Authoritarianism, Ethnic Management and Non-Securitisation: The Kyrgyz Minority in Uzbekistan

Abstract

Why was there no ethnicity-based violence in Uzbekistan in June 2010? That month there was widespread violence against ethnically Uzbek citizens of southern Kyrgyzstan. Although its occurrence might have been expected, there was no retaliation against the sizeable Kyrgyz minority of Uzbekistan. Following an overview of the relatively sparse research on this minority, the essay explores how authoritarian conflict management by the Uzbek government reanimated ‘people’s friendship’ discourses, preventing both active mobilisation and the demonisation of a minority. It concludes with some reflections on the prospects for the future of ethnic minorities in Central Asia’s nationalising republics.

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Aijan Sharshenova, Alisher Khamidov and Saniya Sagnaeva for their contributions to this essay, and to Philipp Lottholz and Thorsten Bonacker for their encouragement and comments. The careful attention of two anonymous referees improved it further. Work for this essay was supported by a British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship, the Economic and Social Research Council Grant No. ES/J013056/1 and Impact Acceleration funding provided via Newcastle University. Most importantly, we would like to thank the numerous anonymous scholars, officials, and members of the Uzbekistani public who assisted us in our research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Interview with anonymous academic, Bishkek, 2 December 2010.

2 ‘Kïrgïzstandïn birimdigi: Mayda uluttarga avtonomiya kerekpi?’, Aalam, 14–20 April 1999, 13 (265).

3 ‘Kyrgyz Paper Blasts OSCE for Meddling in Internal Affairs’, BBC Monitoring, 23 June 2006.

4 Interview with anonymous academic, Osh, 7 December 2010.

5 Interview with anonymous senior Kyrgyz government figure, Osh, 9 December 2010.

6 ‘Nativisation’, the policy of creating and promoting national cadres of the titular minority in non-Russian union republics.

7 See for example, D'Encausse (1979).

8 ‘O’zbekiston Respublikasida Qirgiz Millatiga Mansub Oxolining Soni’, Uzbekistan State Statistical Committee, 1 January 2017, available at: https://stat.uz/uz/432-analiticheskie-materialy-uz/2033-o-zbekiston-respublikasining-demografik-holati, accessed 5 March 2020.

9 O'beistonning Etno-Konfessional Atlasi (Tashkent, Gozkomzemgeodezkadastr, 2005).

10 Interview with anonymous official, Tashkent, 6 November 2019.

11 ‘Özbekstan 20 abiturent Kïrgïz joldoryna kirishti’, Kïrgïz Tüüsü, 18 August 2009, p. 5.

12 This is discussed by Abdullaev (2005, p. 209).

13 Interview with anonymous Uzbekistan government official 1, Tashkent, 28 June 2015; research assistant’s interviews with two anonymous senior Uzbek diplomats, Washington, DC, September–October 2010.

14 Interview with anonymous Uzbekistani intellectual, Tashkent, 18 March 2016.

15 Interview with anonymous Uzbekistan government official 2, Tashkent, 28 June 2015.

16 ‘O‘zbekiston Respublikasi Tashqi Ishlar Vazirligi bayonoti’, Halq So’zi, 14 June 2010.

17 For example, interview with anonymous Uzbekistani Kyrgyz, Tashkent, 28 March 2016.

18 Interview with anonymous Uzbekistan government official 1, Tashkent, 28 May 2015.

19 ‘KR Ubaktïllu ökmötünün törayïmï R.I. Otunbaevaga, Ubaktïllu ökmötünün Tushtuk Kïrgïstan boyuncha koordinatoru S.Sh. Jeenbekovgo’, Alibi, 30 April 2010, p. 14.

20 ‘Oshtogy Jangjal’, Alibi, 4 May 2010, p. 4.

21 Alibi, 4 June 2010, 30 (095), p. 6.

22 ‘Tüshtük Kïrgïzstan: Xalifatpï je Özbek Mamleketibi?’, Alibi, 2010, 32 (097), pp. 2, 6.

23 Interview with anonymous Uzbekistan government official 2, Tashkent, 28 June 2015.

24 Interview with anonymous Uzbekistan government official 2, Tashkent, 28 June 2015.

25 Interview with retired Kyrgyz farmer, anonymous village in Tashkent region, 27 March 2016.

26 Interview with Jolboldu (pseudonym), head of ayïl ökmötü (village administration) of anonymous village in Jalal-Abad region near Uzbekistan–Kyrgyzstan border, 20 June 2015.

27 Interview with anonymous Uzbekistan government official 2, Tashkent, 28 June 2015.

28 Interview with Jolboldu (pseudonym), head of ayïl ökmötü (village administration) of anonymous village in Jalal-Abad region, 20 June 2015.

29 Interview with Gulnara (pseudonym), Uzbekistani–Kyrgyz emigree to Kyrgyzstan, Jalal-Abad region, 4 September 2015.

30 Interview with Asel (pseudonym), Uzbekistani–Kyrgyz emigree to Kyrgyzstan, Jalal-Abad region, 20 June 2015.

31 Interview with Anara (pseudonym), Uzbekistani–Kyrgyz emigree to Kyrgyzstan, Jalal-Abad region, 20 June 2015.

32 Interview with anonymous Kyrgyz academic, Tashkent, 8 December 2019.

33 Online interview with anonymous Uzbek government official, London, 18 December 2017.

34 Interview with anonymous Uzbek government official, Tashkent, 5 July 2018.

35 Interview with anonymous Uzbekistani official, Tashkent, 6 December 2019.

36 Interview with anonymous resident of Kyrgyz village in Tashkent region, 28 April 2016.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Nick Megoran

Nick Megoran, School of Geography, Politics & Sociology, Newcastle University, Newscastle, NE1 7RU, UK. Email: [email protected]

Shavkat Rakhmatullaev

Shavkat Rakhmatullaev, Institute of History, Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences, 9, I Muminov St, Tashkent 100170, Uzbekistan. Email: [email protected]