DOCSLIB.ORG

Economic and Social Council

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Economic and Social Council UNITED NATIONS E Economic and Social Distr. GENERAL Council E/CN.4/2002/106/Add.1 12 March 2002 Original: ENGLISH COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-eighth session Item 17 (b) of the provisional agenda PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS Report of Ms. Hina Jilani, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/61 Addendum Mission to Kyrgyzstan* (30 July-4 August 2001) * The executive summary of this mission report is being circulated in all official languages. The report itself is contained in the annex to the present document and is being circulated in the language of submission and Russian only. GE.02-11324 (E) 240302 E/CN.4/2002/106/Add.1 page 2 Executive Summary The present report, submitted in accordance with Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/61, presents and analyses information received by the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders during her visit to Kyrgyzstan from 30 July to 4 August 2001. The report contains background information on the country, an overview of the legal framework followed by the principal findings and concerns of the Special Representative with regard to the situation of human rights defenders in Kyrgyzstan. These include considerations with regard to freedom of association and assembly, the situation of particular categories of human rights defenders (members of human rights organizations, journalists, youth groups and environmental activists) as well as particular concerns with regard to the independence of the judiciary, the rights of ethnic minorities, religious tolerance and women human rights defenders. The Special Representative notes with satisfaction that the legal environment in Kyrgyzstan is in accordance with international standards in the field of human rights. However, there is continuous legislative activity in terms of changes to laws, which does not always go in the direction of the improvement of human rights. In addition, there are restrictions in practice on freedom of assembly, expression and association. The lack of freedom of expression and the press is in this regard of serious concern to the Special Representative. She is further concerned that the right to protest against human rights violations has been repressed; this is one of the major causes of the strained relationship between the Government and human rights activists. The Special Representative notes that the Government’s tolerance of criticism of its policies and conduct that violate human rights has diminished over the years. The Special Representative considers that the State should recognize the importance of the civil society and its essential role in Kyrgyzstan’s transition to democracy. Despite the Government’s stepping back from its commitment to democratic governance and protection of human rights in more recent years, the Special Representative is convinced that the possibility of renewing that commitment is not remote. In the light of the above, the Special Representative recommends the following to the Government of Kyrgyzstan: (a) Restrictions imposed by laws and regulations on the freedom of assembly, association, and expression should be reviewed and brought into conformity with the spirit of the Constitution and the obligations of Kyrgyzstan under international human rights law; (b) The Government is urged to ensure that the legislative reforms under consideration reinforce guarantees for the protection of human rights and provide for the establishment of effective mechanisms for their implementation; (c) In order to improve the environment for the work of human rights defenders, dialogue between the government and civil society should be initiated and measures should be taken to build mutual trust and respect. A positive step in this direction would be the withdrawal of cases against human rights defenders; E/CN.4/2002/106/Add.1 page 3 (d) The Special Representative strongly urges the Government to investigate violations committed against human rights defenders and to bring the responsible persons to justice. Public officials found responsible for such actions should be prosecuted in order that the growing tendency of these officials to intimidate human rights defenders may be effectively deterred; (e) The Special Representative urges the Government to respect the rights of citizens to hold peaceful demonstrations and assemblies and to adhere to international standards on the use of force against demonstrators; (f) It is recommended that the Government strengthen the institutions of government - in particular the judiciary - in order to build public confidence and make a positive impact on the situation of human rights in the country, or promise better protection to human rights defenders; (g) Training of persons involved in the administration of justice, as well as training of Government officials, could improve the judicial and administrative systems; (h) Finally, the Special Representative urges the Government to adopt appropriate measures to disseminate widely and ensure full observance of the Declaration on human rights defenders. This Declaration as well as all other human rights standards should in particular be made available to schools and institutions of higher education. E/CN.4/2002/106/Add.1 page 4 Annex Report of Ms. Hina Jilani, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights defenders, on her mission to Kyrgyzstan (30 July-4 August 2001) CONTENTS Paragraphs Page Introduction ........................................................................................... 1 - 7 5 I. CONTEXT OF THE MISSION...................................................... 8 - 12 6 II. BACKGROUND INFORMATION................................................ 13 - 64 7 A. General ................................................................................... 13 - 33 7 B. Legal framework .................................................................... 34 - 64 11 III. MAIN FINDINGS AND CONCERNS........................................... 65 - 155 17 A. The media and journalists ...................................................... 65 - 88 17 B. Human rights organizations ................................................... 89 - 106 21 C. Youth groups.......................................................................... 107 - 111 25 D. Environmental activists.......................................................... 112 - 113 26 E. Conclusions............................................................................ 114 - 155 27 IV. CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS ............................................... 156 - 169 35 V. RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................ 170 - 178 37 Appendix: Persons with whom the Special Representative met during her visit .......................................................................................... 39 E/CN.4/2002/106/Add.1 page 5 Introduction 1. This report has been prepared pursuant to resolution 2000/61. It presents and analyses information received by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights defenders during her visit to Kyrgyzstan from 30 July to 4 August 2001. By letter dated 27 April 2001 addressed to the Permanent Mission of Kyrgyzstan to the United Nations Office at Geneva, the Special Representative sought the agreement of the Government for a visit to this country. On 7 June 2001, the Government of Kyrgyzstan granted this request. 2. The visit to Kyrgyzstan was the first country mission carried out by the Special Representative since the establishment of her mandate. She chose Kyrgyzstan primarily because of its reputation as an “island of democracy” in a region experiencing difficulties in achieving a reasonable degree of democracy. At the same time recent events in the country were reported to have triggered off a process of reversal from the commitment to respect the values of democracy and human rights that the Constitution promised. While the country’s legal framework could be considered an example of sound foundations laid down by an emerging democracy to promote and protect human rights, trends in governance, particularly practices that were being reported as impeding the work of human rights activists, raised serious concerns. The Special Representative had addressed three communications to the Government of Kyrgyzstan between January and August 2001, expressing her concerns regarding the situation of human rights defenders in the country. The Special Representative recognized the need for a comprehensive study of the situation of human rights defenders in Kyrgyzstan and to explore the political, social and economic context, to the extent that it affected the prospects for the promotion of human rights and protection of human rights defenders. 3. The Special Representative would like to thank the Government of Kyrgyzstan for extending her the invitation to visit the country. She would also like to express her sincere appreciation for the cooperation of the Government and the assistance provided to facilitate the gathering of all necessary and relevant information for this report. 4. During her visit, the Special Representative was able to meet with almost all the relevant authorities and officials as well as a wide section of the civil society, including human rights groups and individual defenders. A list of the persons she met during her visit is appended to this report. In addition to Bishkek, the Special Representative visited
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Measuring the Impact and Financing of Infrastructure in the Kyrgyz Republic
    ADBI Working Paper Series MEASURING THE IMPACT AND FINANCING OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC Kamalbek Karymshakov and Burulcha Sulaimanova No. 988 August 2019 Asian Development Bank Institute Kamalbek Karymshakov is an assistant professor at the Finance and Banking Department, Central Asian Research Center of the Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic. Burulcha Sulaimanova is an assistant professor at the Economics Department also of the Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University. The views expressed in this paper are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of ADBI, ADB, its Board of Directors, or the governments they represent. ADBI does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this paper and accepts no responsibility for any consequences of their use. Terminology used may not necessarily be consistent with ADB official terms. Working papers are subject to formal revision and correction before they are finalized and considered published. The Working Paper series is a continuation of the formerly named Discussion Paper series; the numbering of the papers continued without interruption or change. ADBI’s working papers reflect initial ideas on a topic and are posted online for discussion. Some working papers may develop into other forms of publication. In this report, “$” refers to United States dollars. The Asian Development Bank refers to “Kyrgyzstan” as the Kyrgyz Republic. Suggested citation: Karymshakov, K. and B. Sulaimanova. 2019. Measuring the Impact and Financing of Infrastructure in the Kyrgyz Republic. ADBI Working Paper 988. Tokyo: Asian Development Bank Institute. Available: https://www.adb.org/publications/measuring-impact-and-financing- infrastructure-kyrgyz-republic Please contact the authors for information about this paper.
    [Show full text]
  • Investment Profile of KARAKOL CITY КАРАКОЛ Karakol City
    Investment Profile of KARAKOL CITY КАРАКОЛ Karakol City Brief presentation of the city Karakol is the fourth-largest city in Kyrgyzstan and is located near the eastern tip of Lake Issyk-Kul, about 150 km west of the Chinese border and 380 km east of the capital, Bishkek. It is the administrative capital of the Issyk-Kul Region in the country’s far east. Karakol’s untapped potential offers investors a variety of investment opportunities at affordable costs, with municipally owned land available for greenfield investments. Thanks to a mild climate and beautiful scenery, the city is known world-wide for its abundant recreational opportunities: Lake Issyk-Kul, skiing, hot springs, and suitable conditions for extreme sports such as paragliding, mountain biking, and mountaineering. It attracts investors from all over the world thanks to rich investment potential in areas such as hotels and restaurants, mountain tourism, honey production, animal breeding, dairy production, and cultivation and processing of fruits and vegetables. 2 КАРАКОЛ Karakol City General Information about Karakol City • Area: 52,000 sq. m. • Population: 75,100 as of January 1, 2018. • 39,900 people within an hour’s drive eastward (Ak-Suu district) • 34,775 people within an hour’s drive on the lake’s north shore (Tyup district) • 69,589 people within an hour’s drive on the lake’s south shore (Jeti-Oguz district) • Location: Karakol sits at the foot of the Teskei-Ala-Too mountain range, downstream of Karakol River, 12 km from the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, and at 1690-1850 m above the sea level.
    [Show full text]
  • Summary Assessment of Damage and Needs
    COVID-19 Pandemic Emergency Project (RRP KGZ 54175-001) SUMMARY ASSESSMENT OF DAMAGE AND NEEDS A. The COVID-19 Pandemic 1. In December 2019, a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) emerged and quickly spread around the world causing a surge in fatalities, especially among people with co-morbidities. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global COVID-19 pandemic on 11 March 2020. Initial data showed that up to 20% of symptomatic cases progressed into severe and critical cases requiring hospitalization with a global case fatality rate of 7% among all those that have formally reported as confirmed cases.1 Since then, over 6 million people had been infected globally and over 373,000 had died.2 COVID-19 mortality is much higher in the elderly and in general in persons with risk factors such as smoking, obesity and cardio-vascular diseases. 2. The Government of the Kyrgyz Republic announced the first cases of COVID-19 on 17 March 2020. On 24 March 2020, the Kyrgyz Republic declared a state of emergency in consultation with WHO. Borders were closed, followed by businesses and schools, and lockdown and social distancing were imposed. By 2 June 2020, there were 1,845 infected people (including 364 health workers), 1,219 recovered, and 17 deaths. B. Health Sector Capacity 3. The Kyrgyz Republic is particularly vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic. In its assessment of the country’s operational readiness for preventing, detecting and responding to a public health emergency, WHO assigned it a 2 out of 5, among the lowest in the region (footnote 2).
    [Show full text]
  • (DREF) Kyrgyzstan: Floods and Mudflows
    Disaster relief emergency fund (DREF) Kyrgyzstan: Floods and mudflows DREF operation n° MDRKG008 GLIDE n° FL-2012-000043-KGZ 4th May 2012 The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) is a source of un-earmarked money created by the Federation in 1985 to ensure that immediate financial support is available for Red Cross and Red Crescent emergency response. The DREF is a vital part of the International Federation’s disaster response system and increases the ability of National Societies to respond to disasters. CHF 110,430 has been allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the National Society in delivering immediate assistance to some 1,001 families (approximately 5,005 beneficiaries). Unearmarked funds to repay DREF are encouraged. Summary: Kyrgyzstan experienced the harshest winter with unusually low temperatures, heavy snowfalls throughout 2011 and 2012 and high precipitation, which exceeded the annual average by 2 – 2,5 times according to the Hydro Meteo Service of Kyrgyzstan. Snow melting and heavy rains caused mudflows and flash floods across Kyrgyzstan. Food stocks, home properties, livelihoods and Kulundu village of Leilek district, Batken oblast. Photo made by RCSK infrastructure have been heavily damaged. Series of mudflows occurred on the territory of Naryn, Osh, Jalalabad and Batken regions including remote districts throughout April. The most destructive flash floods were in Osh, Batken and Jalalbad during the period of April 23 to April 29, 2012. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations a total of more than 2,300 households were affected in Osh, Batken, Jalalabad and Naryn1.
    [Show full text]
  • BA Country Report of Kyrgyzstan Part 1 Macro Level
    Informal Governance and Corruption – Transcending the Principal Agent and Collective Action Paradigms Kyrgyzstan Country Report Part 1 Macro Level Aksana Ismailbekova | July 2018 Basel Institute on Governance Steinenring 60 | 4051 Basel, Switzerland | +41 61 205 55 11 [email protected] | www.baselgovernance.org BASEL INSTITUTE ON GOVERNANCE This research has been funded by the UK government's Department for International Development (DFID) and the British Academy through the British Academy/DFID Anti-Corruption Evidence Programme. However, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the British Academy or DFID. Dr Aksana Ismailbekova, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Advokatenweg 36 06114 Halle (Saale), Germany, [email protected] 1 BASEL INSTITUTE ON GOVERNANCE Table of contents Abstract 3 1 Introduction 4 1.1 Informal Governance and Corruption: Rationale and project background 4 1.2 Informal governance in Kyrgyzstan 4 1.3 Conceptual approach 6 1.4 Research design and methods 6 2 Informal governance and the lineage associations: 1991–2005 7 2.1 Askar Akaev and the transition to Post-Soviet governance regime 7 2.2 Co-optation: Political family networks 8 2.3 Control: social sanctions, demonstrative punishment and selective law enforcement 11 2.4 Camouflage: the illusion of inclusive democracy and charitable contributions 13 2.5 The Tulip Revolution and the collapse of the Akaev networks 13 3 Epoch of Bakiev from 2005–2010 14 3.1 Network re-accommodation in the aftermath of the Tulip Revolution
    [Show full text]
  • Amnesty International Demands Investigation of Dispersion of March 8 Peace Walk
    Kyrgyzstan: Amnesty International Demands Investigation of Dispersion of March 8 Peace Walk According to experts, provocateurs and the police were together during the dispersion of the March 8 peace walk in Bishkek. No one has claimed responsibility for the things that happened and the response of the authorities is unclear. Follow us on Telegram Amnesty International demanded the investigation of the police actions during the March 8 peace walk in support of women’s rights in Bishkek. The statement of the international organisation also notes the failure of the police to protect peace walk participants from the unknown persons. “Besides, the authorities have to compensate to peaceful protesters for their voluntary detention and for the violation of their freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. Moreover, they need to identify the attackers and bring them to justice,” the statement reads. Also, the UN expressed its concern with the situation. “It is not only the obligation of the state to offer protection from violence and from threats of violence to all citizens. When the state agencies fail to act against the perpetrators of intimidation and violence, they create the unintended impression in the minds of the public that those masked men and all those perpetuating hate and intolerance have the support of the state,” according to the statement. However, according to activist Azamat Attokurov, the authorities of Kyrgyzstan were in collusion with the provocateurs. This is why the police officers failed to detain them, but apprehended the participants of the campaign. “Those people were puppets. They cried out standard canned statements about LGBT, “pro- westerners”, “grant eaters”.
    [Show full text]
  • KYRGYZSTAN a WEAK STATE, POLITICAL INSTABILITY: the CIVIL SOCIETY CAUGHT up in the TURMOIL of Person
    FIDH represents 164 human rights organisations on 5 continents KYRGYZSTAN A WEAK STATE, POLITICAL INSTABILITY: THE CIVIL SOCIETY CAUGHT UP IN THE TURMOIL of person. Article 4: No one shall be held in slavery Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms. Article 5: No one shall be subjected to in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Article 6: Everyone has the right to recognition spirit of brotherhood. Article 2: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, everywhere as a person before the law. Article 7: All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimi- without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, nation to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination. Article 8: Everyone has the right to an effective rem- basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person edy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
    [Show full text]
  • Supporting Firm Creation and Growth Through Business Development Services in Kyrgyzstan
    Policy Insights POLICY POLICY INSIGHTS . SUPPORTING FIRM CREATION AND GROWTH THROUGH BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SERVICES IN KYRGYZSTAN IN SERVICES DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS THROUGH GROWTH AND CREATION FIRM SUPPORTING SUPPORTING FIRM CREATION AND GROWTH THROUGH Supporting Firm Creation BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SERVICES IN KYRGYZSTAN and Growth through National governments working to support firms facing the COVID-19 crisis have strong incentives to support entrepreneurship and private-sector development. As they struggle to survive the crisis, entrepreneurs and SMEs need accessible and high-quality public services. In addition to improving Business Development delivery of public services to firms, governments can help stimulate the market for private business services, such as business advisory or training. Services in Kyrgyzstan This Policy Insight discusses the hurdles firms in Kyrgyzstan face in accessing public and private business development services (BDS). The report suggests three sets of actions to the government: (1) offering streamlined government to business services in physical and digital one-stop shops; (2) supporting greater uptake of private business services; and (3) working with other relevant actors, such as business associations and the development community to build a stronger BDS market, which can ultimately foster much needed business development. www.oecd.org/eurasia Co-funded by the European Union GLOBAL RELATIONS Eurasia Competitiveness Programme This work is published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of the member countries of the OECD. This document, as well as any data and map included herein, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.
    [Show full text]
  • Evaluation of FAO's Contribution to the Kyrgyz Republic. Annexes
    OFFICE OF EVALUATION Country programme evaluation series Evaluation of FAO’s contribution to the KYRGYZ REPUBLIC ANNEXES July 2016 COUNTRY PROGRAMME EVALUATION SERIES Evaluation of FAO’s contribution to the Kyrgyz Republic ANNEXES FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE OF EVALUATION July 2016 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Office of Evaluation (OED) This report is available in electronic format at: http://www.fao.org/evaluation The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of FAO. © FAO 2016 FAO encourages the use, reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product. Except where otherwise indicated, material may be copied, downloaded and printed for private study, research and teaching purposes, or for use in non-commercial products or services, provided that appropriate acknowledgement of FAO as the source and copyright holder is given and that FAO’s endorsement of users’ views, products or services is not implied in any way.
    [Show full text]
  • Kyrgyz Republic
    Consultant’s Report August 2012 TA 7819-KGZ: Enabling Identification of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Projects and Capacity Building in Kyrgyz Republic Prepared by: Robert Brown Eastbourne, United Kingdom For Asian Development Bank This consultant’s report does not necessarily reflect the views of ADB or the Government concerned, and ADB and the Government cannot be held liable for its contents. ABBREVIATIONS ADB - Asian Development Bank CDA - City Development Agency (of the Bishkek Municipality) EBRD - European Bank for Reconstruction and Development GOK - Government of the Kyrgyz Republic ICIP - Investment Climate Improvement Program IFI - International Finance Institution JICA - Japan International Cooperation Agency KfW - Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau KYRM - Kyrgyz Resident Mission (of ADB) MEAP - Ministry of Economy and Anti-Monopoly Policy MOF - Ministry of Finance MTC - Ministry(formerly of Ministry Transport of Economyand Communications and Economic Regulation-MER) PPP - Public Private Partnership PPPA - Public Private Partnership Authority RMU - PPP Risk Management Unit TA - Technical Assistance UNDP - United Nations Development Program 2 CONTENTS This report contains the main sections covering; I. Executive Summary II. Main Report A. Introduction B. Background C. Scope of Work under the TA D. Time Inputs E. Activities of the Consultant under the Scope of Work F. PPP Project Development Activities G. Constraints and Issues H. Conclusions I. Recommendations III. Appendices A. Revised TOR for International Consultant B. PPP Framework Activities/Documents a. The 2012 PPP Law in English (edited) b. Assessment of the Compliance of the Kyrgyz Republic PPP Law of February 2012 c. MOF RMU Policy in English d. Comments to MEAP on Risk Management Policy e.
    [Show full text]
  • Smallholders and Family Farms in Kyrgyzstan
    Regional TCP on Empowering Smallholders and Family Farms (TCP/RER/3601) Smallholders and family farms in Kyrgyzstan Country study report 2019 Required citation: FAO. 2020. Smallholders and family farms in Kyrgyzstan. Country study report 2019. Budapest. https://doi.org/10.4060/ca9826en The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of FAO. ISBN 9 978-92-5-132975-7 © FAO, 2020 Some rights reserved. This work is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 IGO licence (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/igo/legalcode). Under the terms of this licence, this work may be copied, redistributed and adapted for non-commercial purposes, provided that the work is appropriately cited. In any use of this work, there should be no suggestion that FAO endorses any specific organization, products or services. The use of the FAO logo is not permitted.
    [Show full text]
  • Quarterly Report
    EBRD Micro and Small Enterprise Finance Facility Kyrgyzstan (MSFF) Implemented by: Financed by: EBRD - European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Internationale Projekt Consult (IPC), Germany USAID - United States Agency for International Development Developpement et Finance International (DFI), France IFC – International Finance Corporation SECO – State Secretariat for Economic Affairs TACIS – European Commission EuropeAid Quarterly Report 01 April – 30 June 2003 1. General Situation There are no significant changes with regards to the political/security situation to report for the period of this report. Although the overall situation was calm, two incidents deserve mentioning: in the beginning of May a bomb exploded in a money exchange office in Osh, killing one person. Approximately one week later, a gang robbed a police weapons depot in Dzhalal Abad. Whereas the motivation of the first incident remains unclear, the second incident appears to have been a criminal act. According to available information most of the gang (former policemen) have been arrested and some of the weapons secured. On the other side of the border (in Kazakhstan), a gang of men dressed as policemen successfully and in a rather spectacular manner robbed a bus of small traders on their way from Almaty to Shimkent. The economic situation appears to have deteriorated. In part this a result of the fact that the borders to China and Uzbekistan were closed for most of May and into the beginning of June. Additionally, the US Dollar – Kyrgyz Som exchange rate has changed noticeably over the past quarter (from approx. 46/47 KGS/USD to 39KGS/USD). Although the Kyrgyz Som has become stronger against the USD, the general reaction of the population (and bankers) is one of insecurity and uncertainty.
    [Show full text]