Unhealed Wounds: Legacies of Interethnic Violence and the Current Demolition of Uzbek Properties in Southern Kyrgyzstan
- Genocide Watch
- 47 minutes ago
- 1 min read
By: Kristie Moore
Kyrgyzstan has navigated a difficult path since declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. While working to develop an economically and politically robust society, Kyrgyzstan has attempted to construct a Kyrgyz identity. A significant remnant of the Soviet Union is the presence of non-demarcated borders, ethnic enclaves, and large minority populations located outside their titular homelands. This includes the large ethnic Uzbek population in southern Kyrgyzstan, concentrated in cities like Osh, Jalalabad, and Uzgen, communities which lived with Kyrgys in relative peace for years. During the Soviet era, small-scale violence continued, and mass violence broke out in the early 1990s. During this period, national borders became internationalized, and instability created interethnic rivalries.
Violent outbreaks in 1990 and 2010 resulted in the destruction of Uzbek properties and forced relocation, impacting many survivors. The lack of justice and accountability for the violence has created a tense interethnic situation today. Recent moves by the Kyrgyz government to demolish Uzbek neighborhoods have exacerbated these tensions, reopening wounds that never healed. This report will examine the legacy of violence against Uzbek communities in southern Kyrgyzstan as well as modern attempts to further destroy and relocate their communities. It will argue that Kyrgyzstan must act to protect Uzbek communities, promote better interethnic relations, and resolve past community-based trauma.
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