Latest Articles about Kyrgyzstan
Political Competition Intensifies in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan’s provisional government today is torn between its efforts to gain international legitimacy and maintain its domestic popularity. It has convicted former president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, of mass murder. Lacking formal legitimacy, the provisional government’s decision to convict Bakiyev was largely an act targeted towards its... MORE
Kyrgyzstan’s Provisional Government Needs International Support, Oversight
Kurmanbek Bakiyev was pressured by the OSCE, United States and European Union to leave Kyrgyzstan. On April 15, Kazakhstan dispatched a military aircraft to transfer Bakiyev and his family members to its territory. Several days later, the Kazakh government announced that Bakiyev had left the... MORE
Nazarbayev’s Role in the Kyrgyz Crisis
Kazakhstan, currently chairing the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), by extricating the former Kyrgyz President, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, from internal exile in Jalalabad has highlighted opaque features of the crisis. It also provided an opportunity for the Kazakh president to cast himself in... MORE
Implications of Kyrgyzstan Revolt on China’s Xinjiang Policy
As the political crisis in Kyrgyzstan reaches a turning point, after opposition forces seized the capital Bishkek in a bloody clash and ousted the president and his allies, Chinese leaders from regions across China have reportedly descended upon Xinjiang en masse in a rare spectacle... MORE
Could the Bishkek Scenario Repeat Itself in Kazakhstan?
The second wave of revolution, which swept the Kyrgyz President, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, from power, has sent a clear warning to the ruling elite in Astana. The National Security Committee (KNB) has taken preventative measures to minimize the possible impact of the uprising in Bishkek and... MORE
Kyrgyzstan’s New Government Struggles to Implement Change
One week after taking over state power, Kyrgyzstan’s provisional government members have met with various social and political groups, including businessmen, judges, leaders of diasporas, and journalists. The main message the government wants to deliver is that no one in the country will again depend... MORE
Who’s Who in Kyrgyzstan’s New Government?
Kyrgyzstan’s provisional government is slowly taking shape. Key positions have been filled and a number of important domestic policy decisions made. The head of the provisional government Roza Otunbayev, recently met with ambassadors from various countries and representatives of international organizations (www.akipress.kg, April 11).• Roza... MORE
Russia’s Role in Kyrgyzstan Change
Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, was the first foreign political official to recognize the legitimacy of Kyrgyzstan’s provisional government. In stark contrast to the US State Department’s awkward statements about Washington’s intention to continue to cooperate with the Kurmanbek Bakiyev government that has not yet... MORE
Tulip Revolution Reloaded
April 7 became yet another day of momentous change in Kyrgyzstan. More than 70 people died during clashes with police, and roughly 1,000 were injured in anti-government protests across the country (www.diesel.elcat.kg, April 8). The scope of causalities is unprecedented in Kyrgyzstan. Spontaneous protests erupted... MORE
Russian Mass Media Attack Bakiyev
In the past two weeks, the Russian media has fiercely criticized the Kyrgyz President, Kurmanbek Bakiyev’s, regime. Newspapers and TV programs have sought to reveal the president’s corruption and nepotism, with some newspapers alleging the regime’s involvement in the killing of journalist Gennady Pavluk last... MORE