Global Voices

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The world is talking, are you listening?

Basir Ahang from the Afghan PenLog blog tells about a a demonstration of hundreds of the Bamiyan region residents, who rallied against injustice and discrimination in their province.

Tomyris reports that Uzbekistan’s Ilkhom Theatre (“Inspiration” in Uzbek) was given the 2011 Prince Claus Award, from the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development, for its cultural achievements. The Theatre is Uzbekistan’s only independent theatre, and today it also functions as a school of dramatic art.

The Turkmen-language Facebook page “JaPBaKLaR”, originally intended as a forum to share popular Turkmen cartoons, has emerged as the biggest Turkmen Facebook community. More importantly, it’s exhibiting some behaviors that seem surprisingly civic. NewEurasia’s Annasoltan reports.

Bilguun reports that the Mongolia's former president N.Enkhbayar was arrested on charges of “misappropriation or embezzlement of property” after a long stand-off between the police and his guard. Many pointed to the use of excessive force by the police during the arrest, so Bilguun also lists some questions about the operation.

14 Eurasian beavers – known as as ecosystem engineers – arrived in Ulaanbaatar from Bavaria, Germany, to build dams that shall bring about positive effects on the ecology of Tuul river in Mongolia, Bilguun reports.

According to a report from the International Crisis Group, current talks with the Taliban are unlikely to result in a sustainable peace, but could even lead to further destabilisation of the country, Nick Fielding says.

Nick Fielding writes that funds appear to be getting tight for the Taliban, whose Financial Commission has issued a plea for funds on the organisation's website – backed by the threat of Hellfire.

Nick Fielding writes that investigation into the February 2010 tragedy, when 23 Afghans travelling in three vehicles in Uruzgan province were attacked and killed by US helicopters, is over.

Joshua Foust says that Russian-Kyrgyz relations are deteriorating as president Atambaev is threatening to shut down foreign military bases on Kyrgyz territory – not only American, but also Russian ones.

Nathan Hamm writes that Uzbekistan’s parliament decided to delay the next presidential election from December 2014 to March 2015, a move that experts see as president Karimov's preparation for a future in which he is no longer the President of Uzbekistan.