Postcard from Bishkek

Today, I am not sure what to write … the events of the last few days, which you will have seen in your news programmes and newspapers, seems to have thrown the whole picture into turmoil once more.

Up until Thursday night everything seemed to be settling down into a typical long hot summer.  Working in tourism, I usually look forward to a long, hot summer … if for no other reason than it’s good for business, or at least, usually it is.

Here in Kyrgyzstan, June 1st is usually considered to be the first day of Summer.  Well, summer has indeed arrived with temperatures getting into the thirties – into the nineties in Fahrenheit.  It has certainly been warm and humid.  It’s the sort of weather for lying back and sunbathing, enjoying a stroll in the countryside, or sitting ‘peoplewatching’ at a roadside café.  Unfortunately, it’s also the sort weather that gets under your skin, shortens tempers and makes people argumentative.

Another quite weekend lulled everyone into a sort of sleepy state.  Most of the news during the weekend seemed to be of the “contemplating your navel” type:

• considerations about the upcoming referendum;
• plans for the privatization of some of the “Bakiev Assets”, the Asia Universal Bank being the latest – making a total of about 30 enterprises so far;
• Pay increases were announced for the police and health workers;
• Official visits by Roza Otunbaeva, the Chairman of the Interim Government  to this or that  community;
• The never ending question of public finances … the acting finance minister pointed out that Kyrgyzstan can cover only half of the current budget deficient – a situation which isn’t helped by the current economic conditions;
• News of further aid being granted to the country – from America, from Turkey … but the former President, Akaev, sounded off some warning shots from his self-imposed exile in Moscow, about how Russia, (and by implications other donors, needed to exercise caution with any financial assistance they want to offer … and “to keep track” of what happens to any aid they do give;
• Executives of the Kumtor, the gold mine, said they spend more time calming investors’ fears about the potential impacts of civil unrest, than actually having to worry about any harm being done to the operation of the gold mine.  They say have experienced better community relations recently and have reported that they have no plans to scale back their work here … which is just as well because their performance is so influential and has a huge skewing effect on the economy of the country as a whole;
• The question of the fuel supplies to the Manas Transit Base also occupied some attention and refueling flights from there are still suspended;
• Some criminal cases initiated against people under the Bakiev regime were dropped, and new ones against some members of the regime were initiated;
• A commission was established to consider the plight of Kyrgyz migrant workers in Kazakhstan;
• Questions about the building of hydro electric power stations – and the level of water in the massive Toktogul Reservior;
• Continuing uncertainty about the borders – with some goods still not getting through;

… and so on …

All in all, it looked like a normal week, well, normal for Kyrgyzstan.

I had even been able to take advantage of the arrival of summer to get my fair share of rest and relaxation in the sun …

Sunday, for example, saw the annual Sabbantui festival – a Tatar holiday.  Every year the Tartars of Kyrgyzstan gather in June to celebrate the festival.  This year, the festival was held on Sunday.  The venue changes from year to year, but in recent years the festival has been held in Karagachovaya Rosha – Elm Grove, in Southern Bishkek.  There is a concert of national music, and many games, especially for the children.  These include “Egg and Spoon” races, (but there is a catch in that the spoon has to be held between the teeth, not in the hands), sack races, tug-of-war and racing with a yoke with two pails full of water, wrestling and a version of “climbing the greasy pole”, (where contestants climb up a tall tree in order to retrieve prizes that have been placed there beforehand).

This year, I went with the kids and some people from the office and John, a consultant who has been working here for the last year or so.  We arrived early which meant that the place filled up around us … which is something that I’ve always preferred, personally, although I know that many people get tired waiting for things to get started.  As is often the case here, we did have to wait as the opening ceremony was delayed whilst we waited for official visitors to arrive …  Another advantage of arriving early, however, was that we had the pick of picnic spots … unfortunately, however, we chose somewhere which the insects liked as much as we did.  They didn’t worry us too much, however, as we spent most of the time wandering around soaking up the atmosphere.  It was a really pleasant atmosphere with people of all ages from young kids to wartime veterans.  Some of the children performed dance routines and were later joined by many of their elders.

I also got to visit a Baseball match – yes, a baseball match.  After four training sessions the kids had their first match this week … They play for the Rams and their opponents were the Bears.  The Rams came out on top but it was a close run thing with a final score of 5-4, and the bases loaded as the pitcher managed to strike out the last batter in the final innings.    There was no shade and the sun was bearing down on us … and, although I don’t usually wear a hat of any kind, I was really glad that I had had the foresight to take a baseball cap with me.

To continue the sporting theme – the Petanque, (boule – bowls), season has started in earnest.  Although I was late arriving, (because I had been to the baseball match), I was still the only the third to arrive and people gathered throughout the evening.

As far as the British community was concerned, however, the main event of the week was probably the Queen’s Birthday Party, (QBP).  The big surprise of the evening came when the Ambassador and the ranking Kyrgyz official mounted the platform where the ceremonial flags stood.  The announcement was made, “Please be silent for the Loyal Toast!” … The ambassador raised his glass of (I presume) Sovietskaya champagne and intoned “The Queen!” to be greeted by a number of us expats responding loudly: “The Queen!”.  After a little sip and a pregnant pause … everyone was waiting for the usual (lengthy) speeches … he raised his glass once more and intoned “The Kyrgyz Republic!”.  A surprised murmur of “The Kyrgyz Republic!” greeted him this time.  Of course, the traditional ” Loyal Toast” should not have been to the Kyrgyz Republic, but to “The President of the Kyrgyz Republic”, the Head of state. (the perviy leetso),  who represents and personifies the state, but given the present circumstances that might have presented a few diplomatic difficulties, so this alternative was probably a wise move on somebody’s part.  Some of the Kyrgyz that I was standing with looked bemused and asked me, “Is that it?  Is that all?”   When the ambassador dismounted from the platform and it was clear that, yes, that was indeed all, they turned to me and congratulated on British sensibleness, not to waste valuable (drinking) time with speeches.

They have even turned the hot water back on in Bishkek.  The central heating and hot water supply is exactly that “central heating” … provided centrally to most of the city from two large Heating plants, one on the East of the city and the other on the West.  Hot water is then pumped through pipes to properties throughout the city.  Each year the system is turned off for month for maintenance, and it was timetabled to turn the system back on, on June 12th.  They turned it on one day early, which led to problem as one of neighbours has discovered that they have a leaking pipe and I now have water everywhere in the office.

There were, however, also some other news which marred the picture of “a return to normality”:

Monday saw the first “defection” from the ranks of the Interim Government.  Edil Baisalov, who had been Roza Otunbaev’s chief of administration, decided to establish his own political party in order to fight the coming elections.  He seems to have criticized the government’s personnel policy – saying that appointments are being made on “party lines” rather than on merit and that the same people are being appointed to posts as held office under previous regimes.   That doesn’t surprise me that much, there are only five million people in the population and the pool of available talent with qualifications and experience is quite limited.  Finding “new faces” to fill posts, with the right sort of qualifications and experience, must be quite difficult.

• “Black Aibek”, (supposedly a gangland boss and supporter of Bakiev), died in a shootout with the authorities in the southern regions;
• The three gangsters who escaped from a courthouse, killing one of the guards, were recaptured after just about a week of “freedom”;
• A religious leader was attacked;
• There was an explosion in a shopping center in Tokmok, this time injuring six people;
• Then, on Thursday evening, came the events in Osh, and the surrounding districts, which you have probably seen reported in the media.

A number of niggling disputes blew up into a fight at one of the night clubs at 11:00pm and developed into between rival “gangs”, which may well be a euphemism for ethnic groups.  Gunshots were fired, a number of cars and premises were set on fire and, to date, about 50 people died and about 500 needing hospital care as a result of the events.  The authorities have tried to contain the situation, sending in troops with armored cars and military helicopters and also declaring a State of Emergency.  The situation seems to have continued and steadily deteriorated throughout the day on Friday.

Here in Bishkek, and throughout most of the country, people seem to be shocked and dismayed by the outburst of violence – and on the whole, the place is quite, with everyone going about their daily business, although the level of tension does seem to be more acute than before.

There are groups that have gathered “to go down to Osh”.  Some managed to get some “air time” in the middle of the opening match of the World Cup, and then dispersed.  There are accounts of them hijacking buses to take them down to Osh … but, as far as I can tell, the city has been sealed off.  Several large gatherings were dispersed by police and “civil patrols”, and shots were fired into the air – hollow bullets, to make a noise – apparently by the police.

At the moment, it’s not clear who, or what, was behind the eruption of violence.  It seems according to some reports that tensions have been rising in and around Osh since about Tuesday, but it looks as if something had been “arranged”, possibly to coincide with a regional summit going on in Tashkent, possibly to disrupt the referendum and possibly (at least in part) by criminal gangs eager to cash in on the uncertainty.   People are looking for suitable targets to take the blame … both inside and outside the country.

It’s easy to say that it is all a result of ethnic tensions but I don’t think that is right.  Ethnic tensions are certainly playing a part … and many of the groups seem be drawn up on grounds of nationality (especially Uzbek v Kyrgyz), but there are many other players in this game.  About two weeks ago we saw the leaked telephone conversations where Maxim Bakiev was apparently talking about creating tension and disruption in the lead up to the referendum … and even if Kurmanbak Bakiev himself has, as he has said, no plans to return to Kyrgyzstan as President, there are plenty of others who have lost or risk losing power and influence with the change of regime.

Travel warnings have been issued to avoid all but essential travel to Osh and Djalal Abad, and although, at the moment, we have no tourists in the south of the country … we are looking at other planned itineraries to see what adjustments we need to make.

So, it looks like the return to normality has been “put on hold” for a while … and we face a prospect of a “long, hot summer” …

Tags: Expat, Life_in_Kyrgyzstan, Weekly_Postcards