As usual, there are a great number of important and debatable events/processes happening in Uzbekistan that greatly influence ordinary people’s lives, as well as country’s foreign and internal policies, and they (events) are not usually reported by mass media. I want to share my thoughts on one of such delicate topics – a buffer zone in Uzbek/Kyrgyz border in the South-East of Andijon province of Uzbekistan that borders Osh province of Kyrgyzstan.

Buffer zone is an area that goes 50 meters (it is for now, but there are rumors that soon its length may increase) deep inside Uzbekistan territory from the official border that is marked by barbed-wire.

It must be pointed out that the border area is a thick built-up area inhabited by many people. Local people, who live on the border, are used to “crossâ€? the border without any documents as the barbed-wired border stretches through their streets, mahallas, very often dividing the streets into two countries – one side is Uzbekistan, and other side is Kyrgyzstan. Local residents even have different jokes on this case, like “Where are you going? – I am going to Kyrgyzstan. -Why? – I am out of matches and I cannot light a gas, so I thought maybe my neighbor has, who lives right next to me but in other country.â€?

This section of the border is considered to be a very strategic for both countries. It is mainly due to its geographical location and that “Do’stlik� custom office is located there, which is one of the main customs between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is that very custom, where a human rights activist Umida Niyazova was arrested by law enforcement bodies of Uzbekistan in January 22, 2007, who has been recently sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment.

Local people say that living in such conditions is unbearable, because they cannot have normal communication with people with who they have been close for such a long time before the barbed-wired border was laid. It is also really difficult for them to realize that soon they will have to leave their houses. “Soon� will happen in August, 2007 (information is from local residents). Till August, residents of the buffer zone have to move to another place provided by the government, which is in 4-5 km from the buffer zone. Government is not providing houses, but a land where buffer-zone residents will build houses themselves. There is a special government committee on property assessment that will reimburse the loss of the house by means of money. Though, as local people say the assessment committee always underestimates the property. Moreover, people are not getting money as loss compensation, but building materials. Building materials are good for people, who are staying and building houses, but some residents of the buffer zone are willing to move deep inside the country and they would rather prefer money to building materials.

After August 2007, all houses in the buffer zone will be destroyed and two lines of barbed wire will be laid on the border – one on each side of the zone.

Why government is doing this? First, it envisages economic benefit. As I said, the buffer zone is a densely populated and thickly build-up area. Even though there is a custom service and the border is guarded by border army on both sides there are a great number of “loopholes� used by smugglers and contrabandists. There is no any statistics on illegally imported products to Uzbekistan, but I am sure that the number is not small. After August, all the “loopholes� will be destroyed, and government will gain more money by taxing the imported goods. Second, it is a matter of security. After Andijon events, Uzbekistani government blamed Kyrgyzstani citizens, who lived in Osh city, in supporting Islamic religious group Akramiys, who allegedly freed dangerous prisoners and massacred many innocent people in May 12, 2005 in Andijon city. Later, Uzbek law enforcement bodies had conducted investigations in Osh city in cooperation with their Kyrgyz colleagues, and in their report Uzbek law enforcement bodies stated that before Andijon events, Akramiys illegally crossed the border near Do’stlik and trained to the basics of warfare in the territory of Kyrgyzstan.

Of course, it is good for Uzbekistan to have secure and more profitable borders, but will building a buffer zone be effective in gaining security and high incomes in borders? Does it mean that prices for imported goods may rise, as legally imported goods will be more expensive? If the prices will rise, it may affect ordinary people badly whose living standards are really low. Anyway, the process has begun. Let’s hope that it brings good results for all.