Central Asia: Border Disputes and Conflict Potential
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CENTRAL ASIA: BORDER DISPUTES AND CONFLICT POTENTIAL 4 April 2002 ICG Asia Report N° 33 Osh/Brussels TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................. i I. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................1 II. POINTS OF CONTENTION......................................................................................................7 A. UZBEKISTAN-KAZAKHSTAN............................................................................................................. 7 B. UZBEKISTAN-TURKMENISTAN ......................................................................................................... 9 C. UZBEKISTAN-TAJIKISTAN.............................................................................................................. 11 D. UZBEKISTAN-KYRGYZSTAN........................................................................................................... 13 E. KYRGYZSTAN-CHINA ..................................................................................................................... 17 F. KYRGYZSTAN-TAJIKISTAN ............................................................................................................ 18 G. BORDERS WITH AFGHANISTAN ...................................................................................................... 20 H. OTHER REGIONAL BORDER ISSUES ............................................................................................... 21 III. CONCLUSION...........................................................................................................................23 APPENDICES A. MAP OF CENTRAL ASIA ................................................................................................................. 26 B. MAP OF TAJIKISTAN WITH ENCLAVES ON KYRGYZ TERRITORY .................................................. 27 C. MAP OF UZBEKISTAN WITH ENCLAVES ON KYRGYZ TERRITORY................................................. 28 D. GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................. 29 E. ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP................................................................................. 30 F. ICG REPORTS AND BRIEFING PAPERS .......................................................................................... 31 G. ICG BOARD MEMBERS.................................................................................................................. 35 ICG Asia Report N° 33 4 April 2002 CENTRAL ASIA: BORDER DISPUTES AND CONFLICT POTENTIAL EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS For the past decade Russia, China, Uzbekistan, republics were permitted to secure long-term leases Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and of territory from other republics. In a number of Kazakhstan have all been involved in high stakes cases, enclaves – isolated islands of territory within negotiations to define their respective borders. another republic – were created. Strong-arm politics, economic pressures, shadowy backroom deals, nationalist sentiments, public All these factors combined to create a complex dissatisfaction and an environment of mutual stew of territorial claims and counterclaims once mistrust have marked this process. The resolution the Central Asian republics became independent of border issues peacefully and transparently states. Borders that were suddenly international would have a positive impact on regional security, quickly took on major significance. Long-standing economic cooperation, ethnic relations and efforts industrial and transportation links were disrupted. to combat drug trafficking and religious Control of territory meant control of resources and extremism. But progress has been slow, and no improved strategic positions. Ethnic populations immediate breakthrough can be seen in an all too that had long enjoyed access to friends and family often antagonistic process that is defining the new just across borders were now isolated and often map of Central Asia. faced visa requirements and other access difficulties. Much of the population views these Independence for the Central Asian states reopened new restrictions with hostility and has felt the a Pandora’s box of border disputes. Many of the disruption in traditional patterns of commerce and current difficulties can be traced directly back to a society acutely. difficult Soviet legacy. Moscow established administrative borders of its Central Asian Resolving these lingering and often quite republics in the mid-1920s, which followed neither substantial border disputes has become critical. natural geographic boundaries nor strict ethnic Regional relations have often been uneasy for a lines. Soviet planners often avoided drawing more variety of reasons, and tensions over borders have homogeneous or compact republics for fear they only made cooperation in other areas, such as would fuel separatism. Further, given the highly trade, more daunting. At the same time, border centralised nature of Soviet planning, economic disputes have also become important domestic and transportation links were designed to cross political issues. Concessions made in border republic borders freely. Goods flowed largely negotiations can be rich fodder for political unimpeded across these internal borders, and oppositions (in those Central Asian countries people would notice little more than a plaque or a where opposition groups are allowed to operate), small police outpost as they moved between and this has served to further constrain the latitude republics. of governments to compromise. Compounding the current difficulties, the borders The resolution of territorial disputes is obviously were redrawn on numerous occasions, and emotional and goes directly to each country’s Central Asia: Border Disputes and Conflict Potential ICG Asia Report N° 33, 4 April 2002 Page ii definition of national interests. No nation wants to make territorial concessions. Nonetheless, the All the countries in the region are in economic failure to resolve border issues prevents neighbours crisis and have a wide array of social problems. from normalising relations and dealing with Political opposition has become radicalised in pressing social and economic issues. Thus it is some areas. In these circumstances, tension over important that any territorial differences be borders is only one further destabilising issue in a resolved on a mutually acceptable basis in difficult political and security environment. accordance with the standards of international law Resolving these issues will require great and practice. persistence, difficult compromises, intensive international engagement and genuine creativity. The most complicated border negotiations involve the Ferghana Valley where a myriad of enclaves exist, and all three countries which share it — RECOMMENDATIONS Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan — have both historical claims to each other’s territory and TO CENTRAL ASIAN GOVERNMENTS: economic interests in the transport routes, rivers, reservoirs, and industries. Negotiations over border 1. Cease unilateral border demarcations should demarcation in the valley have been charged with cease; all demarcation should take place tension and have stalled over scores of disputed transparently through official joint points. While talks continue with a broad commissions, in consultation with the local understanding that border issues must be settled, population. there is little likelihood of a final breakthrough any time soon. 2. Cease the practice of mining unmarked frontiers and take steps to remove all mines Even where demarcation has been agreed, border from borders. crossings are difficult throughout the region, slowing regional trade and causing tension. 3. Simplify visa requirements and border Demands for visas, often only available in capitals crossing procedures, open consulates in and at a high price for local people, have made appropriate border cities, or otherwise issue freedom of movement increasingly difficult. visas at border crossing points. Customs officers and border forces are often poorly trained and frequently depend on corruption 4. Improve training for border guards in border for their income. Harassment and extortion of and visa procedures, and take stronger travellers and traders has become part of everyday measures against corruption among them and reality in border regions. As cross-border travel customs authorities and against harassment becomes more difficult, interaction between of travellers; populations that once shared many aspects of a common culture and way of life is becoming much 5. Uzbekistan should open map archives in less frequent. As new lines are drawn on the map, Tashkent as a shared resource of the so new borders and new stereotypes are being successor states of the Soviet Union, and the created in people’s minds. countries in the region should encourage Russia to provide access to similar resources Limiting cross-border movement has often been in Moscow. done in the name of security, yet few border services are sufficiently proficient to prevent 6. Grant regional governors more latitude to determined narcotics traffickers or terrorists from deal with the social concerns of local crossing frontiers. And the means used to secure populations in disputed border areas and borders have had a directly negative impact on the encourage local authorities to allow NGOs lives