Akipress [Russian] and 24.kg, along with Eurasianet.org and Fergana.ru (and more in Russian), are reporting border strife between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. As usual, it’s rather difficult to get much more information from eye witnesses without going through state-run news organizations. Any advancements in this story would be appreciated, gentle readers – don’t be afraid to sound off in the comments.
Uzbekistan has apparently sent a military force into the region near Sokh, an exclave of Uzbekistan (enclave of Kyrgyzstan) in the Ferghana Valley. Sokh is Uzbekistan’s largest exclave, though its population is nearly entirely Tajik by ethnicity. Kyrgyzstan’s Batken province (in which Sokh is found) and Uzbekistan’s Fergana Province are quite different, though neighbors – with Batken being mountainous and relatively sparsely populated compared to Fergana Province. After an escalating struggle (Russian) began on May 26th, the heads of the border agencies are meeting (Russian) to (hopefully?) defuse the situation that reportedly involved about a thousand citizens stuck on one side of the border.
For those needing a refresher course on the difficult geography of the Valley and its exclaves and enclaves, allow me to direct you to this story that ran some time ago at The Coming Anarchy with some nice maps.
This post was written by...
Michael Hancock-Parmer – author of 158 posts on Registan.net.
Michael earned an MA in Central Eurasian Studies in 2011 and remains a student at Indiana University pursuing a dual PhD in Russian History and Central Eurasian Studies. He served 6 months in the Peace Corps in Uzbekistan in 2005. After the events in Andijan and the subsequent closure of the program, he served 2 years in southern Kazakhstan, returning to the Midwest in 2007. His general area of interest is on post-Timur Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, centered on the Syr Darya river valley.
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This is from 24.kg, a Kyrgyz news service. This is the entire article:
http://eng.24.kg/politic/2010/05/31/11780.html
Regional Batken administration informed NA “24.kg” they are expecting arrival of Kurmankul Matenov, the head of State Frontier Service.
By officials of Batken administration standoff between allied settlements – Kyrgyz village Sogment and Uzbek village Husher continues. By their data there are more than 300 residents of Sogment and 1.5 thousands inhabitants of Husher in the epicenter. Citizens of Uzbekistan demand to leave them pastures while Kyrgyz are against that.
In past weekends confrontation was ready to blast as officials of Batken district administration noted. Occupants of Husher broke dozen of cars belonging to countrymen of Sogment and destroyed plumbing systems of the village so approximately 400 people were left without irrigation water.
Now confronting sides are waiting for acting head of State Frontier Service KR Kurmankul Matenov.
Officials confirm information about coming additional military forces to Uzbek enclave Soh. However, the military of the Republic of Uzbekistan don’t interfere in the conflict.
This story provides a great timeline of tension between the Kyrgyz and Uzbek along the border. http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/casia/articles/20100521.aspx
It’s a pain in the ass that the AKIPress Ferghana site doesn’t have an easy way to search. There have been a ton of these border incidents–lots about pasture access like this one. I think there was a kidnapping for ransom recently too. In one of the Uzbek cities in the valley, there was also some government-orchestrated protest against cruel Kyrgyz border forces for killing an Uzbek citizen.
I’ll admit I haven’t paid super close attention, but this all seems to stem from both countries more strictly policing their borders and shutting down economic activities that were common until recently.
Michael, here’s an interesting and similar story from 2005. Lots at AKIPress on the situation today too.
@Michael, Nathan: This Bishkek site presents a Kyrgyz view in Russian. No doubt, another heap of distortions that Metin will soon expose. A summary in English:
-Area: 325 sq. km, population: 52,000
-The Uzbek enclave in Kyrgyzstan appeared in 1955. According to a legend, the Uzbek Communist party leader won the land from his Kyrgyz colleague in a game of cards. According to another legend, the land was transferred because the main road out of Sokh lead into Uzbekistan.
-From the moment it gained independence in 1991, Uzbekistan has demanded a free access to the enclave via Kyrgyz roads.
-The situation got complicated in 1999 when the IMU attacked Kyrgyzstan. Uzbekistan deployed troops in the enclave and mined the border. The Kyrgyz said the mine fields encroached on ther lands and Uzbek soldiers terrorized local population. Several Kyrgyz got blown up by the mines or were shot dead while attempting to cross enclave’s border.
-In January of 2001, Uzbekistan cut off gas supplies. It was said that gas was then offered in exchange for transfer to Uzbekistan of about 20 km of land along the road to Sokh.
-In February 2001, a bilateral memorandum on border delimitation was adopted. It emphasized “expediency” of connecting the enclave with Uzbekistan. In exchange the Kyrgyz were offered an area of Uzbek land equal in size.
There is more where this came from:
http://erkind.kloop.kg/2010/05/28/uzbekskie-anklavy-sox-shaximardan-i-changara/
well noticed!
look at timing of the article (11.05.2005 16:51 msk) – short after Tulip revolution. This might be a coincidence, but still supports the idea, that such tensions tend to increase when situation gets desperate in that country.
Metin, my friend, your attention to detail is unparalleled. Did you notice the other detail? It contradicts your statement that only Tajiks got blown up by Uzbek mines. Those pitiful attention seekers in Bishkek claim Kyrgyz were also on the receiving end of that privilege. Well, Andy Warhol comes to mind. He said everyone wants their 15 minutes of fame. And they don’t are if they tarnish the image of the Great Uzbek Leader. Down with West’s lackeys in Bishkek!
Small countries are very vocal in protesting against their bigger neighbors to detract public attention from internal problems. Kyrgyz and Tajiks have chronically suffered from this problem. Someone in eurasia.net wrote about Tajiks complaining Uzbekistan for halting cargo for NATO, while NATO saying it has no problems with Uzbekistan. Kyrgyz are no different, they tend to point fingers at others when they can’t solve their own problems. This news is another one in series of ‘brutal Mugabe like Uzbek regime closing its border with democratic, freedom loving peaceful, civilized, market oriented neighbors’.
@Michael, My apologies. I break my word and interrupt my self-imposed ban. I just have to support Metin. He is the sole truth-teller here. Everyone else is here to simply to gang up on him and sling mud at the Great Leader of Uzbekistan.
@Metin, my friend. Thank you for bringing balance to the dicussion to this blog. I like the way you explose lies perpertrated by West’s lackeys on this blog.
You are right. Yes, both Karimov and Mugabe are Great Leaders. But Karimov is not Mugabe. Mugabe is a weakling. All those years living in the bush and fighting Rhodesian forces made Mugabe weak. He has had to allow the opposition to participate in the elections and now has to share power with his rival, Morgan Tsvangirai. .
Karimov is his opposite. All those years sitting in the office and pushing papers made him strong. He created a new concept. Cooperative opposition parties. The invention is popular. It is being copied by Berdymukhamedov now. Karimov should take out a patent on it. Then you can have an Uzbekistan version of soccer where the teams play in parallel, helping each other.
Tajikistan-bound cargo is held up by the Uzbeks. You wisely bring up the point that not all of it is NATO cargo. So, the hold up is not real and is not important.
Metin, my friend, you are taking the perfect path to defeating those who throw mud at Karimov on this blog. Uzbekistan is a country with a volatile glorious past and an elusive great future. Ergo, we shouldn’t dwell on Karimov’s involvement in Tajikistan’s civil war. We should also skip Uzbekistan’s not allowing Tajikistan-bound Turkmen electricity transit its territory.
The only country in Central Asia that has surrounded itself with landmines, barbed wire, walls and moats? That’s just another proof that Uzbekistan, led by the Great Leader, is unique, follows its own path. And strong. Ergo, it will defeat even logic and common sense.
We should applaud Karimov’s doublethink. Water is a natural resource. Ergo, it should be shared in a good-neighborly way. Gas is natural resource. Ergo, it should only be sold profitably. And used as political leverage.
Metin, my friend, thank you for your tireless efforts on this blog. Look forward to more intelelctually honest defense from you. Take an Efes after a day of hard work.
“He (Karimov) created a new concept. Cooperative opposition parties. (…) Karimov should take out a patent on it.”
If I may and for the record: the concept of cooperative (that is, cardboard) opposition is actually copycat from a system that existed in the German Democratic Republic, where besides the all-powerful Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands (SED, the Communist regime party) there existed half a dozen of cardboard/cooperative opposition parties including a Christian-Democratic Union (the CDUD). They all had representatives in the Volkskammer (the rubber-stamp parliament).
A similar system exists in Syria around the Ba’ath party, to name but one other example. So he’s late to get a patent.
@Turgai Sangar: You’re trying to diminish the shining image of the Uzbek Great Leader using using dubious facts of dubious origin. You know those things about the GDR and Syria from Western source, yes? Western sources are not trusted here. Because they distort facts about Uzbekistan. I have a proof. No, I have two proofs.
There was an ADB meeting in Tashkent recently, yes? What does the Reuters correspondent see? “Uzbek growth fanfare masks poverty, disquiet”. You can Google that title if you want to know what they mean. But Reuters and anyone else hide the most important news of the decade. At the ADB meeting Mr. Karimov said loud and clear that we need to regulate financial derivatives. You know, if Western correspondents had reported all the great thoughts coming from him, the world financial crisis would have never happened. Karimov knows what he’s talking about. He’s a top free-market economist after years of hard work at the Gosplan. His daughter is running for the Noble Peace Prize this year. He should run for the Noble award in economics. It will a sight to behold. A dynasty of Nobel winners. Never seen before.
But Metin and I have to stick with the unpleasant reality. There is another assault coming from the treacherous Western correspondents. The BBC, that mouthpiece of the perfidious Albion, has just shown a documentary. “”Through The Looking Glass: The Andijan Massacre”. Made by a Monica Whitlock. She’s probably a Laurence of Transoxania. You know what I mean? No doubt, Metin will swiftly confirm her status as Laurence of Transoxania. But I have a request to everyone else on this venerable blog. Could you please upload the documentary? Metin will be happy to attack it. And I will be happy to support him. You can watch a trailer of that shameful propaganda for the British Empire here: http://vimeo.com/11932522
Turgai Sangar, my friend, Neo is the name. With all due respect to Mr. Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, we can’t be sure we know anything about the man. The so-called facts of his life are known through Western sources, yes? Well, I’ve just explained that Western sources are not trusted here, yes? We just have to wait till Pravda Vostoka becomes the global newspaper of the record. Then we shall know the truth.
@Michael, Nathan: You blog is not letting me post this. Please address this important free-speech issue.
@Turgai Sangar: You’re trying to diminish the shining image of the Uzbek Great Leader using using dubious facts of dubious origin. You know those things about the GDR and Syria from Western source, yes? Western sources are not trusted here. Because they distort facts about Uzbekistan. I have a proof. No, I have two proofs.
There was an ADB meeting in Tashkent recently, yes? What does the Reuters correspondent see? “Uzbek growth fanfare masks poverty, disquiet”. You can Google that title if you want to know what they mean. But Reuters and anyone else hide the most important news of the decade. At the ADB meeting Mr. Karimov said loud and clear that we need to regulate financial derivatives. You know, if Western correspondents had reported all the great thoughts coming from him, the world financial crisis would have never happened. Karimov knows what he’s talking about. He’s a top free-market economist after years of hard work at the Gosplan. His daughter is running for the Noble Peace Prize this year. He should run for the Noble award in economics. It will a sight to behold. A dynasty of Nobel winners. Never seen before.
But Metin and I have to stick with the unpleasant reality. There is another assault coming from the treacherous Western correspondents. The BBC, that mouthpiece of the perfidious Albion, has just shown a documentary. “”Through The Looking Glass: The Andijan Massacre”. Made by a Monica Whitlock. She’s probably a Laurence of Transoxania. You know what I mean? No doubt, Metin will swiftly confirm her status as Laurence of Transoxania. But I have a request to everyone else on this venerable blog. Could you please upload the documentary? Metin will be happy to attack it. And I will be happy to support him. You can watch a trailer of that shameful propaganda for the British Empire here: http://vimeo.com/11932522
Turgai Sangar, my friend, Neo is the name. With all due respect to Mr. Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, we can’t be sure we know anything about the man. The so-called facts of his life are known through Western sources, yes? Well, I’ve just explained that Western sources are not trusted here, yes? We just have to wait till Pravda Vostoka becomes the global newspaper of the record. Then we shall know the truth.
just curios how good Uzbek does Monica Whitlock speak. Very doubtful, that she even has good command in Russian. How can you write about the country without understanding people over there? well, when you write about ‘less important’ or ‘third world’, who cares? that is a perfect opportunity to release tension – so some do this really well.
KTR, forgive my rudeness, but you sound like the one who’s got extreme PMS.
Metin, my friend, you know, realistic movies can be made without going to faraway places. There is Shepperton Studios in Surrey. You know, George Lucas shot his first Star Wars movie there. No doubt, Monica Whitlock shot her documentary there also. People at the local pub were probably hired to play the unhappy Uzbeks.
Metin, my friend, PMS is part of a natural process that has a noble function. It creates life. That’s how you and I came to be. Don’t belittle PMS by comparing it to my humble excitement for working with you and learning from you. Did you notice I’m getting better at defending the truth? You are my mentor. And I am your eager apprentice. Thank you.
“You know those things about the GDR and Syria from Western source, yes? Western sources are not trusted here.”
OK then please consult Russian, Arabic or Turkish sources. You’ll find the same.
just wonder if similar problems (enclaves) existed in civilized world and how (whether) they were solved. The case of West Berlin is little helpful – not applicable to the region.
Yes, one example is Baarle-Hertog, a Belgian exclave in Holland. It still exists but many of the problems surrounding it dissolved with the Benelux and later the European economic integration.
Another example are the Omani exclaves of Musandam and Mad’ha, both surrounded by the Emirates. Mad’ha got settled with a transit road in the late sixties. The Musandam peninsula closes in on the Strait of Hormuz and shares a sea border with Iran.
The enclaves on Southern Eurasia (Sokh, Shah-i-Mardan, … ) became a problem with increasing state nationalism and border buildup in Uzbekistan.
State nationalism is not peculiar to Uzbekistan only; In fact, nationalism (both ethnic and state) is much stronger in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan than anywhere else in this region.
Back to the topic, I think the case with Omani exclave of Mad’ha is interesting. Similar solution could help to reconnect with Sokh and reduce conflict risk with its neighbor.
Here, unfortunately a lot depends on Kyrgyz who are apparently unwilling to have final solution to problem. Keeping the problem seems to serve their interest in manipulating public opinion and uniting Kyrgyz against ‘foreign threat’.
@Metin, my friend. Thank you for hitting the nail on the head. Kyrgyz “manipulating public opinion”? Of course. Every and all news is about how Kyrgyzstan is an island of liberalism. Never a word of praise for the bleak stability that dominates life in Uzbekistan. Then there is the insidious ploy perpetrated by the powerful Kyrgyz lobby. You know, Metin, they are trying to undermine the strength of the glorious Uzbek armed forces. Kyrgyz force naive Uzbeks to use up their ammunition. They walk into Uzbek bullets and trigger Uzbek mines. Not fair at all. It’s not like Uzbekistan has an endless supply of armaments. Karimov should call for the UN Security Council’s emergency meeting. And the Kyrgyz should pay reparations. Down with West’s lackeys!
Yes I think Mad’ha could be an intersting example or precedent in this matter much more than Baarle-Hertog.
BTW there is (or was) a similar зелённая дорога on part of the stretch between Kadamjai and Kyzyl Kia. Until mid-2001, there was a similar de facto arrangement through Sokh, but then the border policy there became arbitrary and trucks started to take a gravel and mud road around it.
http://www.envsec.org/centasia/maps/17-land.jpg
http://www.envsec.org/centasia/maps/16-water.jpg
I lived and worked in southern Kyrgyzstan and know the ‘enclave archipelago’ rather well. And it’s not because there are day-to-day disputes about land access and irrigation and what all, that you automatically get ethnic strife. Ethnic strife only becomes a real danger once it gets politicized and instrumentalized by someone or something who see an interest in it.
Today it’s clear that the Bakievtsi try to fan ethnic tensions in the area. And 7-8 years ago, the first governor of Batken played at it too, especially with the Kyrgyz-Tajik disputes around Vorukh and Samarkandik (probably one of the reasons why he was eventually removed).
http://halifat.info/analysis/umma/304-islam-i-nacionalizm.html
http://halifat.info/analysis/umma/566-islamskaya-umma-ne-umiraet.html
@Metin
Metin, my friend, you raise a very good point. But I’m afraid we can’t explore how other countries solve their problems. We would have to rely on Western sources. And we know they distort facts about Uzbekistan. How can we trust them on other subjects? We can’t.
Take, as an example, those 22 Belgian enclaves within Holland. We can be sure each is surrounded with landmines, walls and barbed wire. Like Uzbek borders, you know. But the corporate Western media will never tell us about. But they will always point out the same facts about Uzbekistan.
You know, a naive Westerner reads, say, the New York Times. And keeps seeing stories that paint Uzbekistan in a bad light. Uzbek border guards shooting hapless Kyrgyz, Tajik, Kazakh peasants. Uzbek border guards kidnapping those peasants. Shepards and their sheep from Tajikistan getting blown up by Uzbek landmines. Uzbekistan cutting off electricity, gas, transit cargo to its neighbors.
You and I know the truth. Those facts are created by Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Why? As you say:”to detract public attention from internal problems. Kyrgyz and Tajiks have chronically suffered from this problem.”
But not to despair! There is a bright ray of hope. You. Thanks to your tireless efforts, the naive Westerner can learn the truth about Uzbekistan and its neighbors. Keep up the effort, my friend. And I hope you will soon shed the light on the undue influence the Tajik and Kyrgyz lobbies have on the Western media.
“Take, as an example, those 22 Belgian enclaves within Holland. We can be sure each is surrounded with landmines, walls and barbed wire.”
You bet. Every day shoppers who go to cheap Dutch supermarkets like Albert Heijn explode on APM.
lol
This being said, there indeed used to be a triple-layered, electrified barbed-wire fence in these parts… during World War 1. It was to prevent smuggling, resistance activity, desertion and more refugee streams over the border between German-occupied Belgium and neutral Holland.
western media is changing for better. Michael’s emphasis on sources of information (official Kyrgyz in this case) is a very good point. With more engagement of the West in the region, the quality of information is likely to improve.
Though off-topic, a brief clarification to KTR’s remark about ‘the country circling itself with mines’. Reportedly, Uzbekistan has mined its border with Tajikistan when the latter became lawless and heaven for islamic militants, who by the way, attacked Uzbek territory on several occasions.
Nowhere you read reports about land mines on Uzbek-Kazakh, or Uzbek-Turkmen border. Ironically, Tajiks who complain about mines themselves employ landmines on border with Afghanistan.
Great posts KTR!
Metin, my friend. Thank you for pointing out my mistake. Of course, Uzbekistan has put landmines only on the Tajik border. But if Karimov wisely decides Kyrgyzstan has also become lawless, he will, no doubt, put mines on the Kyrgyz border also. But for now the barbed wire, concrete walls and moats have been enough. So far.
Metin, my friend, you and I are on the same side of the battle for heart and minds here. So we can be frank with each other, right? I was shocked to read your suggestion:”With more engagement of the West in the region, the quality of information is likely to improve.”" Shocked! Shocked! You must have had an exhausting day in the office today. Why else would you suggest that? As a loyal fan of the Uzbek press, did you forget what the Uzbek press wrote about the West’s role May of 2005? That the West instigated that minor public disorder in Andijan? More Western engagement in the region will threatean Uzbekistan’s independence. C’mon, man, you know that’s a bad idea.
Metin, my friend, but generally speaking we should focus on helping naive Westerners to see the truth about Uzbekistan. In place of that, you are asking about how other countries solve their problems. Well, Romania and Hungary, Poland and Ukraine used to have ethnic minority issues. Those countries have buried the hatchet. The borders are open. Trade is booming. But that has no relevance for the Uzbek government. C’mon, are you saying the Uzbek government should learn from others? When has it done so? Never. And with a great reason.
Karimov is a leader, not a follower. Other countries do what what they want. They even copy from each others. Weaklings. But Karimov forges a unique path for his country. You and I should focus on explaining that. And we have to explain it using the proper frame of reference. One that naive Westerners understand. Waiving Timur at them is futile. We should explain things to them in terms of their own consumer culture. That famous movie comes to mind. The Matrix. That’s the frame of reference, my friend. Karimov is the Neo of Central Asia. He defies the gravity that facts try to impose on him. And bends the reality to his will. It’s why there is a prosperous Uzbekistan that nobody else can see. Why? Because everybody else, as Morpheus said in the movie, are “born into a prison that you cannot smell taste or touch, a prison for your mind”. Even the Uzbeks can’t keep up with Karimov’s reality.
But not to despair! Neo is not alone. There is Nazarbaev who is finally waking up to see that he’s the One, too. And the others never had any doubts about their destiny and historical role. You know, Switch [Berdymukhamedov], Apoc [Rakhmon]. That Neo has a team is great! Because he will need it. Because the danger is lurking right there. Is Otunbayeva Trinity or the shape-shifting Agent Smith? That’s the danger. Ergo, Karimov’s wise move to move paratroopers into the enclave. The Team is ready to kick ass.
Metin my friend, you can’t expect me to do all the heavy work here. Contribute, man. We are a team, ergo teamwork is necessary. But, prey, treat yourself to two Efes tonight. Of course, after you leave the office. I shall, too. We deserve it. Hard day’s night, so to speak.
You did said Neo, didn’t you? Or Nero?
@Kuda: Thank you. But I have some harsh words for you. You can’t be a bystander. There is a David-Goliath struggle for truth about Uzbekistan happening here. Metin and I are the David, just to be clear. As a wise man said, indifference to evil is worse than other kinds of indifference. So, don’t be a bystander. Join us and help us present a united front against the oceans of distortions that West’s lackeys spew on this blog. For whom the bell tolls? For you, Kuda.
@Michael: You can’t silence me. Or Metin. By declaring the thread is closed for comments. Or declaring us a threat to the thread. We have the moral right and moral obligation to write much more than others. Because there are only two us, two Davids against many Goliaths.
@Michael, Nathan, Samantha, Joshua, others: I accept that you are envious. It’s why you can’t stand the resounding successes the Uzbek government is facing. You all hide behind fake names. That proves your cowardly nature. I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt. I visited your personal blogs. They are nicely designed. But they full of the same half-truths and outright lies.
@Michael:
can you consider opening special threads on Kyrgyz Aryanism and Karimovology for some folks here?
So could ‘jumping over the shark’ discussions avoided. Without moderation, the blog risks losing quality of discussions, thus its readers.
Thanks.
@Michael: My own rules here are obvious. But I shall respectfully spell them out. As a general rule, I don’t comment. I am happy to be humble reader, eager to learn from you guys. But there is the exception to every rule. Here it is those sad moments when Metin has to intervene to restore balance to the discussion. In those trying times, I have the moral duty to jump in and support Metin. I don’t care who is right or wrong about Karimov. But I care about fairness. It’s unjust that you all gang up on Metin. As if the corporate America’s bias wasn’t enough. You type “Karimov” into Google or Yahoo and the only thing you get is the negativity. But this blog can and should be the oasis where balance and fairness co-exit peacefully. Thank you.
Yeah, KTR, blogs on the internet are not the place to look for this sort of oasis, but good luck on your ongoing search for balance.
Metin,
You and I agree 100% here.
Metin,
Eurasianet is saying:”Armored Vehicles Withdrawn From Uzbek Exclave”. Ferghana.ru is saying the news is not in the Uzbek newspapers or TV/Radio. Can you comment on why the Uzbeks are kept in the dark? Thank you.
Phoenix,
why the Americans are kept in the dark about every US troops movement within their borders (or anywhere)? can you comment on that?
Thank you.
Metin,
Americans are not kept in the dark on those matters. Just the other day the move of 5,000 National Guardsmen to the Mexican border was in every newspaper. I’ve answered your question. Can you answer mine? Thank you.