Atlantic Council Panel on Unrest in Uzbekistan
By Elaine Pasquini
Washington: On July 14, the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center hosted a webinar to address the recent unrest and protests in Nukus, the capital of Karakalpakstan, an autonomous region of Uzbekistan. Proposed amendments to the Uzbek Constitution which would nullify the independent status of Karakalpakstan – including its constitutional right to secede – triggered the street demonstrations.
The Eurasia Center director, John E. Herbst, former US Ambassador to Ukraine, moderated the hour-long discussion.
Javlon Vakhabov, Ambassador of Uzbekistan to the US, lamented the protests which began peacefully on July 1, but escalated, leaving 18 dead and more than 240 injured, including civilians and law enforcement officers.
The protests in reaction to the draft amendments to the Constitution proposing a change in the status of Karakalpakstan were “hijacked by a criminal group…that demonstrated their vivid criminal purposes to split the society inside Karakalpakstan and Uzbekistan,” he said.
The ambassador met recently with Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, Amnesty International and Freedom Now to hear their concerns and recommendations following the protests. “I’d like to stress that peaceful voices will always be heard and the president’s swift call to leave the constitutional provisions on the status of Karakalpakstan untouched is a true testament of his approach,” Vakhabov said. But he emphasized that “no forces can prevent the Republic of Uzbekistan from consistently continuing the course of democratic reforms…and that all civil society members, members of parliament and human rights activists will be moving forward in this process.”
Vakhabov stressed President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s commitment to the constitutional reforms in the country and “no one should doubt his strong political will to advance further diplomatic reforms and protect all fundamental rights.”
Acknowledging the government’s miscalculation of the public’s attitude to these constitutional challenges on the status of Karakalpakstan, Vakhabov said the government had learned from the unrest. “I am confident that the new Constitution that reflects the voices of our people will further strengthen the guarantees of protection of human rights, freedoms, honor and dignity in true openness with more transparency and accountability of state authorities and improve the democratic system of checks and balances,” he stated.
Brian Stimmler, director of the Office of Central Asian Affairs at the US State Department, praised the 30 years of diplomatic relations between the US and Uzbekistan. “Through the relationship we’ve established with both the government and the people of Uzbekistan over the past three decades, the United States has worked to boost economic prosperity, strengthen security and promote respect for human rights and democratic governance,” he said. “At the core of the relationship is the United States’ unwavering support for Uzbekistan’s political independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The United States and Uzbekistan share the understanding that Central Asia’s future development and security are cross-border and international in scope, Stimmler added.
“We welcome the government of Uzbekistan’s broad-based program of political, economic and social reforms launched in 2016 and we continue to emphasize the importance of fully implementing efforts that advance respect for human rights, foster democratic governance and promote equitable economic growth,” Stimmler said.
Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili, associate professor at the University of Pittsburg Center for Governance and Markets, said that since coming to power President Mirziyoyev has made Karakalpakstan a priority. He has visited there, increased investment in the region, and given it a lot of attention that it did not receive under the previous government.
“But proposed changes did not take into account the views of the people in the region,” she said. “After the unrest began Mirziyoyev moved quickly to reverse course.”
In light of the unrest, many in Uzbekistan will be looking to the country’s leaders to see how they make good on the promises they had already made to its citizens, she added, including sweeping judicial reforms and a more open economy.
“I think the recent event in Karakalpakstan is the most recent test of the Mirziyoyev government since he has come to power,” Murtazashvili opined. “How the country will deal with these protests will define the country, not only in the eyes of its citizens, but in the eyes of the world in the years to come.”
Now that the situation in Afghanistan has changed drastically, Uzbekistan has become more important to the United States, and Washington should be involved through trade, investment, science, education and technology which would be a creative approach for the entire region, she noted.
According to Voice of America journalist Navbahor Imamova, President Mirziyoyev has been more successful abroad than at home and enjoys “a much better relationship with the international community and organizations and with its neighbors” than the previous government.
Despite setbacks during the pandemic, the country is still open for business and for change in many ways. “There is a force within the government which wants to change structurally, which wants better governance and to offer better government services,” she said. But on the other hand, there is a strong contingent within the system which is “incredibly cautious.”
Uzbekistan is open for business and trying to attract investment and improve the country’s business climate, but there are difficulties, such as corruption, although anti-corruption efforts are being made, Imamova pointed out.
“Despite all the issues, the Uzbek citizenry is more emboldened than ever…are more openly critical of the establishment,” she said. “President Mirziyoyev is very popular around the country…but the people want a proper transition of power. With these discussions of constitutional reforms, thousands have provided feedback to the government and come up with proposals and ideas. The government should be really listening closely to what the public is saying. We cannot underestimate this input by the citizens.”
(Elaine Pasquini is a freelance journalist. Her reports appear in the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs and Nuze.Ink.)
