Central Asia

Photo: Former President Almazbek Atambayev (left) at a rally in his support. His immunity from prosecution has been removed by 103 votes out of a possible 109. | Source: Facebook / Almazbek Atambayev.

Standoff in Kyrgyzstan After Parliament Strips A Powerful Ex-President of Immunity

By Kamila Eshaliyeva* | Open Democracy

BISHKEK (IDN-INPS) – At the end of June 2019, Kyrgyz MPs removed former president Almazbek Atambayev’s immunity from prosecution by 103 votes out of a possible 109. Parliament’s decision is based on a new law signed by current President Sooronbay Jeenbekov, which provides a mechanism for removing immunity from former heads of state.

The General Prosecutor’s Office has found evidence of serious offences in Atambayev’s actions during his six year-long presidency (2011-2017), which means that he may now face criminal charges. Atambayev himself rejects the accusations and, by all accounts, is preparing for a fight.

: Asia Editor; THE WORLD; Central Asia; 13 July 2019

Photo: Pamir mountains. Credit: Alijon Boynazarov

Climate Change Finds Its Way to the 'Rooftop' in Tajikistan

By Alisher Kukanbekov*

PAMIR, Tajikistan (IDN) – The great mountains of Pamir that have been known as the ‘Roof of the World’ over the centuries is now falling victim to climatic change. One of the largest glaciers here, Garmo glacier, has retreated by a staggering 7 kilometers in the past few decades with the annual mean temperatures recording an upwards trend over the past decade.

Pamir is situated at an altitude of over 2000 meters in the heart of Central Asia. Throughout centuries it has been the hub for many great empires such as the Persian Empire and the Greek Empire led by the boundless Alexander the Great. However, in the recent years, climate change has had its toll on the great mountains here and the whole of Tajikistan.

: Kalinga Seneviratne; THE WORLD; Central Asia; 24 June 2019

Photo: Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was sworn in as elected president on June 12 at the Palace of Independence in the Kazakh capital. Credit: The Astana Times

Kazakh Election Shows Youth Wavering between Apathy and Passion for Change

By Milena Melnikova*

NUR-SULTAN (IDN) – When Kazakhstan went to the polls on June 9 with six candidates challenging the incumbent president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, one may have thought that the people had a clear choice to make after almost three decades. But many young people in this oil-rich former Soviet Republic do not share that view. Subsequently, they did not bother to vote and when asked had a similar answer: “Does not matter, everything is already known without us."

: Kalinga Seneviratne; THE WORLD; Central Asia; 15 June 2019

Photo: The Kalyan minaret is one of the most prominent landmarks in the city of Buhara. The minaret was built by the Qarakhanid ruler Mohammad Arslan Khan in 1127 to summon Muslims to prayer five times a day. Credit: Kalinga Seneviratne | IDN-INPS

Ancient Silk Route Hub Gets Ready for Modern Tourism

By Kalinga Seneviratne

BUKHARA, Uzbekistan (IDN) – The city of Bukhara was a major trading hub of the ancient Silk Routes that connected Asia to the Arab world and Europe. With the Uzbekistan government’s lifting of restrictions on foreign tourists in 2016 and global interests on the ancient Silk Routes gathering momentum, this 2000-year-old city is poised to become a major tourist hub of Central Asia.

The city grew up nourished by the merchants that arrived from Persia, India, China and Russia and it was a popular and important resting point in the development of these routes between the 10th and 17th centuries.

: Kalinga Seneviratne; THE WORLD; Central Asia; 25 May 2019

Photo: Seven presidential candidates (clockwise): Sadybek Tugel, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Amirzhan Kosanov, Toleutai Rakhimbekov, Amangeldy Taspikhov, Daniya Yespayeva and Zhambyl Akhmetbekov.

7 Candidates Mark Kazakh Passage Through Historical Transition

By Radwan Jakeem

NEW YORK (IDN) – The Central Asian republic of Kazakhstan is living through an historical transition. For the first time since the country adopted the Constitutional Law on the independence of the Republic and held the first presidential election in 1991, Nursultan Nazarbayev is not contesting the forthcoming polls on June 9, 2019.

He was elected for a fifth term in the 2015 elections and was entitled to hold the office of the President until 2020. But he stunned the nation March 19, announcing during a nationally televised address that he would be relinquishing the office he had held for nearly three decades.

: Jaya Ramachandran; THE WORLD; Central Asia; 15 May 2019

Photo: Kazakh Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yerzhan Ashikbayev, addressing the opening of the Third Preparatory Session for the 2020 NPT Review Conference. Credit: Kazakhstan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Kazakhstan Calls for Rigorous Implementation of the NPT

By Santo D. Banerjee

NEW YORK (IDN) – Kazakhstan, an active supporter of nuclear disarmament and strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime, has reiterated its firm support for the strict and complete compliance by all parties of the provisions of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

This was stressed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yerzhan Ashikbayev, head of the Kazakh delegation at the opening of the Third Preparatory Session for the 2020 NPT Review Conference on April 29, 2019 at the UN Headquarters in New York.

: Santo D. Banerjee; UN INSIDER; 02 May 2019

Photo: A general picture of the market with the trucks bringing animals to the market. (Centre) Andakulova Gulmeera with the horse. (Close to bottom): A farmer with his cattle. Credit: Kalinga Seneviratne | IDN-INPS.

Animal Market Nerve Centre of Local Economy in Kyrgyzstan

By Kalinga Seneviratne

AT-BASHY, Kyrgyzstan (IDN) – Separated by mountain ranges from the rest of the country, Naryn province in southeastern Kyrgyzstan lies at an altitude of between 1300 to 3000 meters. Sheep and cattle, raised on the extensive grasslands and alpine pastures, are the mainstay of the economy. While horses play an important role in transport, they also do so in shepherding the herds, especially in summer.

: Kalinga Seneviratne; THE WORLD; Central Asia; 29 April 2019

Radio Connects a Kyrgyz Community with the World

By Kalinga Seneviratne

SUUSAMYR, Kyrgyzstan (IDN) – Travelling on the new Silk Roads recently upgraded by the Chinese, one drives up through stunning mountains that are still covered by snow even as summer approaches. The road from Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek climbs up to a peak of about 4.000 meters before descending over 1500 meters to a picturesque valley to reach one of the remotest communities in the country, the village of Suusamyr home to about 1,300 traditionally nomadic people.

: Kalinga Seneviratne; THE WORLD; Central Asia; 15 April 2019

Hookah Culture Invades Central Asia

By Milena Melnikova*

NAYRN, Kyrgyzstan (IDN) – The culture of smoking hookah is becoming popular among young adults in the Central Asian countries of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, because of its affordability as well as due to its being legal as a way to relax and get rid of the accumulated stress, in the absence of other forms of entertainment. Cafes and restaurants seem like an expensive choice, discotheques are almost non-existent here.

: Kalinga Seneviratne; THE WORLD; Central Asia; 10 April 2019

Image: Map – China’s military base on the Chinese-Afghan-Tajik frontier. Credit: Centre for Eastern Studies.

China Thwarts India’s Central Asian Ambitions

By Micha’el Tanchum*

TEL AVIV (IDN-INPS) – A recent investigation revealed that Chinese troops are stationed on Tajikistan’s south-eastern border, 30 kilometres from Pakistan-administered Kashmir across Afghanistan’s Wakhan corridor. India has unsuccessfully sought to establish its own military base in Tajikistan for over 15 years. The discovery of Chinese troops constitutes a severe setback to New Delhi’s Central Asian ambitions.

Soldiers from the base reportedly wear the insignia of the Xinjiang units of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).