Ethno-Nationalism and Ethnic Conflicts in Central Asia
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Durham E-Theses ETHNO-NATIONALISM AND ETHNIC CONFLICTS IN CENTRAL ASIA GAZIYEV, JAMSHID How to cite: GAZIYEV, JAMSHID (2008) ETHNO-NATIONALISM AND ETHNIC CONFLICTS IN CENTRAL ASIA , Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/71/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 ETHNO-NATIONALISM AND ETHNIC CONFLICTS IN CENTRAL ASIA Jamshid Gaziyev ________________________________ A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Government and International Affairs University of Durham October 2008 ETHNO-NATIONALISM AND ETHNIC CONFLICTS IN CENTRAL ASIA Jamshid Gaziyev ____________________________ ABSTRACT THE last years of the Soviet Union were the most challenging for the nations of Central Asia. These nations witnessed the dramatic collapse of the Soviet federal system and beheld with disbelief the tragic unfolding of inter-ethnic violence in the land of ‘eternal friendship of brotherly nations’. Their disbelief, though understandable, presents the two puzzles that this dissertation addresses: (1) “how can one explain the outbreak of unprecedented inter-ethnic clashes in the lands where gracious internationalism should have replaced chauvinist nationalism?” and (2) “what lessons can be learnt from Central Asia’s nation-formational processes and its recent experiences of ethnic violence lest mistakes be repeated in its present and future socio-political development?” These puzzles, and solutions to them, are not only significant and intriguing in the regional context of Central Asia. They correspond to a set of larger, meta-theoretical questions in Social Sciences: (1) how do ethnicity and nationhood originate and change? (2) why do certain ethno-national movements become politically salient and others do not? and (3) how do ethnic conflicts arise and develop? i This dissertation uniquely employs the institutionalist approach to explain the above puzzles and theoretical questions in the context of Central Asia. By exploring the nature and dynamics of nation-formation in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, this work concludes that territorial nationhood and ethnic nationality have become pervasively institutionalized social and political forms in Central Asia as a result of the Soviet nationalities policy. The analysis of inter-ethnic strife in Central Asia during the last years of the Soviet empire, with a special focus on the Osh conflict, confirms that ethnic conflicts and inter-ethnic relations in the region were, and will remain, crucially framed, constituted and reconciled by rigidly institutionalized definitions of ethnicity and nationality. Following these findings, the study recommends considering institutional reforms within the framework of the rule of law and constitutionalism for deliberations of mechanisms and measures aimed at building more peaceful and secure inter- ethnic relations in Central Asia. The dissertation therefore urges policy-makers and other stakeholders in the region to take fuller advantage of the benefits of such institutional reforms at the state-structural level with the view to controlling and counter-balancing the effects of institutionalized ethno-nationalism in Central Asia, and perhaps beyond. ii DEDICATION To my beloved mother, Urun Boltaeva, forforfor ParadParadiseise lies under her feetfeet.. iii DECLARATION This thesis is the result of my own work. Material from the published or unpublished work of others which is used in the thesis is credited to the author in question in the text. Jamshid Gaziyev Vienna, October 2008 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FEW individuals can bring a major research projects to fruition without the help of other people, and I am no exception. I am profoundly indebted to Professor Anoush Ehteshami for his unwavering enthusiasm for my project and possessing an uncanny ability to offer the right sort of advice at exactly the right time. He has been the best of all possible advisers. Dr. Peter Kneen helped in formulating the research project at its initial stages with thoughtful comments and suggestions. My former colleagues at the Department of Politics helped me with their wider experience and knowledge. I am also grateful to Sergei Negoda and Sergej Daut for their help and support during the writing up of the research. The research and writing of this thesis benefited from the support from a number of institutions. For the duration of three years of the project, I was supported by the Doctoral Research Fellowship from the University of Durham. Toda Institute of Hawaii, USA awarded me with the Human Security and Global Governance fellowship. I was also assisted by the Open Society Institute’s Global Supplementary Grant for the initial stage of the research. My field trips to Central Asia were kindly supported by the junior award of the Gilbert Murray Trust, Oxford and travel award of the British and Foreign School Society in summer 2001, as well as by the research award of British Society for Middle Eastern Studies, junior award of the Gilbert Murray Trust, research award of the British Association for Slavonic and East European Studies, graduate award of the British v International Studies Association and travel grant of the Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, University of Durham in summer 2002. I am extremely humbled by their trust in my skills and research, and grateful to all of these organizations for their generous support. It goes without saying that none of them is responsible for the views expressed in my work. Last, but not least, I have been fortunate to have my mother’s blessings and encouragement throughout this long journey for which, among many other things, I am ever thankful and forever in debt. vi MAPS Map 1. Central Asian Nation-States Today 21 Map 2. Central Asia Before Tsarist Conquest 135 Map 3. Tsarist Conquest of Central Asia 139 Map 4. Central Asia after Tsarist Conquest 144 Map 5. Tsarist Central Asia in 1917 156 Map 6. The Ferghana Valley 291 Map 7. Uzbekistan Today 315 Map 8. Kyrgyzstan Today 318 vii TABLES AND IMAGES Table 1. The Soviet Central Asian Republics of the USSR 212 Table 2. Inter-ethnic strife in Central Asia, 1989-1990 275 Table 3. Timeline of the Osh Conflict 295 Image 1. Jeltoqsan riots in Alma-Ata, December 1986 265 Image 2. Alma-Ata students protesting, December 1986 267 Image 3. Riots in Osh city, June 1990 285 Image 4. Uzgen in flames 287 viii ACRONYMS ASSR Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic CIS Commonwealth of Independent States KGB Committee for State Security KPK Communist Party of Kyrgyzstan KPQ Communist Party of Kazakhstan KPSS Communist Part of the Soviet Union KPU Communist Party of Uzbekistan KSSR Kyrgyz Soviet Socialist Republic MVD Ministry of Internal Affairs NEP New Economic Policy RSFSR Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic TsIK Central Executive Committee TASSR Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic TsK KPSS Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union TSSR Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic USSR Union of Soviet Socialist Republics UzSSR Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic ix NOTE ON TRANSLITERATION I have translated Russian words according to the US Library of Congress transliteration system, as shown below. The spelling of geographical names and places in Central Asia roughly corresponds to the Russified version used under Soviet rule, but has been modified to take into account newer versions that have recently become standard usage. All translations from foreign language sources into English are my own, unless otherwise indicated. Cyrillic English Cyrillic English А A Р R Б B С S В V Т T Г G У U Д D Ф F Е E Х Kh Ё E Ц Ts Ж Zh Ч Ch З Z Ш Sh И I Щ Shch Й I Ъ ´´ К K Ы Y Л L Ь ΄ М M Э Ė Н N Ю Iu О O Я Ia П P x CONTENTS ABSTRACT................................................................................................................... I DEDICATION............................................................................................................III DECLARATION........................................................................................................ IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.........................................................................................V MAPS .........................................................................................................................VII TABLES AND IMAGES ........................................................................................ VIII ACRONYMS .............................................................................................................. IX NOTE ON TRANSLITERATION .............................................................................X CONTENTS................................................................................................................ XI CHAPTER I, INTRODUCTION.................................................................................1