Polit Affairs - Uzbekistan has seen deadly unrest in recent week to become the second country in Central Asia, facing widespread anti government protests after Kazakhstan.

Let's have a brief look to know what is happening.

Uzbekistan is Central Asia’s most populous nation with 34 million citizens and these protests started from a region called Karakalpakstan which its population is barely above two million because parts of it feel as suitable for human life, though occupies two-fifths territory of the ex-Soviet Central Asian country.

inhabitants of this region which include less Uzbeks and more Karakalpaks, who are more close to Kazakh culture, have had anti government sentiments since the era of former Uzbek president, Islam Karimov, who ruled this country with an iron fist between 1991 and 2016.

These people do not actually belong to any cultural group in central Asia as under soviet union, this region was given first ro Kazakhstan, then to Kyrgyzstan and finally Uzbekistan. now people live in a poor condition, even not able to get enough drinking water and decent food.

Karakalpakstan is an “autonomous republic” within Uzbekistan with a bit of self-governance such as a local parliament.

Uzbekistan’s post-Soviet constitution even stipulates that Karakalpaks have a right to secede.

A handful of activists cherished the idea, but the majority of the population was more preoccupied with physical survival. Many became migrants who went to work in neighboring oil-rich Kazakhstan and some went to Russia.

After Karimov’s death in 2016, his successor Shavkat Mirziyoyev started cautious economic reforms and eased some of the harshest restrictions that made Uzbekistan look like North Korea.

Meanwhile, several energy companies started drilling natural gas in this region and Karakalpakstan started getting more government funds.

recently The government reported of an imminent referendum for some changes in the constitution and some of the amendments included the abolition of Karakalpakstan’s self-governance.

In late June, thousands of Karakalpaks began protesting in the regional capital, Nukus, and in smaller towns. even some law enforcement officers sided with the protesters.

Then happened what was expected, capital Tashkent sent riot police who clashed with protester and as a result, at least 20 of them are being killed so far, with hundreds injured. also More than 500 were detained.

There are not valid reports of what is going on there now, because internet is almost shut down.

President Mirziyoyev flew to Nukus days ago and pledged to scrap the amendments related to Karakalpakstan’s autonomy.

Uzbek officials, even some Russian officials and even Belarussian president believe that these protests are also managed by Americans, as was said for recent riots in Belarus and Kazakhstan. Russia and its allies always believe that any protest in this region is related to US and its allies like Turkey, in order to shape their own kind of government and put more pressure on Moscow, but still there is no evidence for that.
#uzbekistan #karakalpakstan #protest #centralasia
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