EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight - Osh Anniversary Events -- A Source of Discontent in Kyrgyzstan

EURASIA INSIGHT

OSH ANNIVERSARY EVENTS -- A SOURCE OF DISCONTENT IN KYRGYZSTAN

Alisher Khamidov 10/19/00

Despite widespread dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of ceremonies honoring the city of Osh’s 3,000th anniversary, many local residents support Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev’s reelection bid. At the same time, some local analysts suggest that the festivities may end up contributing to interethnic discontent in southern Kyrgyzstan, especially among Uzbeks.

Akayev used the occasion of the Osh celebration, from October 5-7, to provide a stage for his reelection effort, presiding over a variety of festivities, including parades, folk performances and traditional horse races. Foreign representatives from over 50 states attended the events. Akayev also honored Osh by naming it the second capital of Kyrgyzstan.

Although the country’s attention focused on Osh, many local residents felt ignored. Given that the city has a multiethnic identity, some local residents felt the festivities seemed overly oriented toward Kyrgyz cultural themes. In addition, many local residents were not invited to participate at anniversary celebration venues.

"The whole town was flooded with people from outside Osh," one young Uzbek man told a local television interviewer. "All the � musicians and food � it was all Kyrgyz. I haven’t seen a single Uzbek performance or dancing."

Several Osh-based, Russian-speaking journalists also expressed disappointment that the ceremonies did not bring together the various ethnic communities, including Kyrgyz, Russian and Uzbek.

Others, including representatives of the titular ethnic group, complained that the ceremonies were consuming excessive state resources at a time when many Kyrgyz citizens live in conditions of poverty. According to the governmental newspaper "Slovo Kyrgyzstana," authorities spent about $20 milion total, including roughly $5 million from the national budget, on various projects related to the anniversary, including the restoration of historical sites. A few of the projects had not been completed in time for the anniversary. "They spend so much money from the national budget � and for what?" said Janara Turdakunova, a pensioner. "It’s all gone to the pockets of corrupt clerks."

The frustrations among those in Osh’s Uzbek community, however, do not appear ready to manifest as an anti-Akayev vote in the country’s upcoming presidential election on October 29. Akayev’s reputation remains strong among ethnic Uzbeks, who believe Akayev is chiefly responsible for preserving stability during the decade since interethnic clashes in the Osh region. Dozens died during the 1990 events. Akayev also has garnered support among ethnic minorities for his support of legislation that designates Russian as an official state language.

Another factor for the support of Akayev is that many Uzbeks in Osh do not see a viable alternative to the incumbent. They believe that the turnover of bureaucratic institutions that would accompany a change of administrations would stir uncertainty, and exacerbate existing problems associated with corruption.

The Osh anniversary seemed to be an effort to distract public attention from a variety of social and economic problems, including the Batken insurgency. The festivities may not have damaged Akayev’s personal popularity in the eyes of the electorate, but local political analysts expressed concern about the impact on interethnic relations.

Citing the fact that Osh comprises approximately a 40 percent ethnic Uzbek population, some analysts said the lack of emphasis on local traditions and the exclusion of residents from some events could translate into a rise of discontent. Such feelings, they add, could ultimately undermine the relative interethnic stability that exists in the region.

The controversy over the issue of access to anniversary events underscored the sensitivities of Kyrgyzstan’s ethnic minorities, especially Uzbeks. Prior to the beginning of the festivities on October 5, word spread among local residents that access to some events would require special passes, and that only about 5,000 such passes would be made available to Osh residents. As a security precaution, authorities cordoned off major event venues. A rumor also circulated that officials had appealed to the local population to remain at home and watch events on television.

An Osh television representative eventually went before the camera to clarify the situation: "We have distributed a note from the Osh mayor’s office informing Osh residents about measures that the administration has taken with the aim of maintaining public order during the festivities. The note explained that a number of event sites will require special passes, therefore not everyone could be admitted."

Some who constitute Osh TV’s audience, which is predominantly ethnic Uzbek, interpreted the broadcast differently. " They wanted us to stay at home because they wanted to show international guests that Osh is a predominantly Kyrgyz town" said Tursunbai, a 57-year-old viewer.

Ultimately, the steady rains that fell during the anniversary rendered moot the question surrounding event access. Most local residents chose to stay at home rather than get soaked. But the rain did not clear away the perceived feelings of exclusion.

"Luckily, the rain kept most of people at home. Osh is a small town and doesn’t have the capacity to receive thousands of people at one time," a city official admitted in a private conversation. "Otherwise, we might have witnessed a mass riot of discontented residents."

Editor�s Note: Alisher Khamidov is the director of the Osh Media Resource Center in Osh, Kyrgyzstan.

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