NUR-SULTAN (TCA) — Kazakhstan, Sudan, Brazil, and some other countries saw the worst deterioration in Internet freedoms over the past year, according to a new Freedom House report that also documented how governments increasingly use social media to monitor citizens and manipulate elections.

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NUR-SULTAN (TCA) — The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) and Ereymentau Wind Power, a company of the Samruk-Energy holding company, have signed a KZT 23.2 billion loan agreement to finance the construction of a 50 MW wind farm near the town of Ereymentau in Kazakhstan.

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TASHKENT (TCA) — The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on November 2 agreed to boost joint efforts aimed at providing food security and sustainable development for present and future generations, in the context of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, FAO reported on its website.

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TASHKENT (TCA) — During his visit to Tashkent on November 2, Kazakhstan Prime Minister Askar Mamin attended the 18th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states, at which he put forward a number of initiatives to strengthen practical cooperation of the organization’s member countries in trade, economic, investment, digital, transport and other fields, the Kazakh prime minister’s press service reported.

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BISHKEK (TCA) — The Publisher’s note: Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, Central Asia was the scene of intense geopolitical struggle and the Great Game between the British and Russian Empires, and later between the Soviet Union and the West, over Afghanistan and neighboring territories. Into the 21st century, Central Asia has become the area of a renewed geopolitical interest, dubbed the New Great Game, largely based on the region’s hydrocarbon and mineral wealth. On top of that, the region now is perhaps the most important node in the implementation of China’s One Belt, One Road initiative through which Beijing aims to get direct access to Western markets. Every week thousands of news appears in the world’s printed and online media and many of them may escape the attention of busy readers. At The Times of Central Asia, we strongly believe that more information can better contribute to peaceful development and better knowledge of this unique region. So we are presenting this Weekly Digest which compiles what other media have reported on Central Asia over the past week.

KAZAKHSTAN

Kazakhstan Remains Nazarbayev’s State

Nazarbayev retained significant levers on power after formally resigning in a surprise announcement in March

Oct 29 — “On October 8, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev criticized the development and design of Nur-Sultan. The next day, Tokayev approved changes to the country’s high-level personnel policies, which open the door for Nursultan Nazrabayev — officially still “First President,” Elbasy(Leader of the Nation), and lifetime chairman of the National Security Council — to exert influence over key government appointments.” READ MORE: https://thediplomat.com/2019/10/kazakhstan-remains-nazarbayevs-state/

Kazakhstan’s president courts green support by halting ski resort

The rare victory for Kazakh environmentalists arrived with a dose of political intrigue

Oct 29 — “Environmentalists in Kazakhstan have scored a rare victory by pressuring the authorities into freezing a ski resort project that has been decried as an ecological disaster-in-waiting. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on October 28 that he had grown weary with the years of controversy that have turned Kok-Zhaylau into one of the nation’s more insoluble boondoggles.” READ MORE: https://eurasianet.org/kazakhstans-president-courts-green-support-by-halting-ski-resort

Half China’s investment in Kazakhstan is in oil and gas

Joint Kazakh-Chinese projects worth $27.6 billion are heavily skewed toward fossil fuels and extractives

Oct 29 — “The Kazakhstan government has finally published a list of the 55 projects its neighbour China has invested in. About half of the investment total of US$27.6 billion is in oil and gas projects. An itemised list of the projects and their cost has been made available in Kazakh and Russian. Only a summary is available in English. Rather than try and compete with China in producing goods, the Kazakh government has focused on industrial cooperation as the best means to develop its economy.” READ MORE: https://chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/11613-Half-China-s-investment-in-Kazakhstan-is-in-oil-and-gas

The Future of Kazakhstan: Atom for Peace or Wind and Solar Power?

Why Kazakhstan needs nuclear power plant if the country has a developed strategy on development of renewable energy sources that can replace coal power plants?

Oct 31 — ““By 2030, Kazakhstan will face electricity deficit,” the president of Kazakhstan commented the news of possible construction of the nuclear power plant this April. In fact, this is quite a generalised statement. Those people who claim that Kazakhstan has a surplus of power are right. But they are right by halves. The power system of Kazakhstan is divided into service areas – Southern, Northern and Western. The Northern and Western service areas have too much power, whereas the Southern area rather lacks power.” READ MORE: https://cabar.asia/en/the-future-of-kazakhstan-atom-for-peace-or-wind-and-solar-power/

KYRGYZSTAN

Kyrgyzstan Eradicates Statelessness, Challenges Remain

A Kyrgyzstani lawyer won a prestigious UN award for his contributions to combating statelessness in his country, but will his efforts stick?

Oct 31 — “Five years ago, in November 2014, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) launched a campaign to end statelessness in a decade. Halfway through the 10-year campaign, UNHCR is celebrating a major milestone: This July, Kyrgyzstan became the first country in the world to eradicate statelessness.” READ MORE: https://thediplomat.com/2019/10/kyrgyzstan-eradicates-statelessness-challenges-remain/

Kyrgyzstan’s farming puzzle: A rich nation reliant on others

Agriculture accounts for 15 percent of the Kyrgyz economy. Yet the lack of coordination means many farmers are barely able to survive, let alone export anything

Oct 31 — “Gulmayram Tologonova’s farm lost three cows to disease last year. A tough blow for a small-time rancher. And yet, nothing exceptional for Kyrgyzstan, where almost all farms operate on a miniscule scale and where authorities are often unable to give a helping hand. The government’s critics complain that the lack of broad strategic vision for agriculture is leaving rural communities at the mercy of such calamities.” READ MORE: https://eurasianet.org/kyrgyzstans-farming-puzzle-a-rich-nation-reliant-on-others

I went to Kyrgyzstan for a holiday and found out why some call it the Switzerland of Central Asia

Kyrgyzstan still remains an enigma to most western and east Asian people

Nov 1 — “I perched myself precariously over a few wooden planks, with a hole cut in the middle, trying to do a number two. A misstep, and I might drop in an abyss of human excrement. I say abyss because I really have no idea (and also have no wish to find out) the number of people who have emptied their bowels into the literal s***hole metres below me. What made this whole experience extra dicey, was the fact that I had to do my business in total darkness.” READ MORE: https://www.todayonline.com/commentary/i-went-kyrgyzstan-holiday-and-found-out-why-some-call-it-switzerland-central-asia

TAJIKISTAN

Tajikistan’s crackdown on free press must end

Freedom of the press and independence of the media is what Tajikistan lacks today

Oct 30 — “In Tajikistan, President Emomali Rahmon’s formal title includes “founder of peace and national unity, the leader of the nation.” He has felt free to install members of his extended family in top jobs but appears nervous about the population finding out about it. In 2016, he revoked the credentials of Radio Ozodi, the Tajik service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, for reporting that the president’s daughter was given a post in the foreign ministry. The ministry had posted the news on its own website, but the president apparently was discomfited when it appeared on a popular news site.” READ MORE: https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/opinion/article/Tajikistan-s-crackdown-on-free-press-must-end-14585001.php

Tajikistan approves Chinese $360 million grant for highways

Chinese gifts for Tajikistan do not come without strings attached, however

Oct 30 — “Parliament in Tajikistan considers China-related business almost every week these days. On October 30, lawmakers ratified an agreement approving a grant from China worth $360 million. The funds have been earmarked to upgrade a highway from Kulob to Bokhtar and reconstruction of part of a lengthy, cross-country stretch of road linking Dushanbe to Kulma, which lies on the Chinese border.” READ MORE: https://eurasianet.org/tajikistan-approves-chinese-360-million-grant-for-highways

Tajikistan renews accreditation for some RFE/RL journalists, not leadership

The phrase “accreditation filter” has been a common term of art among the embattled Tajik reporter community

Oct 31 — “Tajikistan’s Foreign Ministry on October 31 renewed the accreditation of seven employees of RFE/RL’s Tajik service, but many others remain without the crucial document needed to report inside the country. The issuance of paperwork represents a slim, 11th-hour reprieve, although key personnel at Radio Ozodi, as Tajik service is known, are still in limbo, a fact that may generate uncertainty over the broadcaster’s future in Tajikistan.” READ MORE: https://eurasianet.org/tajikistan-renews-accreditation-for-some-rferl-journalists-not-leadership

TURKMENISTAN

Here’s what it’s like inside Turkmenistan, the secretive Asian dictatorship that is stricter than North Korea, where the streets are paved with marble and gold

While not much information leaks out of the country, we do know a little bit about it. Take a look at all we know about Turkmenistan below

Oct 27 — “The central Asian nation of Turkmenistan is one of the world’s most secretive and mysterious countries. Information from the central Asian country is tightly controlled and few people enter, while its human rights record is decried, and it has virtually no free press. But its president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, is keen to present the country — and himself — as strong.” READ MORE: https://www.insider.com/turkmenistan-what-life-is-like-inside-secretive-dictatorship-2019-10

Turkmenistan: Europe or bust

In its ‘Akhal-Teke: A Turkmenistan Bulletin’, Eurasianet reviews the main news and events in the Central Asian country for the previous week

Oct 29 — “The trans-Afghan pipeline project continues to be an object of intense focus, and not necessarily in good ways. At an October 26 Cabinet meeting, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov droned in generalities about the importance of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India route, describing it once more as a force for regional peace and economic prosperity.” READ MORE: https://eurasianet.org/turkmenistan-europe-or-bust

A Turkmen Doctor Came Out And Now He (And His Family) Have Gone Missing

The Prove They Are Alive campaign has already documented 121 cases of people who were imprisoned in Turkmenistan and never heard from again

Oct 31 — “A young man in Turkmenistan who detailed his tormented life being gay in a conservative country has vanished along with his family after going to a police station where he had been summoned. Twenty-four-year-old Kasymberdy Garayev — whose mother and father and siblings have also disappeared — worked as a cardiologist at a prestigious clinic in Ashgabat, the Turkmen capital.” READ MORE: https://www.rferl.org/a/gay-turkmen-doctor-family-vanish-after-he-comes-out-details-tormented-life/30246642.html

UZBEKISTAN

Uzbekistan plans to fine people for excessive partying

New Uzbek bill proposes crackdown on ‘disruptive’ weddings and funerals

Oct 28 — “Raucous parties could be banned in Uzbekistan under new laws proposed by the country’s Ministry of Justice. Fines of about £180 will reportedly be issued in a crackdown on “disruptive weddings, family celebrations, campaigns and ceremonies”. It follows a series of attempts to limit lavish festivities in a country where 11.4 per cent of the population live below the poverty line and the average monthly wage is around £155.” READ MORE: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/uzbekistan-law-fines-weddings-parties-funerals-a9173576.html

Alarm as demolitions make way for new-look Uzbekistan

Residents say they are sidelined in talks over regeneration projects as officials pursue drive to modernise the country

Oct 31 — “Located over 80 hectares (198 acres) of land in the centre of Uzbekistan’s capital, “Tashkent City”, a state-led flagship project, marks a new beginning in the country’s history. It includes a sky-high, glass-clad Hilton hotel, manicured green lawns leading to an enormous fountain, and artificial trees shaped into a veritable menagerie of animals.” READ MORE: https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/alarm-demolitions-uzbekistan-191030192526427.html

Uzbekistan befuddled by Eurasian Economic Union tug of war

There is a heated debate about Uzbekistan’s potential entry into the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union

Nov 1 — “A surprising candidate waded last month into the long-running debate about whether or not Uzbekistan should join a Russia-dominated Eurasian Economic Union trading bloc. Addressing an event in Washington held by the American-Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross sounded cool on the idea, arguing that it could derail Tashkent’s plans to integrate with the wider global economy.” READ MORE: https://eurasianet.org/uzbekistan-befuddled-by-eurasian-economic-union-tug-of-war

AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan’s Last Jew Gets Ready for the Taliban—Again

Zabulon Simentov has seen it all, and now, like all Afghans, he must embrace a future filled with uncertainty and violence

Oct 29 — “It’s Saturday, and Zabulon Simentov is sitting on a typical Afghan cushion in his small living room watching the news. When the anchor starts to talk about peace talks with the Taliban, Simentov shakes his head, muttering something incomprehensible. Normally, Simentov would offer tea to his guest, but not today. It’s Shabbat. For that reason, Simentov—who is believed to be Afghanistan’s last remaining Jew—must not use his old gas cooker. Of the switched-on television, Simentov says that someone else, a non-Jewish person, turned it on for him. Orthodox Jews would probably disagree with such a practice—observant Jews are not supposed to watch TV at all on Shabbat—but Simentov’s life has been all about defiance of tradition.” READ MORE: https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/10/29/afghanistan-last-jew-simentov-taliban-return/

To End the War in Afghanistan, the U.S. Reaches Out to Its Rivals

The prospects of a U.S. drawdown from Afghanistan has compelled both China and Russia to take a more active role in the peace negotiations

Oct 30 — “As the United States searches for an exit from Afghanistan, its outreach to China and Russia points to its rivals’ growing influence in shaping the endgame to its longest-ever conflict. On Oct. 25, U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad visited Moscow to discuss reviving the Afghan peace process with Russian, Chinese and Pakistani officials. China is also expected to host Taliban and Afghan government officials for talks next month.” READ MORE: https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/end-war-afghanistan-us-reaches-out-its-rivals

Afghanistan: CIA-Backed Forces Commit Atrocities

Human Rights Watch urges to disband all irregular paramilitary forces in Afghanistan and cooperate with independent investigations

Oct 31 — “United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)-backed Afghan forces have committed summary executions and other grave abuses without accountability, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. These strike forces have unlawfully killed civilians during night raids, forcibly disappeared detainees, and attacked healthcare facilities for allegedly treating insurgent fighters. Civilian casualties from these raids and air operations have dramatically increased in the last two years.” READ MORE: https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/10/31/afghanistan-cia-backed-forces-commit-atrocities

WORLD

China’s complicated relationship with Central Asia

Central Asians have watched as Chinese money, workers and influence have shaped the regional economic geography with the open support of local authorities

Oct 30 — “The closure of a mine in Kyrgyzstan, protests on the streets in Kazakhstan. The grand guignol of menacing Chinese investment into Central Asia appears to be rearing its head in public discourse. Both fearful and grateful, the region is a paradox for China at the beginning of its Belt and Road. Hardly a week goes by without a senior Chinese visitor appearing somewhere in Central Asia, revealing a long-term influence game that Beijing is winning.” READ MORE: https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2019/10/30/chinas-complicated-relationship-with-central-asia/

Event | Africa’s experience with Chinese investors. Some parallels with Central Asia

Africa was Beijing’s small-scale testing ground for what’s now being called the Belt and Road Initiative

Oct 31 — “Poorly governed, resource-rich countries with exploding populations that are hungry for investment: Africa and Central Asia have much in common. Both are also aggressively courted by Chinese investors, these days under the catch-all Belt and Road Initiative, or BRI. Africa got a head start, however, and could offer some lessons for Central Asia, said Cobus van Staden of the South African Institute of International Affairs, during a recent presentation at Harvard University.” READ MORE: https://eurasianet.org/event-africas-experience-with-chinese-investors-some-parallels-with-central-asia