Kyrgyz parliament’s commission on last year tragic events in the south of the country brought out a proposal to ban Fergana Information Agency’s web site for “subjective information on June 2010 clashes, Kyrgyz Telegraph Agency (KyrTAG) reports.

“The proposal to ban Ferghana.Ru web site was amongst all the proposals that will be included in the final report of the commission on investigation of the April, May and June events of 2010. In the justification of the proposal it is said that this internet resource publishes subjective information on June 2010 clashes,” Tokon Mamytov, head of the parliamentarian commission, said without mentioning the name of the MP that initiated the proposal.

According to Vesti.kg, it’s Ar-Namys party’s represenatatives’ initiative to ban Fergananews.com web site. Vesti.kg reminds MPs that that’s the correct title of the web site, and not its old name — not Fergana.ru.

Commentors at Fergananews.com criticized Kyrgyz parliamentarians’s activity calling them to care about their business:

Vagif, 09.06.2011

“It’d be better if they cared about the country. This is nonsense… First they declare persona non grata, now web site ban… Clowns…

Узбек (Uzbek), 09.06.2011

Dear MPs, the closure of Freedom of speech in Kyrgyz Republic and beginning of a totalitarian fascist regime starts with Fergana’s ban. I ‘congratulate’ you with that in advance! You got what you wanted!!!

Uzbek, 09.06.2011

Not dear Kyrgyz MPs! I see that your revolutions and talks on building democratic society was a bullcrap. You don’t like truth?

oш (osh), 09.06.2011

clowns, you think they can’t access [Fergana] via proxy server? then you should ban teh Internet and live in your yurt (nomads’ tent).

Kazbek (Казбек, 10.06.2011) reminds MPs the value of freedom of speech obtained with a coup last year:

Take it easy. Ar-Namys parliamentarian fraction is not a whole parliament. Freedom of speech is the main trofey of Kyrgyz democracy and revolution; that’s why we won’t give up our freedom ever! Fergana.ru and other siilar mass media outlets will enjoy the fruits of the freedom pursued by the blood of 87 killed and hundreds of wounded patriots at Central Swuare of Bishkek on April 7, 2010!

There is only a few comments backing MPs’ proposal. One of the reasons to ban Fergana information agency is that it operates from Uzbekistan.

Arthur, 10.06.2011

Of course it should be banned. They approve all the insulting comments about Kyrgyzs, never Uzbeks. Why do we need such a web site? I offered Diesel.kg administration to open a topic on their forum to discuss it, they said that it’s not worth challenging a tense situation. And I agreed with them; they are right that it’s not worth to escalate and heat a fragile peace in Kyrgyzstan.
However, Fergana editorial doesn’t give a damn about peace in Kyrgyzstan — hey live in Uzbekistan.

As of the evening of June 9, 2011, Kyrgyz Parliament has adopted a final report on tragic events in southern Kyrgyzstan in 2010 — Fergananews.com’s ban is not there… Fortunately. But the message’s been sent to the Kyrgyz mass media — “be carefull — we are watching you!”

To note, in March 2010, few weeks prior to the second Kyrgyz revolution, few Russian web sites were banned by then-President Kurmanbek Bakiev, including Fergana.Ru (web site’s former name and e-address). The reason was a flow of critical information on Bakiev family’s affiliation with corrupted businessmen, as well as on people’s unrest in Naryn on March 10, 2010.

Fergana information agency’s web site has been banned in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan since 2005; Kazakh internet service providers ban access to it from time to time — when anything critical on President Nazarbaev appears on the web site. However, those aware of proxy servers can access any banned web site easily. Including our neweurasia blog.