SaigonNezumi.com » Kyrgyzstan

Osh Update

SaigonNezumi (Kevin) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 10:01:41 +0000

The violence in Osh and Jalal Abad seems to be waning. Many Uzbek refugees are still in Uzbekistan, it is hard to say if they will return. Several sources are suggesting that ousted President Bakiyev and his son were behind these events. Eyewitnesses in Osh stated they saw Tajik masked men shooting at both the Kyrgyz and Uzbek. Interpol arrested President Bakiyev’s son, Maksim, in the UK at the request of the Kyrgyzstan government who is alleged to have funded these Tajik “mercenaries”.

Now, Kyrgyzstan will need international help in bringing aid to Osh and Jalal Abad and to the areas in Uzbekistan where the refugees reside. The international community still seems to be failing in helping southern Kyrgyzstan.

The video below was taken last weekend. You can see the Uzbekistan Army helping the Uzbek refugees cross into Uzbekistan. It is a bit chaotic. Latest estimates suggest that over 100,000 Uzbeks crossed into Uzbekistan. Osh itself has an official population of 300,000 (450,000 unofficially).

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBFgAES2Ovk[/youtube]

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SaigonNezumi (Kevin) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:41:49 +0000

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Osh and Jalal Abad are burning… :-(

SaigonNezumi (Kevin) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:27:43 +0000

Most of you probably never heard of Osh or Jalal Abad, two Central Asian cities located in southern Kyrgyzstan. I visited both of these cities in 1999 as part of my 4 month contract work with the American Councils for International Education (ACCELS/ACTR) where I ran the Freedom Support Act’s “Future Leader’s Exchange” program for high school students. This is how I remembered Osh with it’s famous Suleiman Too (hill or mountain):

Suleiman Too

Suleiman Too is a famous pilgrimage site for women wanting to become pregnant (from one direction Suleiman Too looks like a pregnant woman) and just as a religious pilgrimage site (The Prophet Suleiman is rumored to have died here – from another direction the hill looks like an old man). It is famous to both the Kyrgyz and Uzbek, both ethnic groups that make up Osh.

Here is what the above site looks like now:

Suleiman Hill in Osh unrest - neweurasia.net

About 3 days ago, armed gangs in Osh started taking the streets targeting Uzbeks and their homes. Over 100 people have been killed and roughly 80,000 Uzbeks have fled their Osh homes for the Uzbekistan border. The media is calling this an ethnic unrest between the Kyrgyz and Uzbeks. Similar riots between the two ethnic groups have occured in 1990. There are a lot of finger pointing to who started this unrest, most goes to the ousted President Bakiyev who is currently exiled in Belarus. Jalal Abad was his stronghold and he may be using these unrests to destabilize the current interim democratic government of President Roza Otunbayeva.

President Otunbayeva has asked the Russians to help but they have refused at this time. It seems that the Kyrgyzstani militia cannot contain the unrest in both Osh and Jalal Abad. There has not been an official response from both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, both countries that have sizable military forces that could be used to calm the unrest. Turkey has been mute as well, the Turkish Army could play a crucial role in calming the region. Uzbeks seem to distrust the Kyrgyz-majority militia. The Turks could play a neutral role between the two ethnic groups and possibly as a leader of any peace keeping force in the region.

Overall, though, it seems that the world really does not care about what is happening in southern Kyrgyzstan. The World Cup is taking center stage in all media outlets including Turkey and the Muslim world. Muslims, in general, do not even seem concerned that Muslims are killing Muslims in Central Asia. This is sad. All Muslims threw an uproar when the Israeli forces stormed a Turkish charity ship bound for the Gaza Strip yet they are mute now.

For me, I am just doing my part to help give Kyrgyzstan some world media attention. Click on the links below and watch the videos in regards to the Osh/Jalal Abad Unrest. When the time comes, be prepared to give aid to these regions. They are going to need it real soon…

Twitter Updates on the Osh/Jalal Abad Unrest

Online news stories on the Osh/Jalal Abad Unrest

Kyrgyzstan Violence: Conspiracies Abound – Registan.net
Osh burning again – Registan.net
Is Osh quieting down? – neweurasia.net
UN chief Ban Ki-moon alarmed by Kyrgyzstan clashes – BBC
I call it a massacre – neweurasia.net
Thousands flee Kyrgyzstan unrest – Al Jazeera
Kyrgyz ethnic class spreads, Russia sends troops – Reuters
Osh: Videos from the scene – neweurasia.net
Violence Spreading in Southern Kyrgyzstan; Uzbekistan Reacts Slowly to Refugee Crisis – eurasianet.org
Panic at the border As Uzbek Refugees flee unrest in Osh – eurasianet.org
Osh events in photos – neweurasia.net

Osh Unrest Videos

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News from the Former Soviet Union

SaigonNezumi (Kevin) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:57:19 +0000

As many of you are aware, I lived in the Former Soviet Union for over two and a half years visiting the countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Uzbekistan. Thanks to Facebook, I still can keep in touch with my former students and friends from the region. I was offered a job in Almaty, Kazakhstan, that would have started next month. I decided against it so I can focus on my new company instead. It was a tough decision but at least I can still keep up with the region through the various blogs and news sites.

English Russia is by far one of the best blogs for the Former Soviet Union. The posts are just interesting, I wish I could be as good as the site owner in finding similarly really interesting photos. Today’s post makes me glad that I live in a brick house that, in theory, is more protected from fire. “In Theory” in quotes actually

Fires seem to always happen in Russia such as the one below:

(Source: English Russia)

See more Fire Photos here -> http://englishrussia.com/?p=3982

From NewEurasia.Net, there was an interview of an Expat on living in Osh, Kyrgyzstan. Read it, if Expats in Vietnam heed to his advice, their experience could just be as enjoyable as the Canadian interviewed.

By the way, Osh is one of my favorite cities in the world. I spent nearly two weeks there back in 1999. A really nice city with some of the best Central Asian cuisine in the world. Cafe Osh, I miss you…

(Source: NewEurasia.net)

Read the entire interview here -> http://www.neweurasia.net/culture-and-history/interview-when-in-kyrgyzstan-do-as-kyrgyz-do/

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Turkish Airlines – Memories of Turkey

SaigonNezumi (Kevin) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:19:54 +0000

Turkish Airlines is another one of my favorite airlines. I flew with them several times since 1999. I would choose Turkish Airlines in a heart beat if they started offering flights straight to Saigon. Turkish hospitality is one of the best in the world. Here are some good Turkish Airlines commercials:

[youtube width="333" height="250"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vAJox4Puaw[/youtube]

[youtube width="333" height="250"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrEmqACGxBk[/youtube]

Here is one of my favorite videos promoting tourism to Istanbul:

[youtube width="333" height="250"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4o8TsnQ-yw[/youtube]

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Bishkek, Krygyzstan’s, 131st Birthday

SaigonNezumi (Kevin) — Sat, 02 May 2009 01:33:17 +0000

Yesterday was Bishkek, Kyrgzystan‘s, 131st birthday since it’s founding by the Russians in 1878. I lived in Bishkek for four months when I worked with the American Councils for International Education in late 1999. Bishkek is a very interesting place to live in. I lived in the Yug Dva region which had a great view of the Ala-Too mountains. I have lots of wonderful memories there.

Check out this link for photos from yesterday’s birthday celebrations:

Celebrating the Bishkek City Day

Cross-posted from: ExpatPragmatist.com

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