Local Politics - The Times Of Central Asia

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Kyrgyzstan Establishes Center for “Information Security”

Kyrgyzstan has created the Information Environment Research Center (IERC), which will be part of the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports, and Youth Policy; its main task is to monitor and analyze the country's information space in order to protect citizens' rights and freedoms and prevent the spread of misinformation and inaccurate information. The Center will identify and block illegal content on the internet and in the media and cooperate with the administrations of major social networks such as Facebook, Google, and TikTok. It will monitor compliance with legislation in the information sphere and provide recommendations on improving the information environment in Kyrgyzstan. The establishment of the Center is part of the state strategy to strengthen information security and control the observance of citizens' rights in the media space. Earlier, we reported that a unified TV channel and a regional media platform could appear in Central Asia, which would become important elements in strengthening information security and cultural exchange in the region. This year, Central Asia, and Kazakhstan in particular, has been the subject of swathes on disinformation on the internet. However, independent media in Kyrgyzstan has been the target of repression by the authorities, which UN Special Rapporteurs have denounced.

Central Asia’s Olympic Performance: A Regional Overview

On their return home from the Olympic Games in Paris, the Times of Central Asia reported a sense of regional unity as athletes from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan celebrated each other's victories. Uzbekistan won 13 medals, including eight golds, two silvers, and three bronzes, placing it top amongst Central Asian countries, and in 13th place of the 206 countries on the medals table . The National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan announced that the equivalent of $5,804,108 had been allocated in the first three months of this year to prepare for the Paris-2024 Olympic Games. Rewards for its medalists were also generous. Gold medalists were awarded $200,000, Chevrolet Tahoes, and two-story cottages, while their coaches received $50,000 each. The silver and bronze medalists received cash prizes of $100,000 and $50,000, respectively, along with BYD Song Plus cars and apartments as a “President’s Gift", whilst their coaches received $25,000 for silver, and $12,500, for bronze. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the equivalent of $13,551,603 was invested in preparing the national team for the Olympics. Kazakh Olympic champions received $250,000 for gold, $150,000 for silver, and $75,000 for bronze, and with one gold, three silver, and three bronze, Kazakhstan finished 43rd overall. Kyrgyzstan allocated $3,220,140 for training its athletes and awarded silver medal winners with $83,000, and bronze medal winners with $60,000. Bringing home two silver and four bronze medals, the Kyrgyz national team was placed 68th overall. With three bronze medals, for which each athlete received $4,500, Tajikistan took 79th place. Unfortunately, despite the participation of six athletes, Turkmenistan failed to win any medals. Details concerning funding for the Tajikistan and Turkmenistan’s teams have not been disclosed.

Nazarbayev’s Nephew Returns $1.6 Billion to Kazakhstan Following Embezzlement Conviction

Kazakhstan's Anti-Corruption Service has completed an investigation into the case of Kairat Satybaldyuly, the nephew of former president Nursultan Nazarbayev. Following the investigation, around 733 billion KZT ($1.6 billion) worth of assets have been returned to the state. In September 2022, Satybaldyuly was sentenced to six years in prison for embezzling funds, and causing damage to companies such as Kazakhtelecom and CTC. In 2023, the investigation was expanded to look into into other crimes that he committed. The full investigation revealed numerous cases of legalization of illegal income and evasion of customs duties. Satybaldyuly pleaded guilty and cooperated with the investigation, allowing the return of assets in Kazakhstan and abroad. Most assets were found in Austria, Liechtenstein, the UAE, and Turkey. The recovered assets included 28.8% of shares of the national telecom operator Kazakhtelecom, assets of CTC JSC, and stakes in four companies. The state has also recovered 115 real estate objects in Kazakhstan, including buildings, apartments, and land plots. The returned assets include luxury real estate and jewellery confiscated in various countries.

Solar-Powered Irrigation System Launched Outside Tashkent

A new drip irrigation system that runs on solar power has been introduced in the Akkurgan district outside Uzbekistan's capital Tashkent. The irrigation system is being funded by the European Union, and is part of a project between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Uzbek Ministry of Agriculture. Increasing water scarcity is a serious challenge in rural Uzbekistan. Many families rely on their backyard gardens to grow vegetables, and better irrigation will help rural communities to become more economically sustainable. The system includes a water pump that extracts water from a vertical well at a depth of 180 meters, supported by solar panels. The system irrigates 0.8 hectares of land, benefiting 10 households and saving nearly 60% of water compared to traditional irrigation methods. The excess electricity generated by the solar panels is sold to the State Electricity System, and the revenue is used to manage and operate the irrigation well and the drip irrigation network. Mr. Wim Riepma, Head of Cooperation of the European Union's Delegation to Uzbekistan, commented: "This solar-powered drip irrigation system not only addresses water scarcity but also paves the way for more sustainable agriculture in Uzbekistan. Most importantly, it directly benefits local families by increasing their access to electricity and water for irrigation, thus enhancing food security and incomes."

Baikonur: An Alternative Journey Into Space

The moon landing is imprinted on the Western collective psyche, but Baikonur is not. Like most children growing up in the U.S., I watched William Shatner on Star Trek, and when we think of space, we think of Neil Armstrong and NASA, not Kazakhstan. However, on April 12, 1961, the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin, took off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in what is now Kazakhstan. Like WWII, however, space is the subject of parallel narratives, and the “Space Race” was an integral part of the Cold War. Baikonur Is a Place of Firsts Baikonur is a place of firsts - the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, the first dog, Laika, the first higher living organisms to survive a journey to outer space, Belka and Strelka, the first man, Yuri Gagarin, and the first woman, Valentina Tereshkova, all took off from Baikonur. Originally constructed during the Cold War as a missile test site, the area was chosen for several reasons; it’s isolation from densely populated areas and proximity to the equator made it easier to launch rockets, and the flat landscape ensured radio signals would not be disrupted. The battle for control over space between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was both ideological and military in nature. Baikonur was baptized in Cold War misinformation tactics. Located thirty kilometers south of the launch facilities, the closest town was originally known as Tyuratam. In 1961, Soviet officials swapped its name with a town located some 350 kilometers away, “Baikonur,” to misdirect Western intelligence. A fake spaceport constructed from plywood was erected in the “real” Baikonur to deceive enemy spy planes. In the early 1960s, the Soviet Union's covert actions allowed it to advance its space program faster than the United States, which faced public and media scrutiny. While U.S. space missions were broadcast live, exposing any failings, the USSR could operate clandestinely, protecting its missile technology and maintaining a strategic edge. A key example is the R7 rocket used to launch Yuri Gagarin into space; the largest intercontinental ballistic missile of its time, its details were closely guarded. [caption id="attachment_21512" align="aligncenter" width="1622"] Fifty year commemorative stamp of the first woman in space, Kazakhstan, 2013[/caption] “Space Race” Propaganda Another tool of Cold War propaganda was the flight of Valentina Tereshkova, the “First Lady of Space.” Prior to her journey to the stars in June 1963, Tereshkova had worked on an assembly line in a textiles factory. Her parachuting experience with a local paramilitary flying club proved crucial in her selection. In her three-day flight, the every-woman clocked up more space hours than all American astronauts up to that time combined. Tereshkova may have been a propaganda tool dispatched for Western audiences as proof of gender equality in the USSR, but it would be a nineteen year wait for the next female cosmonaut. In 2007, at the age of seventy, Tereshkova volunteered for a one-way mission to Mars. Having turned to politics as her primary concern following her spaceflight, in...

Kyrgyzstan Strengthens Protection From Family, Sexual, and Gender Violence

The President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sadyr Japarov has signed a law aimed at strengthening the protection of its citizens from family, sexual, and gender violence. The law provides for amendments to several legislative acts and aims to provide comprehensive assistance to victims of various forms of violence. A key objective is to ensure victims' access to justice and protect their rights and interests. The law is being adopted due to the alarming situation with the level of family and gender violence in Kyrgyzstan. In 2021, more than 10,000 cases were registered, but only 2.5% of them proceeded to court. In 2023, the number of cases increased to 11,000, and 95% of the victims were women. The increasing number of such incidents and the lack of protection for victims necessitated a review of the relevant legislation. The new law is designed to address gaps in legal protection for victims and create stricter measures to punish perpetrators.