Poverty fuels revolution in Kyrgyzstan

Social justice news
April 2005

Bishops launch major campaign to end the use of the death penalty
PBS series to focus on child health in developing world
Poverty fuels revolution in Kyrgyzstan
Oxfam argues: back Annan's vision, save lives

Poverty fuels revolution in Kyrgyzstan
The world turned its attention to the central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan in March after large-scale demonstrations against recent elections resulted in an overthrow of the government and the ousting of President Askar Akayev.

Protests initially began in the cities of Jalal-Abad and Osh in the south of the country. On Wednesday March 23 protestors in the capital, Bishkek, stormed parliament buildings.

The unrest was sparked after February's parliamentary elections, which many saw as corrupt. Opposition candidates had been disbarred prior to the elections and President Akayev's supporters, including his son and daughter, secured 69 out of 75 parliamentary seats. There were also fears that Akayev was intending to change the constitution to enable him to serve a third term.

Former opposition member Kurmanbek Bakiev has been named as acting president and an interim cabinet is jostling for power until fresh elections can be held in June. At least five people died and more than 200 were injured in the demonstrations across the country.

"We had been at the peaceful demonstrations until we saw all the blood and shooting," said a Christian Aid partner in Kyrgyzstan. Christian Aid is a UK relief and development agency that has been active in Kyrgyzstan. "Volunteer militia policemen with sticks and shields were beating everyone. One of our staff was beaten outside her home."

"The atmosphere remains tense," said Christian Aid communications officer Sarah Malian, who was visiting partners in Kyrgyzstan days before the coup. "Southern Kyrgyzstan has long felt under-represented and marginalised from central government in the northern capital of Bishkek," she said.

"The collapse of the Soviet Union decimated the economies of central Asian countries—and people here are rightly impatient for an improvement in their living standards."

The revolution has been officially declared "over" but the threat of further violence remains. "Looting has been taking place," said Malian. "Initially it was by protestors, some of whom had walked for two weeks from the south of the country and needed food. But criminal gangs have taken advantage of the chaos and many businesses, banks and petrol stations have been targeted."

"There will definitely be more problems," she added. "The city's infrastructure has been violated, banks are closed and we're afraid gasoline prices will skyrocket. My family has been collecting bottles of water—just in case."

While the allegedly fraudulent elections have been the impetus for recent events, the reality is that Kyrgyzstan's widespread poverty levels have been hugely destabilizing. A landlocked country with a largely agricultural economy, Kyrgyzstan has been suffering ever since it gained independence in 1991.

It has struggled to pull itself out of the shadow of a Soviet planned economy system and to create a fully-functioning market economy. The south has been particularly badly hit—factories which provided many jobs under Soviet rule now lie rusting and unemployment levels have soared.

Added to the slow pace of economic development was growing disenchantment with corruption and Akayev's steady centralisation of power.

Some fear events in Kyrgyzstan will have a ripple effect on neighbouring Tajikistan. But Tajikistan's memories of a civil war that claimed 50,000 lives and crippled the economy in the mid 1990s are still fresh.

"The five year civil war started with similar civil demonstrations," commented Christian Aid's representative in Tajikistan, Andrew Wilson.

"But it is far less likely there will be similar developments here, even though the recent election process was also strongly criticised. There is perhaps a greater sense of resignation although poverty and corruption are probably even worse here."

"Akayev told the West he was helping to strengthen civil society in his country—and this finally turned against him," explained one Bishkek resident. "The Akayev family is like a clan and the country had become the property of this clan. The people have expressed their feelings."

Back to page top