June 25 , 2010

Ethnic Clashes in Central Asian Republic of Kyrgrzstan

 

Ethnic tensions between the Kyrgyz and Uzbek communities of southern Kyrgyzstan, a central Asian Muslim majority republic, that had been simmering for a long time, emerged to the surface last April, following the overthrow of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, and erupted into violent clashes on June 10 and continued for almost a week claiming at least 187 lives and causing injuries to some 2,000 persons.

Several neighborhoods of the two major cities of the area – Osh and Jalalabad- were turned into killing fields. So many properties were torched and razed to the ground that the badly hit Uzbeks had no choice but to escape to neighboring Uzbekistan. Over a hundred thousand had already taken refuge in that state, which declared that it couldn’t accommodate any more and had therefore closed all points of entry.

Media reports said that gangs with automatic rifles, iron bars and machetes were seen on the rampage, setting houses and other properties on fire and killing the fleeing people. Many were suspected of being Kyrgyz enjoying the support of some official elements.

To be able to have a clearer understanding of the situation, it would be advantageous to have at least a synoptic view of Kyrgyzstan’s background.

In the 8 th century Arab armies conquered Central Asia including Kyrgyzstan. Mongols under Genghis Khan conquered it in 1207. It was a throbbing, thriving territory during the middle ages. It gave rise to centers of civilizations and learning like Samarkand, Tashkent, and Bukhara along the Silk Route.

In the late nineteenth century, during Europe’s march into Asia and scramble for colonies, Russia acquired the entire Central Asian territories from China. Kyrgyzstan became a part of Russian empire in 1876; but, the Kyrgyz continued to fight for independence sporadically. a major rebellion took place in 1916 but vast Russian armies ruthlessly put it down eliminating in the process virtually half of the Kyrgyz population. In 1989 protests flared up against the Soviet policy of facilitating settlement of Russians.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union in early 1990s, Kyrgyzstan acquired further autonomy like the other central Asian states. . On December 25, 1991, it became a fully independent republic with Bishkek as its capital.

Continued political stability has, however, been elusive, as various groups and factions allegedly linked to organized crime have been jockeying for power.

Southern Krygyzstan , scene of the present turmoil, is part of the Ferghana valley, a vast fertile region that has been historically shared by Uzbek, Tajik and Kyrgyz tribes. The valley has produced several historical conquerors such as Taimur and Babar apart from numerous religious scholars. Babar founded the Mughal Empire in India that lasted 330 years. And, it was in this area that the horse was first domesticated and used for riding. Cavalries have almost always dominated foot soldiers.

Soviet leader and premier, Josef Stalin, resorted to ruthless suppression and division of Farghana valley into Tajik, Uzbek and Kyrgyz territories to end the identity of the valley dwellers and stir up ethnic dissensions - colonial concept of divide and rule. From 1890 onwards ever-larger number of settlers from Russian empire were enabled to colonize Central Asian territories and impose Russian as the over-arching tongue.

Bordered by China, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan, landlocked and mountainous Kyrgyzstan has a population of 5.5 million - 65% Kyrgyz and 13% Uzbek, 75% Muslim and notably 98% literate. The International University of Kyrgyzstan located in the capital, Bishkek, as well as other centers of learning, have attracted students from various parts of the world including Pakistan and India. During the current turmoil, foreign students were evacuated by their respective governments.

Almost 95% of the country is 1000 meters above sea level, turning the people into hardy, tenacious beings. Incidentally, Kyrgyzstan has the world’s largest-growth walnut forest. It has a largely nomadic pastoral economy.

At the heart of the unrest and tensions, some experts tell us, are the different lifestyles of the Kyrgyz and Uzbek communities. Krygyz are nomadic people, while the Uzbeks are sedentary and dominate farming and trade in the fertile Ferghana valley where they are concentrated. This has excited resentment among their Kyrgyz neighbors. The Uzbek, on the other hand, nurture a grievance for not being represented into government in accordance with their share in the population. In certain southern territories, they constitute a majority but are not accordingly represented in local governance.

Following the political upheaval of last April that forced President Kumanbek Baikyev to seek political refuge in Belarus, an interim government was formed under former Foreign Minister, Roza Otunbaeva. She sought a solution of the political issues through a referendum on a draft constitution scheduled for June 27. The draft did not assuage the Uzbek grievances; it added some more fuel to the fire. For instance, it makes no accommodation for the Uzbek language while preserving Russian as the official second language.

Some analysts maintain that ethnic tensions were not solely responsible for the violence. For, criminal mafias who supported the former President Bakiyev and who secured fiscal and other benefits during his period were provoking the riots to destabilize the interim government and pave the way for Bakiyev to stage a come back. That sounds quite plausible. For, Kyrgyzstan has been the scene of ethnic tensions for almost two decades, but whenever an issue ignited violence, it was amicably resolved through negotiations and the balance was restored. There have always been disputes about power sharing, land sharing and water sharing, but these never erupted into a communal conflagration like the one in mid-June, 2010.

Evidently, the interim government of Roza Otunbaeva is not strong enough to put down the riots forcefully and bring to justice the criminal gangs stoking tensions. She has appealed to foreign powers, particularly Russia, to help resolve the issue. Krygystan lacks military and police force of the required level. Russia has a stake in the area.

Although the former Soviet Central Asian republics have become fully independent, the area is still accepted as continuing under Russian influence. Suffice it to mention that the common language is still Russian, just like English remaining the common language in the British colonies after their independence and reformation as members of the British Commonwealth. The Soviet counterpart of the British Commonwealth, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and the Collective Security Organization (CSTO) have to get involved for a peaceful and abiding solution.

No wonder the US government is in touch with the Russian authorities to seek ways and means of restoration of abiding peace. The US has an airbase in northern Kyrgystan from where crucial supplies are delivered to US military formations in Afghanistan. The US, which treats the problem as an internal matter, has pledged, on humanitarian grounds, support and assistance to the Kyrgyz interim government.

During the Tsarist/ Soviet period, the inter-communal dissensions among Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Tajik and Turkemans remained on the back burner. For, they had all a common focal point for their complaints – Russia. Even during the earlier Muslim period, ethnic divisions were overwhelmed by the concept of brotherhood of man preached by the religion and at the political level they remained confined to loyalties to this Khanate or that Emirate.

Although the six Muslim states of Central Asia have remained in the Soviet orbit for almost two centuries, the loyalties of the tribal peoples to Islam have remained suppressed but un-obliterated. Russia and the US are both apprehensive of religious extremism emerging from the turmoil. This common interest may lead to common efforts for the restoration of peace and the march towards socio-economic progress and modernism, effective antidotes to fanaticism.

- arifhussaini@hotmail.com