Stories about Kyrgyzstan from June, 2012
Kyrgyzstan: Incident in Batken Highlights Cross-border Ethnic Tensions
Passions flew high in the southwestern Kyrgyz city of Batken last week after local residents took a group of Tajik citizens hostage in an attempt to force the release of three locals detained in Tajikistan on smuggling charges. As Matthew Kupfer writes on Registan.net, “such events certainly aren’t helping interethnic relations within...
Kyrgyzstan: Cartoons Expose Ills of Patriarchal Society
The Kyrgyzstani art group ‘705’ [ru] has produced a number of hand-drawn animation films [ru] that criticize the conventions and norms of a patriarchal society. Domestic violence and the oppression of women in such a society are two big themes in these films.
Kyrgyzstan: Videos Abound of ‘Patriotic’ Attacks on Migrant Women in Russia
A number of 'patriotic' videos depicting male Kyrgyz labor migrants abusing their female compatriots for associating with men from other ethnic groups while working in Russia has recently been disseminated online. The videos have sparked outrage across domestic and international networks.
Kyrgyzstan: The Peace Bell Tolls for Everyone but Uzbeks?
On the second anniversary of violent clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in southern Kyrgyzstan, a ‘Peace Bell‘ [ru] has been unveiled in the city of Osh as a monument for those who died and as a symbol of reconciliation. The bell contains the inscription ‘Peace in the Whole World’ in...
Kyrgyzstan: Rap Song Stokes Ethnic Hostility on Anniversary of Clashes
As Kyrgyzstan marks the second anniversary of the June 2010 events, a new rap song is stoking tension in Osh, a southern city which was the epicenter of the ethnic riots between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz two years ago. The song is already causing altercations which threaten to upset fragile piece in the troubled city.
Kyrgyzstan: Politician Slams Mini-Skirts and Tracksuits
A conservative MP in Kyrgyzstan has proposed to ban mini-skirts and sportswear in the national parliament building, triggering a debate among the country's netizens. While some netizens support the MP's proposal, others believe parliamentarians should focus their time and resources on more urgent tasks.
Kyrgyzstan: Challenging the Government-set ‘Subsistence Minimum’
Is the ‘subsistence minimum’ a realistic measure of the goods and services that one needs to maintain a basic standard of living? Three Kyrgyz bloggers participate in an experiment to see whether they can limit their monthly spending on food and services to $100 – the country's official ‘subsistence minimum’ – without...
Kyrgyzstan: Civic Initiatives Seek to Tackle Bride-Kidnapping
Although bride kidnapping is officially a crime in Kyrgyzstan, it remains a common occurrence in the country's rural areas. With the authorities reluctant to clamp down on the practice, civil society organizations and creative troupes harness the power of performance to educate the population about the harmful effects of bride kidnapping.
