Category: Politics
70 years of Xinjiang: Beijing celebrates and enacts new political doctrine
The 70th anniversary of Xinjiang, China’s Uyghur region, was celebrated with great fanfare in Ürümqi. The ceremony was marked by the presence of Xi Jinping, the first Chinese president… [...]
Kyrgyzstan’s march to smother the free press
Kyrgyzstan is sliding down to full blown autocracy. The country has traditionally stood out for offering greater protections for free speech, political parties, and NGOs than any other Central… [...]
Carbon neutral by 2060? Kazakhstan’s green pledge faces a reality check
Kazakhstan’s economy remains heavily tied to fossil fuels, making its ambitious plans to shift toward renewable energy a daunting task. Whether the government can deliver on its pledge of reaching… [...]
Navigating the gridlock: Central Asia’s struggle with urban public transit
Traffic congestion is a major problem in urban centres around the world, as vehicle emissions pollute air quality and cause significant environmental and health issues. Central Asian governments have… [...]
The Lexicon of Kazakh Decolonisation
Over thirty years after the Soviet Union’s collapse, colonial influences persist in Kazakhstan. Russian remains widely spoken and serves as the primary language for interethnic communication. As language is… [...]
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When Freedom of Speech Is a Joke: Author of a Satirical News Outlet Detained in Kazakhstan
Temirlan Yensebek, creator and author of “Qaznews24,” an agency of satirical news, has been detained on Saturday in Almaty. He is expected to stand trial under accusations of incitement… [...]
Night train to Dushanbe – a travelogue of Uzbek-Tajik relations
For many years, relations between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have been fraught with tension. Some analysts even dubbed the ties between the two countries a Central Asian ‘cold war’. [...]
Leaving the island: Japarov’s campaign to silence independent media
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the Kyrgyz Republic has been considered an island of democracy in a largely autocratic region. However, the latest administration has spent the… [...]
Moscow attacks highlight Tajikistan’s radicalisation problem
Russian authorities have charged four Tajiks for their involvement in the deadly terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow on March 22 that cost the lives of… [...]
Queer life under pressure in Kyrgyzstan
The situation of queer people in Kyrgyzstan has worsened in recent years. Repressive laws and negative portrayals in the media are putting the community under increasing pressure. At the… [...]
Kazakhstan stops investment agreement with ArcelorMittal after deadly explosion in Kostenko mine takes 46 lives
On the evening of Saturday October 28th, a fire broke out in the Kostenko mine at a depth of 700 metres, followed by an explosion of a methane-air mixture. 201… [...]
Human rights in Tajikistan: Interview with the UN Special Rapporteur
Nine human rights defenders are currently imprisoned for their activities in Tajikistan. In an interview with Novastan, UN Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawlor, explains the reasons for… [...]