June 2010 bloodletting remains difficult subject.
This is the second in a series of radio reports to mark the fifth anniversary of ethnic violence in southern Kyrgyzstan. Clashes in and around the cities of Osh and Jalalabad left more than 400 dead in the space of a few days in June 2010.
Politicians and analysts are still discussing why the violence began in the first place, and the whole issue remains hugely sensitive. Experts say that the government has probably done enough to prevent another flare-up, but that it could have done more.
“As human rights defenders, we do see that there’s been progress – but not much. More could have been done,” leading activist Tolekan Ismailova told IWPR. She said education should be a key prevention strategy. “Poor-quality education, lots of marginalised people, and [lack of] access to basic resources. All these things can prompt badly educated young people to go off and join the radical religious groups which are another problem that we face.”
Iskender Aliev is an IWPR contributor in Kyrgyzstan.
This audio programme went out in Russian and Kyrgyz on national radio stations in Kyrgyzstan. It was produced under two IWPR projects, Investigative Journalism to Promote Democratic Reform, funded by the European Union; and Strengthening Capacities, Bridging Divides in Central Asia, funded by the Foreign Ministry of Norway. The contents of this article are the sole responsibility of IWPR and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the EU or the Norwegian government.