Uzbek Military Personnel Set to Receive Big Pay Raise

Members of Uzbekistan's military are set to receive a substantial pay hike starting September 1, as President Islam Karimov tries to shore up his regime's chief pillar of support in advance of what an opposition activist describes as Uzbekistan's "upcoming storm."

In addition to an across-the-board 20 percent raise, military personnel will be eligible for extended-service bonuses ranging from 15-30 percent, according to a presidential decree. Severance payments will also double. The hikes follow a June 1 initiative in which the Uzbek government vastly expanded housing allowances for military personnel. Soldiers stationed in Tashkent, for example, now receive a supplement equivalent to four times the monthly minimum wage to cover housing expenses. Additional housing assistance is provided to married soldiers with children.

Even before the latest wage increase, military pay was much higher than salaries for civil servants. A typical military wage ranges from 150,000-200,000 Uzbek som ($135-180) per month. By comparison, the average wage for state employees, including doctors and teachers, is roughly 40,000-50,000 som ($36-45) per month.

According to several Uzbek political analysts, Karimov's decision to increase military wages and benefits is a direct response to the May 13 Andijan events and their aftermath. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Uzbek officials claim that military units were used in Andijan to crush an Islamic militant uprising, but independent investigators, who base their findings on dozens of eyewitness accounts, say soldiers opened fire without warning on unarmed civilian demonstrators. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archive].

Karimov now relies on the military more than ever to keep growing popular discontent in check, and, according to a retired officer, he wants to ensure that various branches of Uzbekistan's security forces, including the regular army and, apparently, the Interior Ministry's military units, remain unwavering in their loyalty to the administration.

In a random sampling of opinion among officers, news of the impending the wage hike appears to have accomplished the aim of boosting morale in the military. "We swore loyalty and we will be loyal. The military should be paid more than others," said Beknazar Pulatov, a junior lieutenant at the Chirchik Tank School.

While members of the military may be grateful, many Uzbek citizens are increasingly resentful of the state security apparatus, Karimov's political critics say. They assert that public approval of the military has dropped sharply since security forces crushed the Andijan protest. Thus, Karimov finds himself forced to offer expanded enticements in order to attract new recruits. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archive].

"After the Andijan events, a wall grew between ordinary citizens and the military; the latter are regarded with distrust," said Tashpulat Yuldashev, a senior member of the Erk opposition party. "To prevent this, the president made this stimulating step to improve their [soldiers'] attitudes."

The decision to lavish perks and pay on the military indicates that the Karimov administration will continue to resort to force when confronted by domestic opposition, said Otanazar Oripov, another Erk Party representative. Given the government's reluctance to address deepening discontent associated with the country's stagnant economy, spasms of popular frustrations in the future may well be unavoidable, Oripov suggested. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. "The two rulings increasing the military's privileges and wages are the priming for the military before the upcoming storm," he said.

Some experts wonder where the additional money to fund the pay raises will come from. A source with close ties to Uzbekistan's parliament suggested funds intended for educators and pensioners would be diverted to the military. "The president's actions are understandable given the unsafe situation in both the country and in the [Central Asia] region," the source said. "If a coup happens, teachers and pensioners will not be able to protect him. It does not mean, however, that their interests should be considered a low priority."

There is also the possibility that foreign military aid could help the Uzbek government afford the additional military wages and benefits. In July, for example, China extended roughly $4 million in no-strings-attached aid designed to foster "social and economic cooperation." On August 11, China's Deputy Foreign minister Qiao Zonghuai met with Uzbekistan's top diplomat, Elyor Ganiyev, in Tashkent to discuss "bilateral relations in all spheres," according to an Uzbek Foreign Ministry statement.