{"id":42196,"date":"2022-11-03T14:08:30","date_gmt":"2022-11-03T13:08:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/?p=42196"},"modified":"2023-03-30T17:12:05","modified_gmt":"2023-03-30T15:12:05","slug":"kyrgyzstan-handover-of-water-reservoir-to-uzbekistan-leads-to-protests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/kyrgyzstan\/kyrgyzstan-handover-of-water-reservoir-to-uzbekistan-leads-to-protests\/","title":{"rendered":"Kyrgyzstan: Handover of water reservoir to Uzbekistan leads to protests"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>The Kyrgyz parliament approved the outline for an agreement of a new border between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.&nbsp; The outline includes handing over the Kempir-Abad water reservoir to their Uzbek neighbours.&nbsp; The news has caused a stir in the country.<\/strong><strong>This article was originally published on <a href=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/fr\/kirghizstan\/kirghizstan-le-transfert-dun-reservoir-deau-au-voisin-ouzbek-provoque-des-manifestations\/\">Novastan\u2019s French website<\/a> on 27 October 2022.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"hp-newsletter col-span-3 lg:col-span-1 flex flex-col bg-primary-100 border-t-8 border-secondary-500 rounded-lg justify-center items-center lg:items-stretch px-6 py-6 gap-4 box-border\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"flex\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"enveloppe\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"far fa-envelope text-5xl text-secondary-300\"><\/i>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"formulaire_nl\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"font-bold text-xl block\">The whole of Central Asia in your inbox\n<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSubscribe to our free weekly newsletter\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<form class=\"flex w-3\/4 lg:w-full\" action=\"https:\/\/us4.list-manage.com\/subscribe?u=6a15a2256d412b041fdec39e8&amp;id=d479236523\" method=\"post\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" name=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" class=\"validate\" target=\"_blank\" novalidate=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"flex-grow py-2 px-3 border border-primary-300 rounded-l\" type=\"email\" placeholder=\"Email\" name=\"EMAIL\" id=\"mce-EMAIL\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"bg-secondary-500 py-2 px-3 text-white rounded-r-md border border-secondary-500\" type=\"submit\" value=\"\" name=\"subscribe\">Register<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/form>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\" class=\"underline text-secondary-700\">Click here for the latest issue\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><!-- newsletter -->\n\t\t\n\n\n\n<p>\n\nOn 10 October the Kyrgyz <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Supreme_Council_(Kyrgyzstan)\">Supreme Council\u2019s<\/a> Committee on International Affairs and Defense gathered to vote on the outline for an agreement to hand over a debated region to Uzbekistan.\n\nParticularly debated in this project is the Kempir-Abad water reservoir bordering Uzbekistan in the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Osh_Region\">Osh Region<\/a>.&nbsp; According to the Kyrgyz news agency <a href=\"https:\/\/24.kg\/vlast\/247658_profilnyiy_komitet_odobril_soglashenie_pogranitse_suzbekistanom\/\">24.kg<\/a>, the reservoir is 4400 hectares and holds almost 1.9 cubic kilometers of water.&nbsp; It is of great importance to the inhabitants in the region as a source of water for both human consumption and agriculture.&nbsp; According to the agreement\u2019s outline, the reservoir would be handed over to Uzbekistan.\n\nIf the agreement is signed, then Kyrgyzstan would receive 19 700 hectares of land in return.&nbsp; However, considering how dependent the local population is on the water reservoir, the handover is proving very difficult.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A secret vote<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThe <a href=\"https:\/\/kaktus.media\/doc\/469067_chingiz_aydarbekov:_ia_poka_ne_prinial_svoe_reshenie_po_kempir_abadskomy_vodohranilishy.html\">vote on 10 October<\/a> on the outline of the agreement occurred behind closed doors.&nbsp; According to reports from Kyrgyz media <a href=\"https:\/\/kaktus.media\/doc\/469067_chingiz_aydarbekov:_ia_poka_ne_prinial_svoe_reshenie_po_kempir_abadskomy_vodohranilishy.html\">Kaktus<\/a>, the details of the project were not shared with the public in order to prevent any uproar.&nbsp; Furthermore, only 10 out of the 15 representatives of the committee were present.\n\nOnly a portion of the agreement\u2019s text was shared with them on the day of the vote \u2013 actions that are unconstitutional according to the American media agency <a href=\"https:\/\/eurasianet.org\/kyrgyzstan-border-deal-secretively-rushed-through-amid-more-grumbling\">Eurasianet<\/a>.&nbsp; The agreement was approved with six \u201cyes\u201d and four \u201cno\u201d votes.\n\nThe delegates who voted against the agreement illuminated the details of the affair on the very same day.&nbsp; Delegate <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chingiz_Aidarbekov\">Chingiz Aidarbekov<\/a> reported to <a href=\"https:\/\/24.kg\/vlast\/247658_profilnyiy_komitet_odobril_soglashenie_pogranitse_suzbekistanom\/\">24.kg<\/a> that he had not seen the document.&nbsp; <em>\u201cI said that I couldn\u2019t vote for the agreement before I read it.&nbsp; So I voted against it,\u201d<\/em> he said.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A failed cover-up<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThis situation has led to criticism towards the Kyrgyz government.&nbsp; After the procedural errors were made public, the parliament declared that the agreement could be voted upon only after a plenary session with the representatives and the president, as required by pre-defined protocols.\n\nThe controversy is particularly strong in the Osh Region and the border city <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%C3%96zg%C3%B6n\">\u00d6zg\u00f6n<\/a>, where, after becoming aware of the affair, a <a href=\"https:\/\/24.kg\/english\/248890_Committee_for_protection_of_Kempir-Abad_formed_in_Kyrgyzstan\/\">committee for the protection of the Kempir-Abad reservoir<\/a> was established.&nbsp; The committee, which considers itself to be defending Kyrgyz sovereignty over the reservoir and representing the affected community, is made up of politicians, activists, and civil actors.&nbsp; Numerous <a href=\"https:\/\/24.kg\/english\/247637_Residents_of_Uzgen_hold_rally_against_transfer_of_Kempir-Abad_reservoir\/\">demonstrations<\/a> have been organized, which have been attended by several dozen people.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Repression against protests<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThe government of President <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sadyr_Japarov\">Sadyr Japarov<\/a> reacted to the oppositionist protests with repressive measures. On 23 October the houses of about a dozen oppositionists and activists were searched, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/eurasianet.org\/kyrgyzstan-mass-arrests-over-opposition-to-uzbekistan-border-deal\">Eurasianet<\/a>.&nbsp; Some of them were imprisoned.\n\nThe authorities claim that the arrests occurred due to attempted organizing of mass unrest, but did not give an exact number of how many were arrested.&nbsp; The president later explained that these oppositionists were <em>\u201cprovocateurs\u201d<\/em> who would try to build the foundation for his overthrow.\n\nThese statements were immediately condemned by the opposition, who pointed out the authoritarian nature of the authorities <em>vis-\u00e0-vis <\/em>a non-violent civil movement.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A touchy subject<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>\nPrior to his election in 2021, Japarov based his campaign on the defense of Kyrgyz sovereignty.&nbsp; The outline of the agreement is therefore seen as him going back on promises made almost two years ago.\n\nThe government is engaging in risky two-faced behaviour on the national level.&nbsp; To justify the agreement, Japarov claims that joint management of the reservoir is planned.&nbsp; The Russian daily <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kommersant.ru\/doc\/5633465\">Kommersant<\/a> reports that Japarov considers this an improvement over the previous administration of the dam.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Media in Kyrgyzstan increasingly threatened<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>\nAccording to <a href=\"https:\/\/eurasianet.org\/kyrgyzstan-arrests-of-activists-politicians-occurred-amid-growing-pressure-on-media\">Eurasianet<\/a>, the arrests on 23 October have occurred in the broader context of attempts to control the opposition and the media.&nbsp; The government has imprisoned activists and journalists regularly in the past several months, and now wants to pass a law which would lead to greater control over independent media to reduce its influence. None of the parties which have taken a stance against this law were present during the drafting of the law\u2019s text.\n\n<strong>Read more on Novastan: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/kyrgyzstan\/kyrgyzstan-journalists-complain-about-attempts-to-hack-their-accounts\/\"><strong>Kyrgyzstan: Journalists complain about attempts to hack their accounts<\/strong><\/a>\n\nThe Kyrgyz news portal <a href=\"https:\/\/kloop.kg\/blog\/2022\/10\/26\/srochno-minkultury-reshilo-zablokirovat-sajt-azattyka-na-dva-mesyatsa\/\">Kloop<\/a> discovered that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.azattyk.org\/\">Radio Azattyk<\/a>, the Kyrgyz branch of Radio Free Europe and one of the most important critical media voices in the country, was blocked for two months in a decision made by the Ministry of Culture on 26 October.\n\nRadio Azattyk supposedly spread false information about the <a href=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/de\/kirgistan\/kirgisisch-tadschikischer-grenzkonflikt-verschaerft-sich\/\">conflict with Tajikistan<\/a> and therefore had their site blocked in accordance with the law \u201cOn protection from incorrect information,\u201d signed in August 2021.&nbsp; This law allows the government to block websites which are viewed as brokers of fake information without a court order.\n\n&nbsp;\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><strong>Written by the editors of Novastan\u2019s French website<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><strong>Translated from <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/de\/kirgistan\/kirgistan-uebergabe-eines-wasserreservoirs-an-usbekistan-fuehrt-zu-protesten\/\"><strong>French to German<\/strong><\/a><strong> by Mich\u00e8le H\u00e4fliger<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><strong>Translated from German to English by Mari Paine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><strong>Edited by Maya Ivanova<\/strong>\n<p><em>For more news and analysis from Central Asia, follow us on <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/Novastan_Eng\">Twitter<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Novastan.org\/\">Facebook<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/telegram.me\/novastan\">Telegram<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/fondation-novastan\/\">Linkedin<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/novastanorg\/\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/em><\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Kyrgyz parliament approved the outline for an agreement of a new border between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.&nbsp; The outline includes handing over the Kempir-Abad water reservoir to their Uzbek neighbours.&nbsp; The news has caused a stir in the country.This article was originally published on Novastan\u2019s French website on 27 October 2022. On 10 October the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1681,"featured_media":42197,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,5],"tags":[3987,4655],"coauthors":[4598,4602],"class_list":["post-42196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kyrgyzstan","category-uzbekistan","tag-protests","tag-water-ressources"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1681"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42196"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42196\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45659,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42196\/revisions\/45659"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42196"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=42196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}