One of the masterminds behind the initiative and also the creator of its Facebook page to which over 1,500 people have subscribed so far, Mukhsim Rakhimov told Sunday’s Zaman that they have called for justice and peace and have received huge support and sympathy from the people of both countries for trying to bridge the divide that unexpectedly emerged between them at a critical time, particularly for Kyrgyzstan. He stated that as Kyrgyz and Uzbeks have joined forces on the initiative, they will observe June 11, the day the clashes peaked, as a day of mourning for the victims of the conflict.
“Both Kyrgyz and Uzbek people are involved in our efforts. We have received many offers of help from around the world and are now coordinating the efforts of many people,” he said, adding that the interest shown in their activities and publicity is only the beginning; they expect more to join as they become known to a larger audience. The initiative is organizing fund-raising events, collecting clothes and shoes for the refugees and also calling for those responsible for the atrocities in the region to be brought to justice through an impartial and international inquiry into the tragic events.
Roza Otunbayeva, the leader of the interim government which swept to power after former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was deposed in an April revolt, said the death toll from the ethnic bloodshed may be up to 2,000.
“We understand that without an independent international investigation of the events the relationship between the two ethnicities will not normalize and we call for and fully support an impartial inquiry into the events in southern Kyrgyzstan,” Rakhimov said.
The Kyrgyz-Uzbek Peace Initiative was launched during the very first days when the conflict erupted. Some of its founding members were born and raised in Osh, which became the epicenter of violence and therefore, Rakhimov said that “it was our own and our friends’ mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers who were affected. Many of us did not sleep for many nights keeping in touch with family and closely watching the news.”
Conflict stirs suspicions with timing
With the news coming in about the loss of lives on both sides as the clashes have intensified in southern Kyrgyzstan, a huge amount of hate messages have been posted on online forums, traveling around the world through social exchange portals. The initiative is, however, using the same online channels and in fact represents how they might be used for the good of the conflict-stricken people and also to re-establish peace between once-close neighbors.
The initiative is currently coordinating donations with various international organizations including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and making sure that humanitarian aid is being delivered to those in need. In addition to that, it loads credits onto the cell phones of victims in the conflict zone to enable them to reconnect with their families, in an attempt to at least minimize the desperation of those who were awaiting news from their loved ones stuck in the deadly fighting in the region.
As to how the clashes erupted in the first place, Rakhimov said they have suspicions given that the thugs who murdered civilians there had large amounts of weapons and ammunition. This raised a few eyebrows as though the attacks had been planned for some time.
“We also want to mention that this happened two weeks before a referendum when people will vote for a new constitution that will turn Kyrgyzstan from a presidential republic into a parliamentary republic,” he said, further arguing that it is, however, not so easy to come up with a blanket explanation right away because “the reasons behind it are complex and tied to politics, economics and ethnic nationalism.” He reiterated that this is exactly why an impartial investigation is necessary to bring the culprits to justice.
Kyrgyz voters will decide today whether to make their homeland, which hosts both a US and a Russian military base and also borders China, the first parliamentary democracy in Central Asia.
Brotherhood demonstration organized in US
On Friday Kyrgyz and Uzbeks came together in Chicago’s Daley Plaza to highlight the brotherhood between them. Participants protested against the ethnic clashes that have left thousands of locals in southern Kyrgyzstan in dire straits, carrying banners reading “Stop provocations,” “Ignorance has no nationality, race” and “Racism and ultranationalism, strangers to Central Asia.” Tavfik Azizov, one of the demonstrators, said homes and property were burned in this conflict but that they should prevent their friendship from coming to the same end. “This problem cannot be solved through siding with this or that. We should take care of our friends, neighbors,” he added. Protestor Syrgahk Arykov also argued that Kyrgyz and Uzbeks should stand together against provocations and not let their friendship fell prey to them. He said that Turkey could help mend the damaged ties between the peoples of the region.
Diplomacy
