From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Mon May 19 2003 - 09:31:59 EDT
KYRGYZSTAN: 11 - 17 MAY 2003
_______________________________
Review of the week main events
1. Dyryldaev reelected head of the human rights committee.
2. Two new members of parliament are elected.
3. Six suspected terrorists detained.
4. A contempt national prize is instituted.
5. Case on the Aksy bloody events is reconsidered.
6. Two police stations are robbed in the south.
7. Kyrgyzstan dragged less foreign investment in 2002.
8. People accused of Aksy bloodshed acquitted, protesters detained.
9. Other protesters also detained in Bishkek.
10. New protest hunger strike begins in Bishkek.
11. Human rights activists are fined urgently.
12. Also last week...
11 May, Sunday:
1. DYRYLDAEV REELECTED HEAD OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE. The Kyrgyz
Committee for Human Rights (KCHR) held on 11 May its special conference
which re-elected Ramazan Dyryldaev chairman of the committee and
condemned behavior of the three former KCHR employees, Kachkyn Bulatov,
Bolot Tynaliev and Ryskeldi Mombekov, who accuse Dyryldaev of
embezzlement. According to Dyryldaev, the authorities use them to
discredit KCHR. Two days later, Bulatov, Tynaliev and Mombekov announced
that Dyryldaev forced them before to destabilize situation in the
country, organizing protest meetings and pickets. To receive a
press-release on the conference, please send your request to
IdinovN@tiscali.cz.
On 11 May, KCHR organized also a round-table discussion on the theme
"Protecting Human Rights in Kyrgyzstan." According to Dyryldaev, the
Kyrgyz government promised to the UN Committee against Tortures in 1999
and to the UN Committee on Human Rights in 2000 to eliminate tortures in
the country. However, the Criminal Code of Kyrgyzstan does not yet have
special provisions on torture to date and prosecutors do not investigate
torture cases. The KCHR prepared a law draft on tortures in 2002 and
passed it to the parliament. However, nothing is heard on it now.
2. TWO NEW MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT ARE ELECTED. Run-off elections to the
two seats in parliament were held in the Kara-Suu and Kara-Kulja
constituencies on 11 May. Muratbek Malabaev won in the first
constituency with 97 percent of votes and Zamirbek Parmankulov was the
first in the second one collecting 60 percent of votes. The seats became
vacant after Kurmanbek Osmonov was appointed first vice prime minister
and Tursunbai Bakir Uulu became ombudsman last year.
However, the first round of run-off in Kara-Kulja was held late last
year and Usen Sydykov, who collected about 46 percent of votes, was
barred from the second round. His supporters have held numerous protest
pickets and demonstrations without result.
12 May, Monday:
3. SIX SUSPECTED TERRORISTS DETAINED. Deputy Minister of Internal
Affairs Rasulberdi Raimberdiev announced from Osh on 12 May that police
detained six people who are suspected being behind the blast at the
Dordoi Market in Bishkek, which killed seven and injured about 20 more
people on 27 December. Police seized with them two pistols, explosive
materials, extremist literature and forged passports. Four of them are
citizens of neighboring Uzbekistan.
13 May, Tuesday:
4. A CONTEMPT NATIONAL PRIZE IS INSTITUTED. The Helsinki Group of
Bishkek announced on 13 May it instituted the national prize of
contempt, which would be given yearly to persons or organization as
well. There would be several nominations of it: "The Most Bureaucratic
Official", " The Most Infamous Human Rights Abuser", "The Steadiest
Fighter against Liberty", "The Most Aggressive Office", "The Most
Idiotic Security Measure", "The Most Mendacious Promise" and the super
nomination of "Non-Person of the Year".
14 May, Wednesday:
5. CASE ON THE AKSY BLOODY EVENTS IS RECONSIDERED. The Military Court of
Kyrgyzstan began in the southern town of Mailuu-Suu on 14 May
considering appeals by the four former officials of the Jalal- Abad
Province who were convicted late last year in connection with the Aksy
events. The Osh Province Military Court sentenced on 28 December Zootbek
Kudaibergenov, former prosecutor of the province, and Kubanychbek
Tokobaev, former head of the province police department, to three years
of imprisonment each. The two others, Abdymital Kalbaev, former deputy
to Tokobaev, and Abdykalyk Kaldarov, former prosecutor of the Aksy
district, were sentenced to two years of imprisonment each. The four
were convicted of abusing power and not allowing people to gather in
demonstration. Kaldarov died from heart attack last February.
About 800 residents of the Aksy district held a meeting in Kerben,
center of the district, on 14 May demanding to bring to justice all
those responsible for the bloody events, not only the executors of
orders, and to punish them for killing of the people, not for power
abuse only. Head of the Aksy district administration Abdymalik
Egemberdiev met with the protesters but they demanded his resignation.
Police forces opened fire at a demonstration in Aksy on 17 and 18 March
2002, killing at least five people. Opposition says former head of the
presidential staff Amanbek Karypkulov and former minister of internal
affairs Temirbek Akmataliev were behind the execution. The both were
dismissed from their posts in May 2002, however, President Askar Akayev
appointed Karypkulov Kyrgyz ambassador to Turkey and Akmataliev deputy
head of his staff later.
15 May, Thursday:
6. TWO POLICE STATIONS ARE ROBBED IN THE SOUTH. Several people attacked
the Jalal-Abad town police department at about six o'clock in the
morning of 15 May, beating and neutralizing its duty detail of two
officers and purloining firearms of the station. In half an hour, the
same people attacked the province police department in the same town,
neutralizing its two officers on duty and taking its firearms too and
went away by police cars. In total, more than 30 arms were taken,
including 19 Kalashnikov sub-machine guns, nine Makarov pistols, four
sniper rifles and a machine gun.
The two deputy inferior ministers, Bolotbek Nogoibaev and Omurbek
Egemberdiev went from Bishkek to southern Jalal-Abad the same day with
about 50 elite troops. The same day, four criminals (Jekshen Abdrasulov,
Sultanaly Begimkulov, Erlan Botobaev and Maksat Kultaev) were detained
in a gorge near the Kyzyl-Jar town of the Aksy district and five
Kalashnikovs and four pistols were seized. Three other criminals escaped
leaving a car with 14 Kalashnikovs. They (Daniyar Kydykov, Joomart
Orozaliev and Taalai Zamirbekov) were detained in mountains on 16 May
with four sniper rifles, three pistols and a machine gun. All the
detainees are 20 to 25. According to police, most of the bandits were
residents of the neighboring Suzak district and were led by Adyl
Karimov, nicknamed "Black Adyl", who has not been yet detained. He is
about 40, worked for police before, however, he was convicted three
times.
It is interesting that police acted very fast and professionally this
time, however, the criminals robbed their stations too easily and were
got easily too. The same day, President Islam Karimov of neighboring
Uzbekistan ordered to form a special group to prevent penetration of the
criminal band into the Uzbek territory and securing order on the
bordering territory. If you want receiving full text of the order by
Karimov (in Russian), please send your request to IdinovN@tiscali.cz.
7. KYRGYZSTAN DRAGGED LESS FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN 2002. The AKIpress
Agency reported from Bishkek on 15 May, referring to the World Bank,
that Kyrgyzstan dragged into the country 11-million-dollar direct
foreign investment in 2002, which was 0.7 percent to the gross domestic
product (GDP). For comparison, Kazakhstan received last year 2,138
million dollar of investment (8.8 percent to GDP), Turkmenistan $130
million (0.8 percent), Uzbekistan $65 million (3.3
percent) and Tajikistan 20 million (1.8 percent to GDP). The balance of
payment of Kyrgyzstan was minus 3.2 percent to GDP in 2002 compared to
minus 4.2 in Tajikistan and minus 2.4 in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan
each and plus 2.8 percent to GDP in Uzbekistan.
However, Vice Prime Minister Joomart Otorbaev declared on 17 April that
the volume of foreign investments in economics of the country was $108
million last year, that was higher than in 2001 by 20 percents.
16 May, Friday:
8. ALL PEOPLE ACCUSED OF AKSY BLOODSHED ARE ACQUITTED, PROTESTERS
DETAINED. The Military Court of Kyrgyzstan overturned a ruling by the
Osh Province Military Court and acquitted on 16 May all the four former
officials of the southern Jalal-Abad Province, who were accused before
in connection with the Aksy bloody events happened in March 2002.
According to the court, they acted in accordance with the law.
In the evening of 16 May, police detained about 20 people, mostly women,
who tried to hold a picket in Bishkek protesting the verdict. They
arrived in Bishkek from Aksy on 15 May and tried to meet President Askar
Akayev to demand to bring to justice those who ordered to fire at a
demonstration in Aksy. They were accused of breaking public order and
not obeying state officials, however, were released later in the
evening. There was Saken Mamakeeva, spouse of Deputy of Parliament
Azimbek Beknazarov, among the detainees.
Beknazarov and the Movement for Resignation of Akayev and Reforms for
People appealed on 16 May to the authorities demanding to release
detained people. The texts of their appeals (in Russian) are available
upon requests to IdinovN@tiscali.cz.
9. OTHER PROTESTERS ALSO DETAINED IN BISHKEK. Police detained in Bishkek
on 16 May a group of protesters, who held a protest picket in front of
the parliamentary building in Bishkek marking an anniversary of
ratification of the Kyrgyz-Chinese border agreement. About 90 people
took part in the picket and Chairman of the Human Rights Movement of
Kyrgyzstan Tursunbek Akunov and Chairwoman of the Communist Party Klara
Ajybekova were among the detainees.
Kyrgyz parliament ratified the second agreement on delimitation of the
Kyrgyz-Chinese state border on 17 May 2002. President Askar Akayev of
Kyrgyzstan and Chairman Jiang Zemin of China signed the agreement in
Bishkek in 1999. According to it, about 95,000 hectares of Kyrgyz
territory are transferred to China. However, the Kyrgyz government says
these lands never belonged to Kyrgyzstan and considers them disputed
territories. Akayev and Jiang signed another border agreement in 1996
and according to it, Kyrgyzstan ceded about 30,000 hectares to China.
17 May, Saturday:
10. NEW PROTEST HUNGER STRIKE BEGINS IN BISHKEK. Eighteen women began in
Bishkek on 17 May a protest hunger strike. They protest the action of
police, which detained them on 16 May and beat them. Strikers demand to
meet with President Askar Akayev and to punish those responsible for the
Aksy bloodshed. All the protesters are members of the Society of Mothers
of Aksy Victims, formed last March, and chairwoman of the society,
Dilbar Momunkulova, is among the hunger strikers.
One of the detainees, Nurbubu Urkinbaeva, sued on 17 May the policemen
who beat her on 16 May. She was beaten in the head and received
concussion of the brain and was hospitalized. Urkinbaeva is a sister to
Satynbai Urkinbaev, who was shot to dead by the police in Aksy on 17 May
2002.
11. HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS ARE FINED URGENTLY. The Pervomai district
court of Bishkek held an urgent session during the night from 16 to 17
May and sentenced the two human rights activists to pay fines. The court
sentenced President of the Human Rights and Liberties Institute and
Chairman of the Liberty Party Topchubek Turgunaliev and Chairman of the
Human Rights Movement of Kyrgyzstan Tursunbek Akunov to pay 1,000 soms
(about $23) in fine each. They took part in a protest picket in front of
the parliament building in Bishkek on 16 May and were detained by
police. Seven other detainees have been warned by the court. Akunov and
Turgunaliev stated on 17 May that the Kyrgyz courts implement orders by
authorities and human rights are abused in the "Country of Human
Rights".
ALSO LAST WEEK:
12. On 10 May, Uzbek citizen Ulugbek Karimov was detained near the Uzbek
enclave of Sokh in the southern Batken Province. He is a resident of
Andijan City and is suspected being behind a blast in the exchange
office in Osh on 8 May, which killed one man.
13. On 11 May, late in the evening, five people in masks robbed a bus
along the Almaty-Bishkek highway on the Kazakh territory taking from its
passengers about $50,000 total. They had guns and one of them was in a
uniform of the Kazakh police. The both drivers of the bus and one more
passengers were wounded.
14. On 12 May, representative of the World Bank James Lovelays said in
Bishkek that foreign help to Kyrgyzstan would not be decreased. The bank
has allocated Kyrgyzstan $621.4 million since 1991 and Kyrgyzstan
received $469.7 million of it actually. In total, Kyrgyzstan receives
$1,690 million of foreign help since 1991.
15. On 12 May, the Kyrgyz government decided to close the two check
points on the Kyrgyz-Chinese state border temporarily to prevent
spreading the SARS epidemic. It was also decided to stop import from
China and suspend tourism tours. Chinese and Kyrgyz citizens can return
home crossing the border for ten next days.
16. On 12 May, command over the troops of anti-terrorism coalition
forces at the Manas airport near Bishkek was transferred from General
Jared Kennish to General Thomas Dyches, both from the USA.
17. On 12 May, Norway based Forum 18 reported that six Muslims of the
Kara-Suu town in Southern Kyrgyzstan appealed to the organization for
help. School principal Khalima Ibragimova does not allow their daughters
wearing the hijab, Islamic headscarves. However, Chairman of the State
Commission on Religious Affairs Omurzak Mamayusupov told Forum 18 that
"the schoolgirls have the right to wear the hijab to school".
18. On 12 May, Forum 18 reported also that Muslim pupils who perform
daily prayers complain they are now being persecuted in schools of the
Bazar-Korgon district in southern Kyrgyzstan. Teacher Mashrapkhan
Isakulova hit the children, who admitted they practiced Islam, on their
heads and faces.
19. On 12 May, the Russian embassy in Bishkek announced that Russia
increased quota for Kyrgyz young people being admitted to the Russian
institutes by 25 and now 75 people from Kyrgyzstan could go to Russia
this year. In addition to it, 20 Kyrgyz citizens could become
post-graduates in Russia and 125 people could study Russian at the
one-month courses.
20. On 12 May, about 60 residents of the Issyk-Ata district held a
protest picket in front of the parliament building demanding to resolve
their issue of receiving land plots, which lasts since 1996.
21. On 12 May, a four-degree earthquake on Richter scale jolted the
southern Jalal-Abad Province. Its epicenter was situated in five
kilometers to south-west from Kochkor-Ata town. No casualties.
22. On 12-14 May, Vice Prime Minister Joomart Otorbaev met in Vienna
with UN Deputy Secretary General A. Costa, Director General of UNIDO
K.Magarignos, OSCE Secretary General J. Kubis discussing issue of
forming in Kyrgyzstan an agency on drug control.
23. On 12-14 May, a UNIDO conference "Programs of Dragging Investment to
Central Asia. First Step - Kyrgyzstan" was held in Vienna. Vice Prime
Minister Joomart Otorbaev of Kyrgyzstan, UNDP representative in Bishkek
Erzy Skuratovic, UNIDO officials T.Otsuki and P.Daily made reports.
24. On 13 May, representatives of Prime Minister Nikolai Tanaev and the
independent paper "Moya Stolitsa - Novosti" met in the court but did not
make peace. Tanaev sued the newspaper demanding to impose a total fine
of 17.5 million soms (about $400,000) on its owners, editorial board and
author Mikhail Korsunsky for an article, which he considers insulted
him. To receive the article, please send your request to
IdinovN@tiscali.cz.
25. On 13 May, editor of the independent Kyrgyz web-site "Gazeta.kg"
(http://www.gazeta.to.kg) Leonid Rempel appealed to international
community saying that a new provocation was made against his site, which
is in Internet since 1 January 2002. According to him, a double with the
same name appeared on 1 May. The same day, Ulan Melisbek responded form
San Francisco saying he created and registered the new site because the
domain "Gazeta.kg" was free and the Rempel's publication had the address
http://www.kyrgyzstan.by.ru before.
26. On 13 May, Speaker of the Kyrgyz Parliament Abdygany Erkebaev met in
Canada with State Minister Don Budria, Senate Speaker Den Haze, and
Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security Colin Kelly.
27. On 13 May, Minister of Education and Culture Ishengul Boljurova took
part in a meeting of the CIS council on cooperation in education sphere
in Moscow. The meeting adopted a new concept of distance education and
approved a unified nomenclature of scientific specialties in the CIS
countries.
28. On 13 May, a group of Kyrgyz students returned home from China. They
were recalled by the Foreign Ministry due to the SARS epidemic in China.
29. On 13-15 May, Prime Minister Nikolai Tanaev visited Turkey. He met
with President Ahmet Sezer, Prime Minister Rejep Erdogan, parliamentary
speaker Bulent Arynch, former president Suleiman Demirel. Three
agreements between Kyrgyzstan and Turkey were signed during the visit.
30. On 13-15 May, international conference entitled "Central Asia in the
21st Century: Cooperation, Partnership, Dialogue" was held in Tashkent.
Director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies under the
Kyrgyz president Valentin Bogatyrev made a report at it. He said that
many experts see links between raise of opposition activity in Central
Asian states last year and deployment of the US and European troops in
the region. Also, external efforts to democratize lead sometimes to
destabilization and it spoils image of democracy seeming it like a new
part of a neocolonization project. If you want receiving the text of the
report (eight pages in Russian), please send your request to
IdinovN@tiscali.cz.
31. On 14 May, a new law on education was put into effect in Kyrgyzstan.
According to it, there would be unified standards in education system
and the universities and institutes would be categorized.
32. On 14 May, Deputy Minister of Education and Culture Tashbolot
Bekbolotov announced that about 1,080 children of school age do not
visit school due to lack of means in their families.
33. On 14 May, it was announced that the Chinese government allocated
five million yuan (about $600,000) for the Kyrgyz National Opera. Esen
Ismailov, ethnic Dunghan, was appointed director of the Kyrgyz opera
recently.
34. On 14 May, a delegation of the Aksuu district of the Chinese
Xinjiang Province led by Omorjan Naamatov arrived in the Issyk-Kul
province of Kyrgyzstan. They held negotiations on constructing a road
from Kyrgyzstan to China through the Sary-Jaz canyon.
35. On 14 May, early in the morning, Kyrgyz police detained two Uzbek
border guards in the Ala-Buka district of the southern Jalal- Abad
Province. According to the "Moya Stolitsa - Novosti" newspaper, deputy
commander of the Kasansai border post Lieutenant U.Parmanov and
technician of the same post A.Abdykhashimov tried to extort money from a
Kyrgyz citizen. The third border guard escaped.
36. On 14 May, a building of the city tax inspection was burned down in
Karakol, center of the northern Issyk-Kul Province.
37. On 15 May, the World Bank's Board approved project of giving
Kyrgyzstan two loans. The first one of $20 million is given to
strengthen the effectiveness of the state, to improve the transparency
and responsiveness of the public sector. He second one of $7.78 million
is given to provide technical assistance to facilitate the design and
implementation of reforms sought under the Governance Structural
Adjustment Credit (GSAC). Grace periods of the both loans are 10 years,
maturity 40 years.
38. On 15 May, a meeting of the Kyrgyz-German commission on financial
and technical cooperation was held in Bishkek. Germany has given
Kyrgyzstan about 140-million-euro help since 1991.
39. On 15 May, Moscow-based "Nezavisimaya Gazeta" carried an article by
Victoria Panfilova on foreign military bases in Kyrgyzstan. The author
says that the US base in Kyrgyzstan is expanding, however, Russia does
not intend to make its base near Bishkek a real one. To receive the full
text of the article (one and a half pages in Russian), please send your
request to IdinovN@tiscali.cz.
40. On 15 May, the Kyrgyz government introduced new forms of invoices to
pay value added taxes (VAT) to regularize the payment. It should bring
additional 200 million soms (about $5 million) to the state budget
yearly. There are about 17,000 enterprises paying VAT in the country.
41. On 15 May, Deputy Chairman of the National Bank S.Moldokanov took
part in a meeting of the central and national bank leaders of the
Central Asian Economic Community, held in Dushanbe.
42. On 15 May, the Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights announced that two
Kyrgyz citizens died from SARS and dozens more have been infected and
that the government hides this fact from the people.
43. On 15 May, the Legislative Assembly of parliament made amendments to
the Law on Investigations allowing the State Border Guard Service to
make its own investigations.
44. On 15 May, the Legislative Assembly of parliament amended also the
rules of the Social Fund prohibiting it to pay pensions, social
allowances and other payments through commodities.
45. On 15 May, Minister of Internal Affairs Ernest Strasser of Austria
visited Kyrgyzstan. He and head of the Kyrgyz Border Guard Service
Kalmurat Sadiev agreed on cooperation between their bodies. The border
guard service can received 18 million euro in 2003-2004.
46. On 15 May, a meeting-requiem in memory of the victims of Soviet
totalitarian regime was held at the Ata-Beyit complex near Bishkek.
President Askar Akayev, writer and diplomat Tchingiz Aitmatov, members
of government and deputies of parliament took part. 137 people,
including Kasym Tynystanov, Torekul Aitmatov (father of the writer),
Bayaly Isakeev, killed on the 1930s, were buried at Ata- Beyit.
47. On 15 May, President Askar Akayev signed a special decree approving
a plan on realization of the national idea to make Kyrgyzstan a country
of human rights and obliged the government to implement the plan.
48. On 15 May, a statue to Jusup Balasagyn, author of the medieval poem
"Kutadgu Bilik" ("Blessed Knowledge"), was erected in front of the
National University building in Bishkek. The university was named after
Balasagyn.
49. On 15 May, the Kyrgyz wrestling team began taking part in the First
Alish Championships in Iran along with sportsmen from Germany,
Lithuania, Belarus, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan,
Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan.
50. On 15-16 May, a delegation of the Russian Gasprom led by its
chairman Aleksey Miller visited Kyrgyzstan. A strategic agreement on
cooperation between Gasprom and Kyrgyzstan for 25 years was signed.
Kyrgyzstan needs about 1,000 million cubic meters of gas yearly.
51. On 15-16 May, a conference on state development in conditions of
interactions between nomadic and settled societies along the Great Silk
Road was held in Bishkek. It was organized by the National Academy of
Sciences and National University with support from UNDP.
52. On 16 May, the World Bank announced it would offer 171 million
dollars in aid to Kyrgyzstan over the next three years, $65 million of
it will be given as grants. The aid is aimed at helping the government's
program to reduce poverty, because "investment has been limited, and
infrastructure and the social service system have slowly been
deteriorating" since Kyrgyzstan gained independence in 1991.
53. On 16 May, Vice Prime Minister Joomart Otorbaev said in Bishkek that
Kyrgyzstan's external debt is nearly $1,500 million, or 95 percent of
the country's annual gross domestic product (GDP). According to
Otorbaev, Kyrgyzstan aims to borrow less money so annual credits are
around 2-3 percent of the GDP instead of the current 8 percent.
54. On 16 May, after meeting with Aleksey Miller of the Russian giant
Gasprom, head of the Kyrgyzgas Company Avtandil Sydykov said that
Gasprom could take part in privatization of some enterprises of
Kyrgyzgas, which would drag new investment. According to Miller, Gasprom
is ready supplying Kyrgyzstan with natural gas using recourses of
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
55. On 16 May, President Askar Akayev said at a meeting with bankers
that carelessness of some banks made a damage of about $500 million to
Kyrgyzstan in the ten years of independence.
56. On 16 May, Jypar Jeksheev, one of the leaders of the Party of
Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan, said that the Ministry of Justice
registered on 13 May his new movement "Civil Unity".
57. On 16 May, the Moscow-based CentralAsia web-site published an
article by T. Istamkulov on Kyrgyzstan. The author wrote that some
deputies of Kyrgyz parliament are proteges of narcobarons, trade mafia
and Islamists and Ombudsman Tursunbai Bakir Uulu protects rights of such
his sponsors. To receive the article, please send your request to
IdinovN@tiscali.cz.
58. On 16 May, the Fund to Legal Support to Prisoners held a round table
discussion on humanization of criminal legislature in Kyrgyzstan. OSCE
Center in Bishkek, the Ministry of Justice and the Soros-Kyrgyzstan
Foundation supported it.
59. On 16 May, the EurasiaNet web-site published an article by Ivan
Trubnikov about Kyrgyzstan. He writes that "about 46 percent of the
counterfeit money being passed in Kyrgyzstan today is in US dollars,
with Kyrgyz som comprising most of the remainder." However, "the number
of counterfeiting cases reaching Kyrgyz courts has fallen by 8 percent -
from 74 in 2000 to 68 in 2002." To receive the article, please write to
IdinovN@tiscali.cz.
60. On 16-20 May, the tourism fair "Issyk-Kul-2003" is held in the
resort town of Cholpon-Ata. Auction to sell land plots on the shore of
the Issyk-Kul Lake is held in frame of the fair.
61. On 17 May, the 13th session of the heads of tax and customs services
of the Eurasian Economic Community was held in Tajikistan. Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan Russia and Tajikistan are members of the
community and representatives of Armenia and Ukraine attended as
observers.
62. On 17 May, the presidential press service began a seminar for
spokespersons of the ministries, regional administrations and other
governmental bodies. The five-day seminar is sponsored by the UN
Development Program and the Soros-Kyrgyzstan Foundation.
63. On 17 May, the EurasiaNet web-site published a review of a new book
about language policy in the Central Asian states. J.Landau and
B.Kellner-Heinkele write in the book that Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan
"inhabited by proportionately large Slav minorities, have invested more
organizational efforts in language planning, but have achieved less." To
receive the review, please send a request to IdinovN@tiscali.cz.
64. On 17 May, the second congress of the Uzbek National-Ethnic Center
of Kyrgyzstan was held. Academician and Deputy of Kyrgyz Parliament
Muhamedjan Mamasaidov reelected head of the center.
67. On 17 May, a yearly Kojomkul tournament on wrestling began in
Bishkek. The first tournament was held in 1992 and wrestlers from about
ten countries take part in it this year.
68. On 18 May, special envoy of the OSCE secretary general on Central
Asia Marti Ahtisaari arrives in Kyrgyzstan.
69. On 18-19 May, the charity fund Meyerim, led by First Lady Mairam
Akayeva, celebrates its tenth anniversary in the Issyk-Kul Province.
70. On 19 May, the Civil Society against Corruption holds a discussion
"Polytechnic Kyrgyzstan: Issues of Interaction". Problems of
non-conflict development of the ethno-political situation would be
discussed.
71. The Moscow cinema "Kirgizia" has been closed for reconstruction.
There would be five auditoriums in it in July instead of current one.
Regards, Naryn Aiyp.
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Please respond if you do not want receiving the review. Any comments in
the review are opinion by the author, nothing more. Please send your
feedback to IdinovN@tiscali.cz
In the review, the materials published on the web-sites AKIpress,
Azattyk, CentrAsia, EurasiaNet, Kabar, Moya Stolitsa, NovostiKG, Slovo
Kyrgyzstana, The Star, Tehran Times, Vecherny Bishkek, World Bank Group,
as well as the reports by AFP, AP, CAN, Forum 18, Human Rights Watch,
Interfax, Itar-Tass, Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights, OSCE, Reuters,
the press services for the Kyrgyz parliament and president were used.
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