Uzbekistan
The emerging oppositional movement of Uzbeks in exile has already showed its intentions to draw attention to the political regime in the country. First, they founded People’s Movement of Uzbekistan (PMU) with branches in Canada, Sweden and Norway.
After that, they spoiled Islam Karimov’s Independence Day celebrations with a protest in Istanbul in front of the Uzbek Consulate, where some fifty participants were holding banners with demands in Uzbek, English and Turkish, such as: “We don’t forget Andijan!”, “Time to Change!”, “Stop Torture!”, “For every Pharaoh there is a Moses,” etc.
On exactly the same day PMU sent off an appeal to the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, stating that:
“The Uzbek dictator Islam Karimov and members of his clan have been carrying out the policy of state terror against own people over the last 20 years, turning the country into the Uzbek GULAG. Thousands of prisoners, including political have been imprisoned in camps, jails, and detention centers where they have been suffering from torture and other forms of ill-treatment.”
A leader in the field of media censorship, Uzbekistan is imposing a new limitation to journalists, but this time it has nothing to do with the information they inform – or wish to, but can’t – their audience with.
The reporters seen on Uzbek state television will be seen only in a conservative and well dressed manner – that means no skin exposure in inappropriate places. That means no low cut shirts too-low and no miniskirts too-mini.
But it isn’t like something radical happened to make the imposed dress code headline news across Central Asia. Things are as they have been, in terms of state television fashion. But there was certainly something stunning about the recent ban to make it news-worthy at least via CA-News.org.
Read the full story »
While Uzbek President was celebrating “a great holiday, an unforgettable historic date – the twentieth anniversary of independence [of] Uzbekistan – across the entire nation, in every single town and kishlak,” Uzbeks living in excile in Turkey were making their last preparations to protest against the regime in Istanbul, demanding democratic changes in Uzbekistan.
Ozodlik Radiosi (Uzbek serice of RFE/RL) reported that on September 1, 2011, some fifty human rights activists gathered in front of the Consulate General in Istanbul, organized by People’s Movement of Uzbekistan, a comparatively new oppositional movement to oust President Karimov led by Muhammad Salikh, first and only real opponent of Islam Karimov at first Presidential elections in Uzbekistan in 1991.
With branches over continents, PMU activists aim to spread a word about processes that take place in Uzbekistan, mostly political, but also including human rights violations, issues with media freedoms’, etc.
Protesters were holding banners with demands in Uzbek, English and Turkish, such as: “We don’t forget Andijan!”, “Time to Change!”, “Stop Torture!”, “For every Pharaon there is a Moses,” etc.
Although, PMU was the organizer of the event it wasn’t only their activists rallying — Uzbeks of Istanbul, several Turkish human rights activists, members of the Turkish “Buyuk Birlik” party (Turkish for “Great Union”), as well as mass media were present, too. Read the full story »
Translator’s Note: The following piece has been translated from Solomon Tihonov’s post. If you have comments/questions directly to the author, please refer to the original (RUS).
It has now been more than year since the tragic events in the south of Kyrgyzstan that have shocked not only Central Asia and the former Soviet Union, but also the whole world. That was at least the case with the global media that have propagated all over the continents about ‘the inhumane atrocities of one ethnic group against another’.
Tashkent’s “grip”
Politically strong Uzbeks right by the side could have caused negative effect on the situation in the conflict-prone Fergana valley. The new revolution, which literally saw “a revival” of Kyrgyzstani Uzbeks and their financial strength, could have possibly irritated Tashkent. Unlike official media, which have always been thrifty in disseminating such information, rumors are always there to work. The Chinese cheap goods flea market on the Kyrgyz bank of Shahimardan river has always been one of the main sources for unofficial information to the Uzbek part of the Fergana valley.
For more than three months prior to the main national holiday — Independence Day — Uzbek TV launched another patriotic video with participation of local stars that include Ozodbek Nazarbekov, Shakhzoda, Rayhon, Lola and others.
Being aired tens of times a day, the video is longer than a regular pop-clip. But the thing is that this is not a regular video — it’s dedicated to the twenty years that passed since Uzbekistan stopped being a part of Soviet Union.
The video is in the best traditions of state propaganda — the WE-ARE-THE-BEST-AND-HAPPIEST! and DROWN-IN-YOUR-OWN-JEALOUSY! signals can be read between the lines.
To explain the content of the video: apart from singers, you can see how the screen is divided into two parts — one side shows terror and children with guns and riots, another side shows happy Uzbek kids, the process of creation, newlyweds at a Mustakillik (Independence) square. It’s something that aims to make you think: “Who has never tasted bitter, knows not what is sweet.” Got it now?
The quality of pictures is the best of what my mobile phone’s camera could do. The video itself is not available online or in any music shop of the capital. Only on Uzbek TV, without any copies distributed, so that “enemies” will not seize the secrec video. :)
The number of groups of people, campaigns, movements, organizations that want Uzbek President’s resignation is increasing if not on a daily, then at least on a monthly basis for sure.
Today a few activists from different regions of Uzbekistan have announced a new organization to oppose a dictatorship regime in the country, Democratic Movement for for Liberation of Uzbekistan (“Демократическое движение за освобождение Узбекистана”, ДДОУз).
A new movement is a joint project of activists and the Committee of the Public Self-defence chaired by Abdullo Tajiboy-ogli, known for his extraordinary campaigns that normally end up with arrests and detains. In 2007 Tajiboy-ogli, through “For Free and Fair Elections in Uzbekistan,” announced his candidacy for Presidential elections. Central Elections Commission has never commented on that initiative and, as a result, he was not allowed to participate in the elections that kept Islam Karimov in his seat for seven years.
The organizational committee of the new movement’s will be chaired by Dilshod Pulatov, native of Andijan. To mention, this name is known in a circle of activists in Uzbekistan — as of 2008 Pulatov was a head of the Birdamlik Movement branch in Andijan, detained for some period of time for his activism by Uzbek authorities in July, 2008. Read the full story »
A new exclusive social network, only for Uzbeks and not for foreigners, is coming to Uzbekistan.
Muloqot.uz (“Dialogue”, “Conversation,” “Communication”), created by Simple Networking Solutions with the support of Uzbektelecom, will be launched in light of Uzbekistan’s 20th Independence Day celebrations on September 1st. On August 19th, at the Museum of Communication History, a press conference was held about the site.
UzReport.com explains the social functions of the social site:
“You can talk with [a] wide scope of interesting people or communicate with friends and relatives, inform they [them] about your joy and success, find like-minded person and exchange experiences, knowledge and ideas in different spheres.”
Muloqot.uz recognizes and supports common human values and national tarditions, principles of equality and tolerance, and stands against violence and all kinds of discrimination.
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan have already announced amnesty in 2011. Particularity of Central Asian amnesties is in their connection to national holidays and outstanding events. This year leaders of the first three countries dedicate the pardone of prisoners to the 20th anniversary of their countries’ independence from Soviet Union.
Neutral Turkmenistan prefers to ‘humanitariarize’ the event, by dedicating it to annual celebration of Gadyr Gijesi, or Laylat al-Qadr (لیلة القدر – the Night of Forgiveness), the anniversary of the night Muslims believe the first verses of the Qur’an were revealed to prophet Muhammad.
According to official Turkmen media, this year Gadyr Gijesi falls on 26-27 August, and prisoners will be released as early as needed to get to their homes and celebrate the holy event with their beloved ones.
“Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov instructed the relevant services to “hold this action with all due responsibility, in the spirit of the centuries old values such as compassion, humanity and justice inherited by the Turkmen people from the glorious ancestors, and to take all measures to ensure that pardoned convicts meet Gadyr Gijesi in their homes.”
Officials in Uzbekistan are silent — the so-called “Golden Amnesty,” dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Uzbekistan, will take place anyways, it’s not even doubted. The question is if political prisoners will be pardoned. Read the full story »
Marifat weekly newspaper that belongs to the Ministry of Public Education and stands for “Enlightenment” in Uzbek, published the article “Mass culture: Freedom or Restriction?” by Visola Karshibaeva on August 17th (p. 12).
In the article the author claims that the recent terrorist attacks by Anders Breivik in Norway happened as a result of the West-affiliated “mass culture.”
According to the article, knowing that Breivik had not seen his father for the past 15 years — i.e. not feeling the parental love — clarifies reasons of the horrible event (read: lashed out his anger on innocent teenagers on Utoya Island and accidental by-passers in the governmental district of Oslo). Read the full story »
What’s all the “buzz” about Russian – and some other – websites being blocked by the handfuls in Uzbekistan?
newsurasia just informed that in addition to other websites, Central Asian News Service (ca-news.org) and Russian Informational Agency Regnum (regnum.ru) have recently been blocked in the country: “Uzbek media censors are back at work”.
But it seems the Uzbek censors are back at it not only again – but again, and over again.
Unitel, one of Uzbekistan’s leading GMS operators which is a company of VimpleCom, was founded in 1996 and began its commercial activities one year later. Unitel has served over 3.5 million subscribers since the end 2009. Unitel, “one of the largest mobile operator in Russia and CIS”, initiated “Beeline” services one decade after its launch, in 2006. “Beeline” is a Russian mobile phone service provider.
Read the full story »
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