Kyrgyzstan is a strategically important central Asian state which houses both a Russian base and an important US military base that supplies forces in Afghanistan.
The current President, Kurmanbek Bakiyev took power in a coup in 2005 promising democratic reforms. It is these reforms, some of which have actually been implemented, which are now helping to foment the ongoing rebellion, according to DIHR Deputy Director and civil society expert, Charlotte Flindt Pedersen.
“You could say that Bakiyev has sawn off the branch he was sitting on. In order to legitimize his coup, he has been preaching democratic reforms, and then had to demonstrate his commitment to them by actually allowing civil society to develop. But basically, he's not been interested in democracy, and all the time he has maintained a client system where only members of his own clan system could reap the rewards,” she explains.
She points out that Bakiyev nationalized large parts of the country's resources for himself and his clan members. This created fierce opposition from people who also experienced a strengthening of civil society during the same period.
The situation in Kyrgyzstan appears to prove the point that strengthening people’s civil and political rights actually seems to work, says Charlotte Flindt Pedersen.
“This shows that when people are given the right institutional tools and a better knowledge of their rights they become better at organizing and creating patterns of resistance. It's always sad when protests become violent, but on the other hand it shows that ordinary people have the capacity to respond to oppression,” she concludes.
DIHR is one of the few Danish organizations, which currently has a presence in Kyrgyzstan. The Institute has worked in the country since 2003, with the main focus on capacity building of civil society and governmental institutions.
For further information, please contact Brendan Sweeney at
