Stories about Kyrgyzstan from August, 2012
‘Free’ Kyrgyzstan Marks Independence
…[D]espite being generally underdeveloped as a state, I am the freest of all other countries that were also born in 1991! Blogger Ilya Karimdjanov offers a ‘Monologue of Kyrgyzstan‘ [ru] which celebrates its independence today.
Kyrgyzstan: Facebook Post Spurs Row with Belarus
A photo uploaded on Facebook suggests that Janysh Bakiyev, the brother of the former Kyrgyzstani president ousted by 2010 protests, lives in Minsk. This has sparked an extradition request, the withdrawal of an ambassador and the storming of an embassy.
Kyrgyzstan: ‘Charming’ Prime Minister Falls from High Horse
'Its a shame that the sane, handsome and enterprising premier of #freekg Babanov is on his way out.' The 42-year-old Prime Minister has been accused of accepting an expensive British thoroughbred racehorse as a bribe, from a Turkish company, to secure a controversial US military airbase contract.
Kyrgyzstan: China Inc. Under Attack
China’s growing economic presence in Kyrgyzstan continues to be a topic for heated discussion in Kyrgyz society. In the country’s regions, this discourse is reflected in acrimonious standoffs between Chinese companies and locals, confrontations the mainstream media often fails to report on.
Central Asia's Mixed Success at London Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics offered mixed successes for Central Asian states. While the Games proved nothing short of triumph for team Kazakhstan, the success of athletes from Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan was more moderate. And for Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan, the Olympics were largely a disappointment.
Kyrgyzstan: Does Torpedo Testing Pollute Unique Lake?
Blogger Ilya Lukash writes [ru] about a Soviet-built facility on the shore of Kyrgyzstan's unique mountainous lake Issyk-Kul. The facility is apparently used by the Russian navy to test torpedoes in the lake. Angered by the pollution that the facility might have caused to Kyrgyzstan's prime tourist area and natural reserve,...
Kyrgyz Female Wrestler – Hooligan or Olympic Heroine?
Aisuluu Tynybekova, a young female wrestler from Kyrgyzstan, has been named as the country's "best hope to bring home a medal” from the London Olympics. But back home, she faces a criminal charge of “hooliganism”.
