Comments on: Sunshine Uzbekistan’s Appeal to the Oliy Majlis http://registan.net/index.php/2005/10/18/sunshine-uzbekistans-appeal-to-the-oliy-majlis/ Central Asia News -- All Central Asia, All The Time Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:17:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: david_walther http://registan.net/index.php/2005/10/18/sunshine-uzbekistans-appeal-to-the-oliy-majlis/comment-page-1/#comment-77781 david_walther Thu, 20 Oct 2005 10:28:59 +0000 http://www.registan.net/?p=6022#comment-77781 Au: I had no doubts that Umarov speaks Uzbek. But as you (anyone reading) must know if you're been following Uzbekistan for several years, Russian had been all but banished officially for government work--even though, since I meet people in government occaisionally (no one important, but anyway) I know full well that many of them in fact prefer to speak Russian. My point was that, as has already been noted by others, Uzbekistan made a drastic 180 degree turn in terms of Russia and Russian culture just as it turned it's back on the US--yesterday, we were their best friends in the world, and Russians were their colonial oppressors, and now we are supporting terrorists and trying to establish an islamic caliphate in the Ferghana Valley and the Russians are their only real friends, the only ones who really understand what incredible danger they are in (sic). Whoever leads Uzbekistan next will have to make a choice about which road to walk down next in terms of the old cold-war axis: given that Mr. Umarov is a very well educated man and lived in the US for several years and does business there, I have no doubt that he could also have written his complaint (or doubled it) in English if he chose to: I was only speculating that choosing to write it in Russian (as opposed to Uzbek for Uzbekistan, or English for the international stage) might have told us something about who he percieved his audience to be. I don't think Putin likes Karimov. I think you can see it on his face when he has to stand next to him at press conferences. Although he is diplomatic, and calculating, I don't think Putin makes too much effort to fake he's impressed at Uzbekistan suddenly becoming his best friend (that is to say, Karimov suddenly becoming his best friend). While someone mentions, it may have in fact been more natural for Mr. Umarov to write the letter in Russian, since he is a well educated man and Russian is the language of his education etc etc, I suspect that it might be more significant than that. As much as I love Russian (and defend my choice not to learn Uzbek), I have to admit when I go out to visit a village in the valley in particular that people out there don't speak Russian all that well, and many not at all. In other words, I doubt very much that Umarov intends this letter to fuel the fire of popular dissent in Uzbekistan. I think it has another primary audience, one maybe more important to him (or much more important to him) than the Oliy Majlis. Au:

I had no doubts that Umarov speaks Uzbek. But as you (anyone reading) must know if you’re been following Uzbekistan for several years, Russian had been all but banished officially for government work–even though, since I meet people in government occaisionally (no one important, but anyway) I know full well that many of them in fact prefer to speak Russian.

My point was that, as has already been noted by others, Uzbekistan made a drastic 180 degree turn in terms of Russia and Russian culture just as it turned it’s back on the US–yesterday, we were their best friends in the world, and Russians were their colonial oppressors, and now we are supporting terrorists and trying to establish an islamic caliphate in the Ferghana Valley and the Russians are their only real friends, the only ones who really understand what incredible danger they are in (sic).

Whoever leads Uzbekistan next will have to make a choice about which road to walk down next in terms of the old cold-war axis: given that Mr. Umarov is a very well educated man and lived in the US for several years and does business there, I have no doubt that he could also have written his complaint (or doubled it) in English if he chose to: I was only speculating that choosing to write it in Russian (as opposed to Uzbek for Uzbekistan, or English for the international stage) might have told us something about who he percieved his audience to be.

I don’t think Putin likes Karimov. I think you can see it on his face when he has to stand next to him at press conferences. Although he is diplomatic, and calculating, I don’t think Putin makes too much effort to fake he’s impressed at Uzbekistan suddenly becoming his best friend (that is to say, Karimov suddenly becoming his best friend).

While someone mentions, it may have in fact been more natural for Mr. Umarov to write the letter in Russian, since he is a well educated man and Russian is the language of his education etc etc, I suspect that it might be more significant than that. As much as I love Russian (and defend my choice not to learn Uzbek), I have to admit when I go out to visit a village in the valley in particular that people out there don’t speak Russian all that well, and many not at all. In other words, I doubt very much that Umarov intends this letter to fuel the fire of popular dissent in Uzbekistan. I think it has another primary audience, one maybe more important to him (or much more important to him) than the Oliy Majlis.

]]> By: A.U. http://registan.net/index.php/2005/10/18/sunshine-uzbekistans-appeal-to-the-oliy-majlis/comment-page-1/#comment-77619 A.U. Thu, 20 Oct 2005 06:07:20 +0000 http://www.registan.net/?p=6022#comment-77619 BBC Coverage: ".....Meanwhile, the leader of an opposition group, Sunshine Uzbekistan, has written an open letter to the Uzbek parliament calling on deputies to begin talks with them. The letter says the violence in Andijan was only possible because of the explosive political and economic situation. It says people no longer believe the government of President Islam Karimov, which was engaged in what it called "an hysterical search for enemies"...." -- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4358746.stm Also the open letter is covered by Tashkent based news sites: Arena and Tribune-uz david_walther: You can be assured about Sanjar Umarov's knoweledge of Uzbek language, in fact you can listen to him speak on radio (Ozodlik, VOA, BBC) or you can meet him in Tashkent BBC Coverage: “…..Meanwhile, the leader of an opposition group, Sunshine Uzbekistan, has written an open letter to the Uzbek parliament calling on deputies to begin talks with them.

The letter says the violence in Andijan was only possible because of the explosive political and economic situation.

It says people no longer believe the government of President Islam Karimov, which was engaged in what it called “an hysterical search for enemies”….” — http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4358746.stm

Also the open letter is covered by Tashkent based news sites: Arena and Tribune-uz

david_walther: You can be assured about Sanjar Umarov’s knoweledge of Uzbek language, in fact you can listen to him speak on radio (Ozodlik, VOA, BBC) or you can meet him in Tashkent

]]> By: uzbekistan.neweurasia.net » Blog Archive » A Notorious Appeal to the Uzbek Parliament http://registan.net/index.php/2005/10/18/sunshine-uzbekistans-appeal-to-the-oliy-majlis/comment-page-1/#comment-77328 uzbekistan.neweurasia.net » Blog Archive » A Notorious Appeal to the Uzbek Parliament Wed, 19 Oct 2005 18:33:21 +0000 http://www.registan.net/?p=6022#comment-77328 [...] I would note that although the letter is open, it has not yet been covered in any media, neither Russian, nor Western. The only link to it that you can find as of today is at Registan. Why is it not even published on the official website of Sunshine Uzbekistan? [...] [...] I would note that although the letter is open, it has not yet been covered in any media, neither Russian, nor Western. The only link to it that you can find as of today is at Registan. Why is it not even published on the official website of Sunshine Uzbekistan? [...]

]]> By: Nathan http://registan.net/index.php/2005/10/18/sunshine-uzbekistans-appeal-to-the-oliy-majlis/comment-page-1/#comment-77302 Nathan Wed, 19 Oct 2005 16:16:37 +0000 http://www.registan.net/?p=6022#comment-77302 You can probably find more info <a href="http://www.sunshineuzbekistan.org/" rel="nofollow">here</a>. David, i don't want to speculate too much about your questions. I know there are some readers who have a dim view of him, and I know there are others who could give you accurate answers. He says that he has run into trouble in <a href="http://www.registan.net/?p=5881" rel="nofollow">this interview</a>. And, in answer to your language question, he wants to make Russian an official language, so, yep, this letter came out in Russian. You can probably find more info here.

David, i don’t want to speculate too much about your questions. I know there are some readers who have a dim view of him, and I know there are others who could give you accurate answers. He says that he has run into trouble in this interview. And, in answer to your language question, he wants to make Russian an official language, so, yep, this letter came out in Russian.

]]> By: Uzbek http://registan.net/index.php/2005/10/18/sunshine-uzbekistans-appeal-to-the-oliy-majlis/comment-page-1/#comment-77239 Uzbek Wed, 19 Oct 2005 13:50:05 +0000 http://www.registan.net/?p=6022#comment-77239 It is interesting for me as well!!! Although I am an Uzbek I have never heard of Sanjar Umarov before, where he is, who is behind him, how come he is involved in politics and in opposition especially? The extent of my knowledge about him is limited by what I have found in the centrasia.ru/person, information about him, apparently he wrote himself and posted. But it does not give any information on how he started to be involved in the opposition to the Karimov's regime, it says that he and his partner were the initiators of Uzdonrobita, the leader in providing mobile telecommunications in Uzbekistan and later bought by Gulnora Karimova because it was making money and the last thing it says that in 1996 he initiated a foreign investment attraction project for the oil and gas industry in Uzbekistan, basically NHK UzbekNeftiGaz. From what is said it could be inferred that if he was able to work, I mean to do business and make money in substantial amounts until 1996, because in Uzbekistan You can not make business in such a scale on Your own, You just do not go around attracting investment to the strategic sphere such as oil and gas without being under the spotlight of Karimov, SNB and MVD and without negotiating with them, finding so called “common language”. What I think happened is that as the case with many sound businessmen and politicians, he was able to work with Karimov and his people until 1997, after which as Karimov turned wild thinking that he owns the Uzbekistan and people are his slaves he as many others had to depart, because then Karimov decided that what he needs is a small number of SNB and MVD people as the support of his power and he can kick off others. As a result as many influential businessmen who were forced to leave to Kazakhstan, Russia, USA and Belgium he had to leave I guess to Russia or USA. So interesting part is what happened during this gap years 1997-2004??? In the information about himself Sanjar Umarov in my opinion deliberately did not touch upon these later years, he just stopped at 1996. So the answer who he is, Mr X prepared by Karimov himself, so he can leave him behind or genuine member of opposition could be known when we will have answer to what he did during these 7 years. Below I give You the information on him posted at the Centrasia.ru/person. By the way the fact that we wrote in Russian means nothing much, he was born in 1956 and they as older generation of Uzbeks were taught in Russian, studied in Russian schools and in general Russian culture was regarded as cool, where as now it is English, and most of the important people of the hierarchy in the Karimov's apparatus speak and read in Russian and do not know Uzbek, although they are Uzbeks and say that Uzbek language is the state language and although the law was issued in 1989. Centrasia.ru/person Sanjar Umarov Родился в Ташкенте 7 апреля 1956 года в семье интеллектуалов и поклонников искусства. Отец – Гияс Умаров – физик, основатель гелиотехники в Узбекистане, Мать – Набира Шамсиева – преподаватель английского языка. У меня два старших брата и две младшие сестры. С детства в нашей семье царило уважение к творчеству и знаниям. Я женат, жена Индира Ниязова – кандидат искусствоведения. У нас три сына и две дочки, внучка. Окончил Ташкентский институт инженеров ирригации и механизации сельского хозяйства. Получил специальность инженера-электрика, занимался научными исследованиями и преподавал в Ташкентском политехническом институте. Выучив французский язык, получил возможность преподавать физику и электротехнику в университете г. Бискра, в Алжире. На академическом поприще в 1989 году принимал участие в организации совместно с Республиканским экономическим обществом и Всесоюзной академией внешней торговли одной из первых в Узбекистане бизнес - школ. Таким образом, наши молодые люди получили возможность учится международному бизнесу у самых лучших профессоров и преподавателей Москвы. В основном, занимался привлечением инвестиций в Узбекистан, а также сам вкладывал на начальном этапе в перспективные проекты – говоря на языке финансистов - я "венчурный капиталист". Прокомментирую это на примере развития моих бизнес - проектов. По возвращении из Алжира в 1988 г. с учетом открывшихся в то время возможностей по развитию предпринимательства и больших перспектив мобильной связи я начал ее внедрение, результатом чего явилось создание в феврале 1991г. первой в СССР компании сотовой связи "Уздунробита" с привлечением американских инвестиций. Успех первого проекта окрылил меня, а приобретение Узбекистаном независимости дало возможность привлекать иностранные инвестиции в сельскохозяйственное производство. Это дало возможность в 1992 году мне с партнерами по бизнесу инициировать создание Республиканского внешнеэкономического объединения "Узагротрейдинвест". Это объединение было призвано привлекать иностранные инвестиции в переработку фруктов и овощей, с их последующим экспортом. Кроме того, разработанная нами концепция легла в основу инвестиционной программы Мирового банка по созданию в 1996 году в Узбекистане нескольких частных хлопкоперерабатывающих заводов. В последующем занимался привлечением инвестиций в нефтегазовую отрасль. Так в 1996 году способствовал привлечению американских инвестиций в создание совместной Узбекско-Американской транспортной компании "Нефтегазтранс", по логистике жидких углеводородов и промышленного оборудования. Последний наш проект – это создание в Узбекистане завода по производству жидкого топлива из природного газа – технология "Газ-в-жидкость" (ГВЖ). Как известно, Узбекистан богат природным газом, но в то же время добыча нефти быстро падает. ГВЖ завод позволит восполнить этот недостаток. Предприятие предполагается построить за счет 1 млрд. долларов прямых североамериканских инвестиций без требований правительственной гарантии. It is interesting for me as well!!!
Although I am an Uzbek I have never heard of Sanjar Umarov before, where he is, who is behind him, how come he is involved in politics and in opposition especially?
The extent of my knowledge about him is limited by what I have found in the centrasia.ru/person, information about him, apparently he wrote himself and posted. But it does not give any information on how he started to be involved in the opposition to the Karimov’s regime, it says that he and his partner were the initiators of Uzdonrobita, the leader in providing mobile telecommunications in Uzbekistan and later bought by Gulnora Karimova because it was making money and the last thing it says that in 1996 he initiated a foreign investment attraction project for the oil and gas industry in Uzbekistan, basically NHK UzbekNeftiGaz.
From what is said it could be inferred that if he was able to work, I mean to do business and make money in substantial amounts until 1996, because in Uzbekistan You can not make business in such a scale on Your own, You just do not go around attracting investment to the strategic sphere such as oil and gas without being under the spotlight of Karimov, SNB and MVD and without negotiating with them, finding so called “common language”. What I think happened is that as the case with many sound businessmen and politicians, he was able to work with Karimov and his people until 1997, after which as Karimov turned wild thinking that he owns the Uzbekistan and people are his slaves he as many others had to depart, because then Karimov decided that what he needs is a small number of SNB and MVD people as the support of his power and he can kick off others. As a result as many influential businessmen who were forced to leave to Kazakhstan, Russia, USA and Belgium he had to leave I guess to Russia or USA.
So interesting part is what happened during this gap years 1997-2004???
In the information about himself Sanjar Umarov in my opinion deliberately did not touch upon these later years, he just stopped at 1996.
So the answer who he is, Mr X prepared by Karimov himself, so he can leave him behind or genuine member of opposition could be known when we will have answer to what he did during these 7 years.
Below I give You the information on him posted at the Centrasia.ru/person.
By the way the fact that we wrote in Russian means nothing much, he was born in 1956 and they as older generation of Uzbeks were taught in Russian, studied in Russian schools and in general Russian culture was regarded as cool, where as now it is English, and most of the important people of the hierarchy in the Karimov’s apparatus speak and read in Russian and do not know Uzbek, although they are Uzbeks and say that Uzbek language is the state language and although the law was issued in 1989.

Centrasia.ru/person Sanjar Umarov
Родился в Ташкенте 7 апреля 1956 года в семье интеллектуалов и поклонников искусства. Отец – Гияс Умаров – физик, основатель гелиотехники в Узбекистане, Мать – Набира Шамсиева – преподаватель английского языка. У меня два старших брата и две младшие сестры. С детства в нашей семье царило уважение к творчеству и знаниям. Я женат, жена Индира Ниязова – кандидат искусствоведения. У нас три сына и две дочки, внучка.

Окончил Ташкентский институт инженеров ирригации и механизации сельского хозяйства. Получил специальность инженера-электрика, занимался научными исследованиями и преподавал в Ташкентском политехническом институте. Выучив французский язык, получил возможность преподавать физику и электротехнику в университете г. Бискра, в Алжире.

На академическом поприще в 1989 году принимал участие в организации совместно с Республиканским экономическим обществом и Всесоюзной академией внешней торговли одной из первых в Узбекистане бизнес – школ. Таким образом, наши молодые люди получили возможность учится международному бизнесу у самых лучших профессоров и преподавателей Москвы.
В основном, занимался привлечением инвестиций в Узбекистан, а также сам вкладывал на начальном этапе в перспективные проекты – говоря на языке финансистов – я “венчурный капиталист”. Прокомментирую это на примере развития моих бизнес – проектов.

По возвращении из Алжира в 1988 г. с учетом открывшихся в то время возможностей по развитию предпринимательства и больших перспектив мобильной связи я начал ее внедрение, результатом чего явилось создание в феврале 1991г. первой в СССР компании сотовой связи “Уздунробита” с привлечением американских инвестиций.
Успех первого проекта окрылил меня, а приобретение Узбекистаном независимости дало возможность привлекать иностранные инвестиции в сельскохозяйственное производство. Это дало возможность в 1992 году мне с партнерами по бизнесу инициировать создание Республиканского внешнеэкономического объединения “Узагротрейдинвест”. Это объединение было призвано привлекать иностранные инвестиции в переработку фруктов и овощей, с их последующим экспортом.

Кроме того, разработанная нами концепция легла в основу инвестиционной программы Мирового банка по созданию в 1996 году в Узбекистане нескольких частных хлопкоперерабатывающих заводов. В последующем занимался привлечением инвестиций в нефтегазовую отрасль. Так в 1996 году способствовал привлечению американских инвестиций в создание совместной Узбекско-Американской транспортной компании “Нефтегазтранс”, по логистике жидких углеводородов и промышленного оборудования.

Последний наш проект – это создание в Узбекистане завода по производству жидкого топлива из природного газа – технология “Газ-в-жидкость” (ГВЖ). Как известно, Узбекистан богат природным газом, но в то же время добыча нефти быстро падает. ГВЖ завод позволит восполнить этот недостаток. Предприятие предполагается построить за счет 1 млрд. долларов прямых североамериканских инвестиций без требований правительственной гарантии.

]]> By: david_walther http://registan.net/index.php/2005/10/18/sunshine-uzbekistans-appeal-to-the-oliy-majlis/comment-page-1/#comment-77186 david_walther Wed, 19 Oct 2005 10:52:53 +0000 http://www.registan.net/?p=6022#comment-77186 Wow. So much for pulling punches. And so much for the theory that Umarov might be "Karimov's chosen successor".. The machine translation is not terrible, but it doesn't of course do any justice to the original. It's well written, curt, and very, very ballsy... and in Russian! (As oppossed to Uzbek). Did you just pick up the Russian version, or did Umarov write the original document in Russian? If so, that may mean something. So what I want to know now (and what I think would behoove all of us to know) is who stands behind Umarov? Is he powerful enough to stand on his own? Who are his friends (in positions of influence). I think this open letter can be seen as a gauntlet that he's thrown down--and it's about time we talk about who might be standing beside him. We all know that this is not the kind of thing people say in Tashkent and keep their money or their freedom. This is the kind of stuff they crucify you for, needles to say... so if he's untouchable, what makes him so? Wow. So much for pulling punches. And so much for the theory that Umarov might be “Karimov’s chosen successor”..

The machine translation is not terrible, but it doesn’t of course do any justice to the original. It’s well written, curt, and very, very ballsy… and in Russian! (As oppossed to Uzbek). Did you just pick up the Russian version, or did Umarov write the original document in Russian? If so, that may mean something.

So what I want to know now (and what I think would behoove all of us to know) is who stands behind Umarov? Is he powerful enough to stand on his own? Who are his friends (in positions of influence). I think this open letter can be seen as a gauntlet that he’s thrown down–and it’s about time we talk about who might be standing beside him.

We all know that this is not the kind of thing people say in Tashkent and keep their money or their freedom. This is the kind of stuff they crucify you for, needles to say… so if he’s untouchable, what makes him so?

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