Bloody ethnic clashes and an increase in nationalist fervor are severely damaging the government of Kyrgyzstan, a Central Asian nation vital to American forces fighting Taliban insurgents in neighboring Afghanistan.
Fighting between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in the country’s southern cities of Osh and Jalalabad broke out last June, prompting a humanitarian crisis that officially left 400 dead, although many more are believed to have been killed.
The mayor of Osh, Melis Myrzakmatov, is a strong Kyrgyz nationalist who is hostile to American influence in the country. He has defied orders from president Roza Otunbayeva to leave his post, and supporters roughed up a minister sent from the capitol Bishek who came to smooth relations.
The developments have left the pro-American Kyrgyzstan president Roza Otunbayeva increasingly impotent in the face of upcoming elections to be held in October. Her increasing political vulnerability has forced her to back away from US security programs intended to strengthen the nation, including a counterterrorism and anti-narcotics training center and an international police mission.
After several months of intense negotiations, the US recently paid US$ 60 million to keep the Manas Air Base, a vital logistics hub for American forces fighting in Afghanistan. With the ethnic and nationalist problems occurring in the south of Kyrgyzstan, and the base in the north of Kyrgyzstan near the capitol Bishek, analysts see the country as being split into two regions with a severely limited central government.
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Sir –
Your article states, "Fighting between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in the country’s southern cities of Osh and Jalalabad broke out last June." To be accurate, fighting began in Jalalabad in May when supporters of the fallen Bakiyev regime fought against Uzbeks who supported the interim government (see the recently released ICG and HRW reports for details). Already in May tensions were boiling over and ethnic violence was increasing; June just marked the peak of the killings.
When referring to the killings, you repeat the euphemism which some in the media have used: "Fighting between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks." Neutral news reports have long documented that the killings were ethnic in nature and, what's more, that they were largely perpetrated by the Kyrgyz against the Uzbeks. Your political correctness eschews this very important distinction, and it makes light of the tragedy suffered by the Uzbeks at the hands of their countrymen. I implore you to summon the courage to buck political correctness, call a spade a spade, and describe these killings for what they really were. Anything less risks allowing those who committed the crimes to get away with murder…