010408_kyrgyz

tajikistanweb.com

A Kyrgyz parliamentary committee met on Monday to discuss what has been described as "Tajik citizens’ intrusion into Kyrgyz territory." According to the Committee on international relations of the Kyrgyz parliament, the incident took place on March 26, 2008 in Batken province of Kyrgyzstan.

Similar claims have been made by many Kyrgyz politicians during last month and numerous articles appeared in Kyrgyz papers accusing Tajikistan of ‘territorial aggression’.

Tajikistan has not tried to officially defend itself so far. Perhaps they will be prompted to clarify their position by the Kyrgyz Committee’s decision to confront any analogical incident ‘with adequate and comprehensive measures down to application of force’.

In his interview to Kyrgyz agencies Kabay Karabekov, a Kyrgyz MP, emphasized that Tajiks who crossed the border were armed and their intrusion had been sanctioned by the Tajik authorities. Therefore, he believes, all measures should be taken to prevent it from happening again.

Zhogorku Kenesh (Kyrgyz parliament) committee recommended accelerating the Kyrgyz-Tajik border delimitation and demarcation process. Lack of clarity in border demarcations is seen as the main reason for border incidents. Most of the ‘territorial aggressions’ are caused by misunderstanding of the vague state borders.

There are disputed pieces of land between Isfara district of Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Batken province. They have already caused riots at border posts in both Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan increasing the risk of inter-ethnic conflict in and around Ferghana Valley. In January 2003 about 300 residents of Isfara district destroyed a Kyrgyz border checkpoint injuring two Kyrgyz law-enforcement officers. About 100 Kyrgyz citizens retaliated by attacking on a Tajik checkpoint in Soghd province. Then the officials of the two countries had pledged to accelerate efforts to delimit the disputed border. Five years later, no progress has been achieved and the same problem is spoiling the two neighbours’ relations.

Lately, Kyrgyz experts have shown a strong inclination to conspiracy theories. "Of course, Tajik citizens’ systematic violations of the Kyrgyz border are a "logical continuation" of a planned activity to settle down on the Kyrgyz territories inconspicuously - by small groups," –writes Nurlan Abdullaev, Ph.D. in Economy in his latest analysis titled " Tajikistan’s Broadening Takeover of the Kyrgyz Territories". He claims that Tajik citizens " intend to illegally seize lands to construct building and to utilize firewood in Kok-Tash."

However, Abdullaev points to more than 70 disputed lots of Kyrgyz-Tajik borders as well and adds: "The most problematic area is Batken Province where Vorukh enclave is situated, a part of Tajikistan."

So, the problem happens to be not Tajiks’ ‘planned activity to settle down on Kyrgyz territories’, but simply the lack of clarity in border lines.

Salamat Alamanov, the chairman of the Kyrgyz government commission for border issues, have expressed the same view in his interview to Komsomol’skaya Pravda ( 07.12.2007) . " As for our neighbours in the south, the sisterly republics, we haven't even delimitated the state borders with them," he said. "When we all were living in the USSR, nobody cared much about the administrative border which was set up and shifted, if necessary, by party functionaries on the spur of the moment. And nobody cared about proper documentation then. Uzbek enclaves were established on the Kyrgyz territory, Kyrgyz and Tajik on the Uzbek. We owe this whole mess to the former leadership."

Therefore, Alamanov could reach a deal with the Chinese much easier as he says: "We have the experience of the Chinese in dealing with state problems and their level of culture to thank for it. Demarcation of the border with China was successfully carried out."
It could be only because the border lines between China and the Soviet Union had been comparatively clearer and more precise even before the collapse of the empire and did not require tense debates.

To prevent future bitter moments between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan officials of the two countries have to bear in mind that neighbourhood disputes handled best through talking, not by ‘application of force’. Thorough and speedy, but not hasty, border delimitation will put an end to all potential conflicts between the two neighbours.