ARCTIC OCEAN RUSSIA JAPAN KAZAKHSTAN NORTH MONGOLIA KOREA UZBEKISTAN SOUTH TURKMENISTAN KOREA KYRGYZSTAN TAJIKISTAN PACIFIC Jammu and AFGHANIS- Kashmir CHINA TAN OCEAN PAKISTAN TIBET Taiwan NEPAL BHUTAN BANGLADESH Hong Kong INDIA BURMA LAOS PHILIPPINES THAILAND VIETNAM CAMBODIA Andaman and Nicobar BRUNEI SRI LANKA Islands Bougainville MALAYSIA PAPUA NEW SOLOMON ISLANDS MALDIVES GUINEA SINGAPORE Borneo Sulawesi Wallis and Futuna (FR.) Sumatra INDONESIA TIMOR-LESTE FIJI ISLANDS French Polynesia (FR.) Java New Caledonia (FR.) INDIAN OCEAN AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND Asia and Oceania Nicole Girard, Irwin Loy, Marusca Perazzi, Jacqui Zalcberg the country. However, this doctrine is opposed by nationalist groups, who interpret it as an attack on ethnic Kazakh identity, language and Central culture. Language policy is part of this debate. The Asia government has a long-term strategy to gradually increase the use of Kazakh language at the expense Matthew Naumann of Russian, the other official language, particularly in public settings. While use of Kazakh is steadily entral Asia was more peaceful in 2011, increasing in the public sector, Russian is still with no repeats of the large-scale widely used by Russians, other ethnic minorities C violence that occurred in Kyrgyzstan and many urban Kazakhs. Ninety-four per cent during the previous year. Nevertheless, minor- of the population speak Russian, while only 64 ity groups in the region continue to face various per cent speak Kazakh. In September, the Chair forms of discrimination. In Kazakhstan, new of the Kazakhstan Association of Teachers at laws have been introduced restricting the rights Russian-language Schools reportedly stated in of religious minorities. Kyrgyzstan has seen a a roundtable discussion that now 56 per cent continuation of harassment of ethnic Uzbeks in of schoolchildren study in Kazakh, 33 per cent the south of the country, and pressure over land in Russian, and the rest in smaller minority owned by minority ethnic groups. In Tajikistan, languages. In higher education, a slight majority ethnic Uzbeks have also reportedly come under study in Kazakh and just under half use Russian. increased pressure from the authorities, often for The number of students enrolled in university alleged membership of banned Islamist groups. courses taught in Kazakh has quadrupled Meanwhile, Chinese nationals in Tajikistan have since the early 1990s. However, in September, reportedly been targeted by new legislation tight- discontent with the speed of language reform led ening rules on marriage with foreigners, following to a group of intellectuals and opposition leaders public disquiet over the alleged acquisition of writing an open letter to the President, the Prime land by China in the country. In Turkmenistan Minister and parliamentary leaders, calling for the ‘Turkmenization’ policy continues, with removal of Article 7 of the Constitution, which school children now reportedly required to pro- guarantees that Russian can be used as well as vide evidence of their ethnic origin for unclear Kazakh in official communications. President reasons. Finally, in Uzbekistan the challenging Nazarbaev is reported to be categorically opposed human rights situation continues to affect all eth- to such a change. nic groups, while the increasing shortfalls in flow A snap election in April saw Nazarbaev of the Amu Darya River disproportionately blight re-elected with 95.5 per cent of the vote. Two the ethnic Karakalpak population, who live in its prominent opposition politicians did not take delta area. part because they failed to pass the required Kazakh language test. In elections for the Kazakhstan Majilis, the lower house of parliament, held President Nursultan Nazarbaev of Kazakhstan on 15 January 2012, about a quarter of the 98 has consistently voiced a desire for inter-ethnic candidates elected by party list appeared to be accord and tolerance in the country. However, from Russian-speaking ethnic minorities (of his government continues to tighten its control whom almost half were women). This represents over religious minorities. Since October 2009, a substantial increase on the previous parliament. President Nazarbaev has promoted a National A further eight out of the nine representatives Unity Doctrine put together by the Assembly of appointed by the Assembly of the People of the People of Kazakhstan – an umbrella body that Kazakhstan were from minority ethnic groups. represents the interests of minority ethnic groups – Two Assembly-nominated deputies were women, which stresses the consolidation of a Kazakhstani representing the Slavic and the Tatar-Bashkir identity drawing on the multi-ethnic nature of communities. 120 Asia and Oceania State of the World’s Minorities and Indigenous Peoples 2011 Over the past 20 years, about a million ethnic crackdown on these statements of religious faith Kazakhs have returned or migrated to Kazakhstan in some areas. under the state-run Oralman scheme (named after the ethnic Kazakh diaspora) – settling Kyrgyzstan largely in Mangistau, South Kazakhstan and Following the turbulence of the overthrow of Almaty provinces, and the cities of Almaty President Kurmanbek Bakiev and the clashes and Astana. They have come primarily from between ethnic Uzbek and Kyrgyz groups Mongolia, China, Afghanistan, Iraq and in 2010, during which over 400 people died Turkey, as well as Russia and other Central and many more were wounded and displaced, Asian republics. Reportedly these immigrants Kyrgyzstan had a quieter year in 2011. Elections have faced problems with land allotments, on 30 November saw the peaceful transfer of employment, and access to Kazakh- and Russian- power to Almazbek Atambaev, who had been language training. Another concern is the prime minister under interim President Roza acquisition of citizenship, though there have been Otunbayeva. Atambaev drew most of his support some measures taken to simplify this in 2011. from his native north of the country. Those Some politicians claim that failures in migration who voted among minority ethnic groups in the policy were partly responsible for strikes by oil south also tended to support Atambaev, whose workers in Mangistau and Aktau provinces in appeals to inter-ethnic unity reassured them more December that saw 16 deaths; and that ethnic than the nationalist rhetoric of the candidates Kazakh immigrants are linked to the new Islamist who came second and third. Though two ethnic groups purportedly responsible for bombings and Russians and one ethnic Kazakh were among the attacks on the police in 2011. initial 83 candidates, by the time of the vote, The upsurge in Islamist activity in 2011 only ethnic Kyrgyz were standing. Overall, the has caused concern among authorities. On 22 election campaigns were marked by an increased July, President Nazarbaev reportedly called for use of nationalist rhetoric by politicians and the increased surveillance of religious communities media, which implicitly scapegoated Uzbeks for and for unspecified ‘extremist religious ideology’ the 2010 violence and broader problems. to be ‘strictly suppressed’. A new Religion Law, Back in March, the grief of some ethnic Kyrgyz which came into force on 26 October, restricts – who lost relatives during the 2010 violence the rights of religious minorities in contravention and created the ‘Osh Martyrs’ movement – was of Kazakhstan’s human rights commitments. The channelled into demonstrations in Osh and new law imposes a complex tiered registration Bishkek against Atambaev, other members system, bans unregistered religious activity, of the 2010 interim government, and Uzbek imposes religious censorship and requires both community leaders, whom the group considers to central and local government approval to build be jointly responsible for the violence. or open new places of worship. The new law A new coalition agreement, formed after could mean that only the Muslim Board, which Atambaev’s victory, led to the exclusion of the is the state-backed religious authority for Sunni more nationalist Ata Jurt party from power, with Muslims, and the Russian Orthodox Church are the other four parliamentary parties agreeing recognized as top-tier religious organizations. the composition of a new government. Under Further plans are under discussion to build the new government formed in December on this law by banning all independent and 2011, Ravshan Sabirov, who in 2010 had ethnically based mosques (such as Uighur, Tatar become the first ethnic Tajik parliamentarian in or Chechen), taking over all formal Islamic Kyrgyzstan, became its first ethnic Tajik minister, education, and using the state-controlled Muslim responsible for social welfare. There are no other Board to control and report on all permitted representatives of minority ethnic groups in the Islamic activity. While there is no prohibition on new government. men wearing beards and women wearing hijab President Atambaev is likely to follow the in the new legislation, the introduction of the principles of the Concept of Ethnic Development new law appears to have been accompanied by a and Consolidation in the Kyrgyz Republic, drawn State of the World’s Minorities Asia and Oceania 121 and Indigenous Peoples 2011 Above: Children in a damaged mahalla or cultural and language policies focusing on Kyrgyz Uzbek neighbourhood in southern Kyrgyzstan – identity. Approval of this document shows that an area affected by the inter-ethnic violence nationalist ideas have broader support in parliament in the summer