Ethnic Uzbeks constitute 18% of the population of Kirghyzstan and 96% of them live in southern Osh, Batken and Dzhalal-Abad regions. In these regions, the 1990 clashes between Kirghyz and Uzbeks claimed approximately 320 lives. The Uzbeks organized themselves in an opposition party called the Adolat, which was not allowed to conduct political activities because it had not been registered. Its leader, Rustam Mirahmedov, presented an ultimatum to the Government shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union, but fled to Uzbekistan fearing persecution by the National Security Committee.
The Kirghyzstan Government stopped the activities of the Adolat ethnic movement, whose leaders were poorly educated and had no political experience, but Uzbek cultural centres were set up in Osh and other parts of southern Kirghyzstan after the ethnic clashes of 1990. The maintenance of inter-ethnic peace became the main task of these cultural centres. Their leaders focused their attention on maintaining the education, culture and customs of the Uzbek population. However, the local Uzbek intellectuals had not cultural but ethnic and political aims and it remained impossible for ethnic Uzbeks to make political demands on the Kirghyz authorities.
Today, only a few ethnic Uzbeks hold high official posts in Kirghyzstan and a very few are members of the opposition. Uzbeks do not actively take part in building a democratic society in the country. Besides, members of the Kirghyz opposition have accused Uzbeks of lacking resolve because in every election the Uzbeks of Kirghyzstan vote for the incumbent president, Askar Akayev.
Asked why there were no ethnic Uzbeks in the Kirghyz political opposition, the chairman of the society of ethnic Uzbeks, Davran Sabirov, said that that ethnic Uzbeks knew very well that opposition members did not like them. Even if the Kirghyz opposition comes to power with the help of ethnic Uzbeks, it will not allow Uzbeks to enter its ranks.
Parliamentary consideration of bases for the Canadian and French air forces on Kirghyz territory was today postponed indefinitely after some deputies refused to register for the session in protest at the arrest of their colleague, Azimbek Beknazarov, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Court and Legal Issues. Beknazarov was taken into custody on January 5th. He is charged with abuse of office seven years ago. The deputies intend to continue their boycott.
Several representatives of the French Air Force are visiting Bishkek's Manas international airport to study the conditions in which they will have to work during the next few months. Kirghyzstan permitted US Air Force units taking part in antiterrorism operations in Afghanistan to deploy on its territory. Australia, Italy, Canada, France and South Korea made similar requests to Bishkek, but only the French and Canadian requests are being considered.
