyzstan seem to be motivated by a desireto protect personal safety. I would suggest that climbing Peak Lenin is dangerous (a friend of mine died up there last year), and any decision to come toCentral Asia has an implicit acceptance of car or aircraft risk... These risks are no different whetherthe political situation is stable or unstable.Personally I would put the risk of being in a carcrash here far higher than being involved in anypolitically motivated agitation." Taken from Oxiana Yahoo Group List, digest 1592.

2. Kazakhstan

• Dariga Nazarbaeva has been reported as saying that a Kyrgyz scenario is possible in Kazakhstan, reports RIA Novosti.
• RFE/RL reports on increased curtailments in Kazakhstan on the media and NGOs after events in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, and the possibility of more restrictive legislation being introduced.
• RIA Novosti reports on the official Kazakh response to recent events in its neighbouring republics.
• The EtherZone has an interesting piece on why Kazakhstan makes an ideal US ally, particularly now that Uzbekistan is falling out of favour to some extent.
• The Moscow Times carries a report that opposition leaders in Kazakhstan believe that the government is stockpiling weapons that will be used to ensure Nazarbaev maintains his hold on power.

3. Uzbekistan

• The Uzbek authorities have apparently promised to hold an open trial for those accused of being responsible for the uprising in Andijan, reports Reuters.
• Apparently the US's muted criticism was not muted enough for the Uzbek authorities, who last week restricted American military flights on Uzbek soil (VOA report). On Monday it was reported that US Air Force planes have been moved to bases in Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan, according to Kommersant.
• Debate over Andijan continues, with articles by Reuters on events after the unrest and the Financial Times on the response of the international community (full text below for non-subscribers):

US senators ask for UN action in Uzbekistan

By Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington

Published: June 9 2005 00:27 Last updated: June 9 2005 00:27

A bipartisan group of senators on Wednesday asked the Bush administration to consider whether the US could take action via the United Nations if Uzbekistan does not allow an independent investigation into last month's massacre at Andijan.

In a letter to the Bush administration, four Republican senators - John McCain, Lindsey Graham, John Sununu and Mike DeWine - and two Democrats - Patrick Leahy and Joseph Biden - said the US should reconsider its relationship with Uzbekistan in light of the May 13 massacre, in which hundreds of civilians were reportedly killed by Uzbek forces.

"Particularly after freedom's advances in Ukraine, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan, we believe that the United States must be careful about being too closely associated with a government that has killed hundreds of demonstrators and refused international calls for a transparent investigation," the senators wrote.

The US, which has boosted military cooperation with Uzbekistan since the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, is currently considering transforming a temporary military base into a permanent installment. Some State Department officials, however, believe the US should distance itself from the regime of President Islam Karimov to avoid the appearance that the US is supporting some undemocratic countries while urging for the spread of democracy in others.

In the letter to Donald Rumsfeld, defence secretary, and Condoleezza Rice, secretary of state, the senators ask whether the administration knows which Uzbek forces participated in the crackdown and whether any received US military training. US-based human rights investigators are looking into allegations that US-trained Uzbek forces may have participated in the massacre. The Pentagon last week said they had no evidence to substantiate those claims.

The senators also urged the Bush administration to consider the repercussions of building a permanent base in Uzbekistan, and asked whether the US is exploring alternative military facilities in neighbouring countries such as Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in order to provide the US with more flexibility to alter its relationship with Uzbekistan.

"We appreciate that these are difficult questions that cut to the heart of our relationship with the government in this strategically important region," the senators wrote. "But we also believe that, in the aftermath of the Andijan massacre, America's relationship with Uzbekistan cannot remain unchanged."

Human Rights Watch this week called on the Bush administration to halt negotiations with Uzbekistan about a permanent military base. In a report on the crackdown, the group argues that most of the people killed were not Islamic terrorist as the Uzbek government alleges but in fact civilian protesters.

"The Uzbek authorities are trying to whitewash this massacre," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch.

"Our investigation is a first step towards setting the record straight. But only a full-fledged international investigation, with access to official records, can give a true picture of the tragic events in Andijan."

Separately, the spokesperson for the US Department of State, Sean McCormack, said on Wednesday the department had been briefed on the Human Rights Watch report. He said reliable eyewitness accounts had established that hundreds of innocent civilians were killed but the department would not label the incident as a massacre. [shameful...]

4. Tajikistan

• A Kyrgyz border guard is has been held after a shooting on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border that resulted in the death of a Tajik citizen, reports RFE/RL.
• Tajik newspaper Najot published an article on the conflict of interests between Russia and the US, reports monstersandcritics.com.
• Tajikistan is also going to abolish limits on foreign banks' activities, reports ITAR-TASS, hoping to increase investment.

5. Turkmenistan

• There's problems with freedom of movement across the Uzbek-Turkmen border, reports Reuters.
• There are also reports that the country is facing a public health crisis as the quality of life continues to fall for the vast majority of citizens.

6. Russia and FSU

• Pakistan, Iran and India are to become observers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, reports CRI Online.
• CASCFEN reports on potential trouble in Azerbijan.