Translation of TajikVoice‘s post (RUS).

The report begins here.

Real stories from ordinary people:

Rustam, owner of a small vegetable stand:

People from the Hukumat (local administration) came to me and asked whether I had donated money for Rogun (the dam project). I said I hadn’t. They told me I had one week to purchase stocks in the construction project, and if I didn’t show them proof within a week, I wouldn’t be able to do my business here. So I went to buy 200 somoni (approx. $45) worth of socks today. I’m curious, how much the president and his children contribute?

Sadullo, an employee of the country’s largest state telephone company Tajiktelekom:

Our organization was large and powerful, but last year’s crisis caused us financial problems. Creditors were demanding their money back. Then we ran into another problem. In December 2009, “the top” demanded that we take out a second loan and use the money to buy Rogun stocks. Now, our once-prospering organization is definitely stuck in debt!

Zarina, Dentist

In late 2009, the director of our dental clinic at the National Medical University gathered us and said that nurses had to contribute 1000 somoni each (approx. $250, given salaries of 200 somoni, or $45), doctors had to contribute between 1000 and 3000 somoni, depending on their academic rank, and department chairs 5000 somoni ($1150). Several people have quit their jobs already, because they cannot pay such a sum! At the same time that our last possessions are being taken away from us, the president’s daughters are building gigantic shopping centers. Let’s have the president’s children pitch in for their native Tajikistan.

S.V., professor at the Russo-Tajik Slavic University:

I never thought they would force us to do anything at a Russian university! It’s total lawlessness! In early December, they told us there would be no bonuses this year, and that 2% of everyone’s monthly salary would go towards a support fund for the dam project. I was already unhappy then. This is my money – pennies, maybe, but I legitimately earned it, and only I should decide what to spend it on. Just before the New Year, we received another unpleasant surprise: 100 somoni was deducted from everyone’s salary. That’s 25% of what I make. They did the same to the students, taking 100 somoni from their stipends, which are between 150 and 190 somoni. It is an embarrassment. We are raising a lawless generation. Meanwhile, our university administration is raving in interviews about our volunteer efforts to help “the construction project of the century.”

Karim, small business owner from Dushanbe’s largest market, “Korvon”:

The market administration came to us and demanded that we all pitch in 800 somoni ($180) for the Rogun dam project. If you didn’t pay, you lost your spot. The 1.5 meters of space we have here provide us with our daily bread. Of course, we handed over the money. Who could we complain to? We were lucky – store owners had to pay several thousand somoni. The biggest shame is that the dam will take another 10 years to build, while our hard-earned money will disappear without a trace, as usual.