From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Thu Jun 28 2001 - 09:33:42 EDT
Uzbek mines blow up Middle Asia
Tashkent can provoke a bloody conflict
21 June 2001
Fedor Suhov
Uzbekistan covered its frontiers with anti-infantry mines of splinter type,
which are prohibited by the Ottawa's convention.
Kuvandyk Iuldashev from Uzbek village Shirmanbulak points to the cotton
field, surrounded by a wood:
- Over there begins Kyrgyzstan. Before we could visit each other without any
problem. Now we are afraid. There are mines! Recently near Bahmal - it is
not far away from Samarkanda - 3 boys were undermined.
Already two years passed since a visa regime between the two republics has
been entered on initiative of Tashkent authorities. After the raid of the
activists from Islamic movement of Uzbekistan, who tried to get to Fergan
valley through the mountain passing, Uzbeks began urgently reinforcing their
frontier. At the dangerous places there are hedges from barbed wire,
concrete block posts; armored cars are on duty. There are numerous
minefields.
But till the present time only peaceful people have been perishing there.
The blood statistics has been filled in regularly. For the last 8 months
only in Batken region of Kyrgyzstan occurred tens of explosions, innocent
people perished or were crippled. Sometimes victims became shepherds who had
gone to search cows, dropped behind the herd. One from the last tragedies
was a boy (Aidgigit Aitbaev) at 8-class from Sai village, who was
undermined.
Some tens of lives took also the Uzbek mines on the borders with
Tadgikistan. Recently only for one day there were 3 victims, who died:
brothers Muzaffar and Mahmadnazar form Turkiroch village and Haitboi Noriev
from Pendgikent region.
The mine war of Tashkent with its neighbors has been impetuously straining
the situation in Middle Asia. There were enough prosecutions against Uzbek
authority during the round table "Frontier minefields: problems and ways of
solution", which was organized by Kyrgyz Parliament with participation of
western deputies and human rights defenders.
The deputy Ismail Isakov accused Uzbekistan of violation of the protocol of
Geneva Convention of UN about "Prohibition or limitation of the application
of certain types of arms, which can inflict extreme damage or which have
non-selective function". There are people who confirmed that Uzbeks place
mines even in interior of Kyrgyz territory, at places, which are
"disputable". Moreover, they hide the maps with minefields.
The chairman of the Committee of frontiers Security Department general
Saidanvar Kamolov said that for a long time among Tadgik frontier guards
there have been no former soldiers of Islamic opposition, who had been
suspected in assistance to Uzbek modgaheds. They turned to a peaceful way of
life in their villages and instead of them youths have been gathered. Uzbek
force agencies have been several times invited to acquaint better with the
situation but the important quests form Tashkent have not come. Tadgikistan
is compelled to hold up more than 3 thousand soldiers and officers on the
border with Uzbekistan. The frontiers have been guarded from Gissar, where
the last year the fights with Islams took place, to Isfara, adjoining to
Fergan valley. And it happens in a moment when the subdivisions are
requisite in Pandg and in Upper Badahshan, where talibs conduct mass
contraband import of heroin from Afganistan.
The mine war is a cruel sign of the imperial policy of Tashkend to its
neighbors. The Uzbek leader Islam Karimov declares again and again that his
country is to the right to put mines there, where are possible breaks of
Islam extremists. For the last two years he several times has refused
critically from the Kyrgyz Army, which by his words is not able to repulse
the soldiers of the Islam movement of Uzbekistan. The Uzbek armed forces
were not allowed to enter the Kyrgyz territory in order to defeat the
bandits. Till the present time there is no direct air flight Dushanbe -
Tashkent. Often the vans with fruits and vegetables, which had been destined
to Russia and must pass transit the territory of Uzbekistan, are being
turned back.
Splinters of the mine wars reach Moskow, Vashington and the international
organizations. But they are cautious since they do not want to irritate such
an important partner as the president of Uzbekistan.
Russia when trying to decrease the pressure between the partners of CIS
makes it quietly, at closed negotiations. The Head of the Central Commanding
of the Armed forces of USA general Tommy R. Franks, who visited Tashkent,
instead of answering the direct question about mines preferred to reply
formally that such a state has got the right to defense but has to try to
decrease the risk of these operations for the civil society. The harshest
one was the manager of the mission of OSCE in Tadgikistan Mark Gilbert, who
called the mining of the frontiers "a rude mean of limitation freedom of
movement".
Meanwhile every new explosion could become fatal for Middle Asia. On the
borders live as a rule Uzbek, Kyrgyz and Tadgik villages near each other,
surrounded by common pastures, road, rivers, and etc. But the pain of loss
can obscure the mind and then the neighbors will rise against each other.
The same has already happened in Osh, where only the help of army ceased the
fight.
But at that time the country was united. Now, when the republics are
independent and possess their own armies, if now such a conflict happens it
could finish with war alert for tank battalions and for bombarding
escadrilles.
21 June, 2001
Yours sincerely
R. Dyryldaev
Chairman of the Kyrgyz Committee
for Human Rights in exile
c/o IHF
Austria, Vienna
A- 1080 Wickenburgg. 14/7
tel: 43 1 408 88 22; 43 1 956 58 94; Fax+43 1 408 88 22-50
http://www.kchr.elcat.kg
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