The shooting of an Uzbek journalist in Kyrgyzstan made headlines across the world this week. Alisher Saipov, who had worked for outlets including RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty and Voice of America, was murdered in Osh on Friday. Some reports imply that Saipov’s close links with the Uzbek opposition could provide a motive for his killing.
Writing for the Jamestown Foundation, Roger McDermott links Uzbekistan’s recent overtures to Turkmenistan with a more general effort to rehabilitate the country in the eyes of the west. This follows the easing of EU sanctions against the country last week. The Ethical Corporation website carries a podcast on Uzbek cotton, covering child labour and other issues of concern. Over on EurasiaNet, Joshua Kucera tells how the inhabitants of Karshi miss the US military base that existed there until 2005.
Anxieties over the investment climate in Kazakhstan were reflected this week in a statement by the European Commission which underlined the need for foreign firms to be treated fairly. Elsewhere there was alarm as the Kazakh government moved to shut down opposition websites.
On Tuesday questions were raised over the validity of Kyrgyzstan’s recent constitutional referendum, which paved the way for a parliament filled on the basis of party lists. The following day President Bakiyev announced that the government would resign, but continue as a caretaker for the two months until the election.
Tajikistan accounts for 70% of the drugs seized in Central Asia, according to the Collective Security Treaty Organisation. The border with Afghanistan, the world’s largest producer of opium, is famously porous. The country also looks likely to face criticism from human rights groups after ordering Jehovah’s Witnesses, along with two other religious groups, to suspend their activities.
Stay tuned to Central Asia Now for weekly news digests. Keep an eye out for analysis slots by regional experts.
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