Central Asia

It’s that time of year again. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization Annual Summit! The meeting will be held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on August 28, and foreign ministers from all six of its member states have already concluded a meeting going over a few topics to be discussed at the larger summit. The group of ministers decided that no new members, not Iran, Pakistan, Mongolia, or India (all have Observer Status), will be enshrined, but that a SCO Dialogue Partners mechanism will be instituted to increase cooperation between the organization and these important neighbors. During last years meeting, the main topic of media/geopolitical debate was the appearance of Iran’s President Ahmadinejad, who brought with him Iran’s ‘right to have nuclear energy’ and his own bombastic style of speaking and railing against the US. Well, he’s back for more. Iran will lose some spotlight this year, as Russia’s actions in Georgia and China’s Olympic spectacle will take center stage once again. Both dominating members of this alliance will come with their chests bursting.

The debate of the SCO’s nature and actual power, and how these may affect US policy and influence in Central Asia, have been major topics since its existence in 2001. Is it a rival, partner, both? How well does it function? Does it provide benefits to its CA members or does it only provide a venue for China and Russia to dominate them? Well, the host of Summit, Tajik President Rahmon seems to be quite excited about the upcoming meeting and the SCO’s accomplishments so far. “The SCO has demonstrated specific results in the years of its existence, and its future is cloudless.” Rahmon went on to discuss how important its relations with Russia and China were, which is indeed obviously true. The US State Department view of the SCO is not as glowing, but not fearful either, at least not in the words of Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia Evan A. Feigenbaum. He acknowledges that the US does not have a clear idea of what the SCO is and does, but is quick to assert that it ‘is no Warsaw Pact’ and that there are many shared interests between the US and the Organization’s professed goals: border security, economic development, Afghanistan stability, and defeating radical terrorist elements. However, Feigenbaum draws a firm line when it comes to supporting the region’s smaller states’ sovereign and independent rights to look in all ‘four directions of the compass’ for economic and strategic opportunities, i.e. he wants the states to be able to look and work with the West, not just be dominated by Russia or China.

A perennial concern for the growth of the SCO as a regional and international powerhouse is the relationship, or lack thereof, between Russia and China. The two have been getting along nicely in past years, and have used the SCO to work out many differences between the two Great Powers, especially regarding border demarcations. But man, oh man, do they have some fundamental differences, as any two large nations would who share an extensive border. In fact, they both desire to use the SCO to cooperate in CA, but also to get their individual interests in the region’s resources further embedded. In many ways, its pipeline vs. pipeline and gas deal vs. gas deal between the two. But there have been very few times of crisis/conflict between the two growing powers and the SCO probably deserves some credit for this smooth management.

So how do you see the SCO changing, evolving in the recent geopolitical context? Are its motivations the same? Is its power the same? Does it help the CA states autocrats keep their hold on power? How will the recent Georgian-Russian conflict and the terrorist attacks in Xinjiang Province affect this year’s meeting and future policies of the organization? What about the Observer States? What about them? Should they allow Iran in and receive energy help but diplomatic pain? Is there any chance in Nirvana that India might become a Full Member?

On a less geopolitically fun note, The Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) will have an important summit on September 25 featuring high level officials. Here is a short article discussing the organization’s positive elements and some of its challenges in being an effective force for economic development in the region.

Today I have several stories to treat you to; some old, some new, some interesting, some bor…well you get the idea.

• Last March, Turkmen President Berdymukhamedov announced his country’s second military doctrine. The change appears to be in accord with Turkmenistan’s recent more open diplomatic and international posture, a strong departure from its recent isolationist past. Though one must not expect too much change too soon, as Berdymukhamedov stated that the nation’s military doctrine will ’still be based on permanent neutrality of the state and the acknowledgment that necessary levels of defense capability must be maintained.’
• Co-Chair Alcee Hastings on the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) and a bipartisan Congressional delegation, led by Senator Ben Cardin, was the largest ever diplomatic delegation to visit Kazakhstan. The attendees discussed Kazak’s 2010 OSCE Chairmanship as well as energy, igration, security, religious freedom and women’s rights. Here’s a telling and hopeful quote from Chair Hastings; “I think it will be extremely successful. The reason is that Kazakhstan is the first Central Asian country to chair. The simple fact that I believe - this will help Kazakhstan and this will help others in Central Asia and by the time that they finish their chair they will have learned a lot and that will be implemented here, that will benefit the people of both sides and reform elections and human rights here in this country.” It is much too early to tell how the Chairmanship will help open up Kazak or the CA states’ governments, but this particular delegation seemed hopeful and they may have possibly laid down some groundwork to hold the Kazak government accountable in its claims of transparency and allowance of individual freedoms.
• Pakistan’s new Prime Minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani stated that ‘foreign elements’ from the CA region were behind the latest unrest in his country’s tribal belt, aka the Pashtun-majority Federal Administrated Tribal Areas. Gilani gave no evidence to back up his claim. He also announced his government was adopting a 3-pronged strategy to bring peace and stability to the tribal areas; 1. Political Dialogue 2. Development of the area 3. Use of violence as a ‘last resort.’ Seems like the same old carrot and the stick policy.
• Paris’s Luxemburg palace held a scientific conference titled ‘Central Asia facing Globalization’ this past month. The event featured regional experts and local and international diplomats.
• Lastly, Mongolia is not an ‘official’ part of this blogs Central Asian theme, but it is an important regional country nonetheless. It is a democratic state and US ally sandwiched between the authoritarian and strong great powers of Russia and China and has a historical legacy and connections to nearly all the CA states. Here is a quick ‘Five Facts’ about the Asia’s landlocked giant.

With a title like this, I had to write in: they finally filmed a mammal in the Gobi desert that, okay, my fellow tree-huggers, is a really cute cross between a mouse and a rabbit: a long-eared jerboa.  BBC has pictures, a story, and a video.  It is also an endangered species.  We should look for new arguments about economic development versus habitat any day now.  And also we should be mindful of the money that comes into communities when people try to save endangered species as well.

Last aesthetic note: this would make one heck of an anime character.  Check it out!

Mongolia recently received its Millenium Challenge Corporation grant from the United States.  There was a ceremony and press conference on October 22 with President Enkhbayar of Mongolia and President Bush of the United States at the White House.  These were some of President Enkhbayar’s words, which well express the MCC aims of transparency, democracy, and poverty reduction:

As a partner country of the MCC program, Mongolia has been truly in the driver’s seat at every stage of identifying its own development priorities and investment needs and policy directions. This new approach of cooperation is the key to ensuring efficiency and effectiveness of the program. The compact prepared through the broad consultative approach in Mongolia will support our efforts to broaden and deepen the country’s economic development . . .

. . . Mongolia’s national development strategy [was] submitted to the parliament for the consultation and approval. The strategy sets out the vision of a democratic society centered on developing a healthy and educated citizen and a prosperous private-sector-led economy, a society of true partnership and Mongol stakeholders, including the civil society.

And that USD 285 million will be used, according to Mr. Enkhbayar, for:

I am confident that the compact program will have a truly transformational impact on Mongolia’s poverty reduction efforts through investment in our human capital, rehabilitation of vital transportation infrastructure and strengthening the institutional capacity of the public service agencies.

 . . . . We want our people to seize this opportunity to improve their livelihood with training and employment, to participate and benefit from the country’s economic growth; to have access to high-quality service and education.

 Following that announcement, there has been a cascade of new U.S.–Mongolia bilateral agreements, with U.S. domestic security in mind.  First, Mongolia’s Minister of Finance signed an anti-nuclear trafficking protocol with the U.S. Department of Energy Secretary –a Memorandum of Understanding against nuclear terrorism.  They are finding a Lot of Uranium in Mongolia these days, so this makes sense.  Some further reflection on neighbor states reveals that some of them also mine significant uranium, and some of them (the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea springs to mind) like to have uranium on hand.  Last of all, there’s plenty of non-state actors  who’d like to have it for their own nefarious purposes. 

As part of the Proliferation Security Initiative of the United States, Mongolia signed maritime ship-boarding agreements.  Though MSNBC/AP had a great laugh pointing out that Mongolia is home of the Gobi Desert and not the Pacific Ocean, Mongolia actually has 62 ships with “flags of convenience” in world shipping routes.   “Flags of convenience” signifies the use of ships registered in a foreign country to a. take advantage of diplomatic fast-tracking and consular services, and/or reduce taxation or regulatory incursions.  And there’s all that Uranium . . . so it’s a good idea–although it was nice to have the laugh.

Last of all, Mongolia’s Foreign Minister and the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Negroponte signed a “Joint Declaration of Principles for Closer Cooperation” which a. has aspirational topnotes but also b. paves the way for future MOUs.

Dear President Enkhbayar and retinue, I hope you also had an excellent time in Washington.  Don’t forget to stock up on ball-point pens before you go home: I think you used all the ink you had.

Further reading:
Proliferation Security Initiative at the US State Department
Millenium Challenge, also a U.S. government Web site

Photos: Jwod catalogue, USDOS

I’m afraid the Central Asia Beat was beyond my poor capabilities while in Central America.  There just wasn’t good enough Internet access to do the research–and frankly, this “Foust Format” takes hours with a good connection. 

However, it’s worth it: you get a really good sense of what’s going on, yeah?  Hope it’s useful to more than myself out there–here goes:

Kazakhstan: Economic engines are Go:
–According to the European Rubber Journal (oh, yeah, what a great name–but it’s about tires, people) and Forbes,  Finland’s Nokian Tyres will be working with Kazakhstan’s Ordabasy JSC to build a factory in Astana.  The tires will serve the Kazakh and Russian Markets, eventually going into Eastern European distribution. 
–The laws passed by the Kazakhstan legislature concerning subsoil rights–and oilfield expropriation–are a significant threat by themselves to ENI and Kashagan field operations, the BTC line over by Azerbaijan, and so forth.  Yet expropriation legislation is not a good sign for investment by other industries  either.  Looks like Mr. Nazarbaev will not sign the law, which is exactly right–a reminder of state power in the continuing saga of oil in Central Asian diplomacy.
–Germany will sponsor Kazakhstan at the WTO and with the OSCE.  A powerful sponsor doing Europe’s work for it–and probably gaining insights (and investment inroads) thereby.

Kyrgyzstan: You can vote, but . . .
–REFERENDUM Sunday, October 21, on the Kyrgyzstan Constitution.  Lots of wrangling, as Adjar Kurtov’s article at Ferghana.ru notes.  Numerous drafts of dubious constitutions have been written and approved, sometimes amended without due legislative process or transparency.  The people are rightfully confused–even the experts are finding it difficult to keep track–and more so because the draft document’s publication was delayed, making it impossible to give it a proper perusal.  However, Kyrgyz police did impound an issue of independent newspaper Alkak this week.
–In the meantime, to add to the bewilderment, a new political party for Bakiev: the Ak-Jol Party, the party for “workers and men of action”, according to Bakiev.  I guess the “women for action” and the unemployed of both sexes did not line up to be consulted, as the party registration, platform, and membership were fulfilled in one day.  Kyrgyzstani Muslims are also concerned–apparently they were not consulted either.  Separation of church and state are a good idea, but the manner of the referendum will also probably ignite a cultural conflict, again through poor writing and quick-n-dirty work.  The new party and referendum are widely expected to increase Mr. Bakiev’s power over the state, and help him with upcoming elections.  Oh, and the election protocols are still screwed up, so results are easily skewed. 
–Asel writes over at neweurasia.net that despite all of this good referendum news, the PM of Kyrgyzstan has publicly stated that people should not panic.  Uh, that’ll fix it all right.
–Dateline, Bishkek: This past Wednesday, October 17th, Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan signed an agreement on military cooperation, to involve training starting next year.

Mongolia:
–Great news for Mongolia: USD 285 million will be headed for the state under a Millenium Challenge Compact over five years.
–U.S. firm UTStarcom is in trouble with the SEC for attempting to bribe Mongolian officials back in 2005. . .
–Uranium development at Gurvanbulag Field, by a Canada-based transnational Western Prospector. 

Tajikistan:
–The Asian Development Bank and UK’s Department for Int’l Development are co-sponsoring a private sector development strategy grant totalling USD 2 million, from this month for another 3 years.  the grant is designed to help aid Tajikistan simplify and streamline institutional barriers to private business, a move which is Definitely in the right direction. 
–ADB is also funding USD 22 million of a USD 28.5 million flood management project for the Khatlon province in Tajikistan’s Southwest.
–Review of post-conflict reconstruction, ten years after the Tajik Civil War: generally positive, according to Josh Kucera’s report of proceedings.
–Vadim at neweurasia.net has two articles related to Migration this week: the first on Pamiri society, which is dwindling; the second, on beaten-up and framed Tajikistani university students in Russia.  Putting these stories together shows again how important it is for Central Asian labor to migrate for economic opportunity, and just how high the stakes are.   
–Students aren’t in school: they’re picking cotton right now.
–Jehovah’s Witnesses banned throughout Tajikistan.

Turkmenistan:
–The biggest news is the new rapprochement between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.  RFE/RL has a great backgrounder on this.  As part of the ceremonies, Mr. Karimov has become an “honorary elder” of the Turkmen people.  Tangible results: The Journal of Turkish Weekly has the details of new business/economic deals (which must again underscore Turkey’s role in Central Asian economic affairs) including six new enterprises. . .  a statement of economic cooperation was also signed and a joint communique issued.  turkmenistan.ru reports that Uzbekistan is sending 180 spraying machines and associated spare parts to Turkmenistan.
–UNFPA Director Mr. Haled Filbi comes to visit and will speak to Ministers of medical, education, and foreign affairs, which gives the clue what the UNFPA proposes to do and Turkmenistan proposes to accept. 

Uzbekistan
–See Turkmenistan, above.  President K was also given an Akhalteke horse, one of Turkmenistan’s prized cultural icons.
–Japan is invited to seek Uranium within the state. 
–Nathan Hamm at registan.net notes that the EU has lifted the visa ban on Uzbekistani officials–scooping everyone on this one–go, Nathan! And has something to say about the quality of EU-Uzbekistan sanctions in the first place.  Check it out.

Xinjiang:
–Whoa, China’s Sinopec found a lot of oil in Xinjiang. . .Tahe Oil field has 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) according to estimates. 
–Double whoa, China is still calling Xinjiang a hotbed of unrest. . . well, they didn’t say That, they said that agitators from overseas were causing a problem for them in Xinjiang.  Terror specialists and human rights watchers need to continue to take note.

Okay, lots of news as usual. . . what a great region to be interested in!  Have a great weekend!

Diagram: Northwestern.edu
 

The world is an interesting place, and Central Asia among the most interesting regions of the world.  Now getting caught up for the week:

Central Asia General:
–In an interesting counterpoint to most discussion of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization written in English, Japan Times has editorialized that the SCO is of benefit to the world community.  

Kazakhstan:
–Son-in law troubles part I.D. 3. b. iii.: RFE/RL reports that charges are mounting in Kazakhstan against Mr. Rakhat Aliev.   It is alleged that the charges are supposed to dissuade Mr. Aliev from testifying in the Kazakhgate case, where illegal transfers of oil and cash paved the way for insider deals and opaque profit-taking.  Oh, and Mr. Aliev’s father, Mr. Mukhtar Aliev, has been charged with excess ordinance in the home.  Hmmm.   Like explosives in the dining room?  Was there going to be a coup?
–Son-in-law troubles part II: Dinara Nazarbaeva’s husband, Timur Kulibaev, was recently fired from his position at Samruk, Kazakhstan’s state holding corporation.  Mr. Kulibaev has served as an executive at both KazMunaiGas.  Mr. Kulibaev and Dinara Nazarbaeva made this year’s Forbes billionaire list, and are also part-owners of Halyk Bank (not Nurbank).
–Besides the trouble at Kashagan field, Kazakhstan’s KMG is doing pretty well: they bought 75% of Romania’s RomPetrol this week to expand their European business.
–Kazakhstan’s opposition is asking for a new election, since a. the election had some irregularities and b. because no opposition gained Parliamentary access, failing to garner at least 7% of seats in the legislature.  I say go for it.
–U.S. expatriate Mark Seidenfeld has been acquitted on first appeals in court on August 20th.  It looks like a few steps more in the process before the end–for instance, New Charges, reported at the Save Mark Seidenfeld site.

Kyrgyzstan:
–Go Alaska!; Go Kids!; Go Pay the Bills!!!!: If the U.S. pays its utility bills at Ganci AFB, it’ll be ahead of Russia on civil-military goodwill immediately.  Right now, the Russian military is using flashlights. . . while the USAF personnel are refurbishing a playspot in the area.   Alaska’s Air National Guard is sending 31 personnel to Kyrgyzstan from Fairbanks for six months, part of a new 150-person deployment to change things up at Ganci.
–When film piracy kills an industry, at Regnum.ru.
–Moving the capital of Kyrgyzstan?  Probably not, but it recalls the North-South divide in Kyrgyzstan’s politics.
–Kyrgyzstan’s government gets more say in the works and profits of its Kumtor mine, by acquiring more shares in a Canadian Mining enterprise.
 
Mongolia:
–Dateline, Ulaan Bataar: President Parvanov of Bulgaria is on a five-day visit ending September 1st to boost Bulgarian-Mongolian trade relations, in mining, tourism, and small enterprises.  
–Also, Mongolia will host talks between Japan and the DPRK September 5-6, in order to normalize diplomatic relations between its two guests.  This is a step the 6-Party Talks process where Mongolia has again been an invaluable aid to dialogue.
–China and Mongolia agree to protect a common cultural heritage: the long-song.  I loved this so much I wrote today’s Casual Friday post on the issue: check it out!

Tajikistan:
–Tajikistan’s new bilateral investment opportunities with Qatar, Afghanistan, and India  were covered earlier this week.  However, Tajikistan can set up all the free economic zones (FEZ) it likes, but needs basic infrastructure and reliable energy before they’ll turn around the economy.

Turkmenistan:
–Russia’s LUKoil sets its sights on Turkmenistani contracts.  In the meantime, the Turkmenistan pipeline to China is underway.
–Turkmenistan’s teachers must wear high-collared dresses with skirts that reach to the ankle.
–Turkmenistan’s farmers, the price of cotton, and unofficial/official rates of inflation inside the state at IWPR. 

Uzbekistan:
–Get in on the betting pool concerning Karimovian non-elections at Registan.net.   Every scenario–from the depressing to the action / adventure option is being discussed, but not really for money.
–Between the rock and the stone: Uzbekistan’s economic migrants face dangers and prejudices in Russia, as reported by Jamiyat at NewEurasia.net.
–Formerly-approved Presbyterian church becomes unapproved, at Forum 18.

Xinjiang:
–Two Xinjiang athletes, one a mountaineer, the other a ‘Dawaz’ acrobat, will carry the Olympic torch for Beijing 2008.
–Second pipeline route is mapped, from Central Asia to the Pearl and Yangtze Rivers.
Due to Xinjiang’s crazy weather this year, the cotton harvest is being delayed.

This week, China and Mongolia again agreed to work together to preserve an item of common cultural heritage, known as the long-song.  Songs and rituals are known as intangible cultural heritage–unlike an archeological site or preserved document, they rely upon performance or behavior (”expressive culture”) in order to survive.

The preservation effort:
UNESCO began documenting world heritage in about 1998.  In 2003, the UN passed the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which came into force in April of 2006.  Part of the work of the Convention was to documenting folkways and arts of this nature and prove their value as part of world heritage.

In order to make its case internationally, China began to document its own list of precious cultural artifacts in earnest.  In March of 2006, Vice-Minister of Culture Zhou Heping said Chinese experts had chosen 501 examples from more than 1,300 contenders throughout the country, including crafts and festival rituals, to be entered into a State-level protection list.  Domestic protection does much to protect such heritage, but it does not allow the rest of the world to access this knowledge as readily.  China’s state support included investigation, but also social security for elders who knew these important traditions, encouraging artistic troupes, and making them part of school curriculums.  

China’s list of cultural (non-tangible) artifacts included China’s Kunqu Opera (included in 2002) and the art of guqin music (2003).  The Uighur Muqam, a genre of music from Xinjiang, was included in 2005.  The Twelve Muqam is a collection of 120 songs and interludes.  Here is a promotional video, with a little glitter added, but not too much, about 7 minutes (you need sound, but maybe a little low):

China and Mongolia also teamed up in 2005 to have Mongolian long-tune folk songs included on the list.  Mongolia and China succeeded in having the long-songs, or pastoral poems, of China and Mongolia included.   Here is a performance at the Art Institute of Chicago.  This particular performance, even by video, conveyed emotion and a sense of timelessness when I listened to it:

There is still a lot of work to be done to preserve this important heritage, suddenly made particularly ephemeral by cultural globalization.  For China and Mongolia, with a long history, a large territorial expanse, and numerous cultures, four traditions does not seem sufficient, does it?

Have a great weekend, enjoying your cultural rituals!   See you next week!

Bringing you news from the steppes and the mountains in one tidy package.  Almost everyone appears to be lying on their sofas with a cold compress after the heady weeks of SCO activities just past, so this’ll be brief. . . uh, more brief.

Kazakhstan:
–Another attempt to extradite Mr. Rakhat Aliev, according to Thursday’s RFE/RL Newsline.  In that same entry, Mr. Aliev’s “father Mukhtar, a prominent member of Kazakhstan’s Academy of Sciences, was prevented from boarding a flight from Astana to London on August 21 on the grounds that he was involved in an official investigation into possible weapons-related charges.”
–ENI is in trouble: further delays on the Kashagan field have made Kazakhstan weary, and they are now threatening closure on the project due to environmental considerations.  Okay, commentators, be fair: there are environmental considerations such as the seal deaths, and also, Kashagan is an enormously difficult project, more difficult than even ENI forecast.  Changes are due to be made, but ENI can still salvage this with a little proactive corporate diplomacy.
–Pre-SCO Summit,  Mongolia’s President Mr. Enkhbayar visits Kazakhstan with his retinue for talks.

Kyrgyzstan: 
–New arrests for spying in former defense and government officials.  The last two were charged with intrigue with China.  We’re still waiting to hear the details on these two.
–Torture deaths in Naryn, Northern Kyrgyzstan are being investigated by local and international human rights groups.  
–Iran sent a gracious message to Kyrygzstan on Kyrgyzstan’s National Day.
–Dateline, Cholpa-Ata: A meeting of EurAsEc Judicial Ministers in the Issyk-Kul Oblast.
–Russia plans to spend USD 2 billion in Kyrgyzstan’s economy, and beef up its military presence there.  The article talks about forward air base capacity, but I suspect counternarcotics are part of the plan. 
–Kyrgyz volunteers have paid USD 132 into a special fund to pay off USD 200 billion in external debt, because they trust their government that much.  So the government employees finally coughed up another 3632 bucks, I’m sure on their own initiative.

Mongolia:
–Chinalco has purchased controlling interest in Yunnan copper, which means China will be prospecting in Mongolia for the metal.  Canada’s Western Prospects has had site licenses revoked in the state for uranium.  Canada’s Rio Tinto and Ivanhoe are still working on legislative approval for a copper-and-gold deposit.
–Mongolian falcons go to Arabian countries, licensed, or, poached.  See also this longer article.

Tajikistan:
–Panj River Bridge set to open.  Vadim at NewEurasia and FPA Central Asia talked about this months ago, but this article discusses its state-of -the-art construction and the opportunities it presents for Aghanistan and Tajikistan.  Ribbon-cutting ceremony due on the 26th.
–A lot of religious regulations.  A lot of economic regulations. 

Turkmenistan:
–Amnesty for eleven, reported here yesterday.  Eurasianet is saying that this is accompanied by futher secret arrests of other top-level officials, also covered here.
–U.S. Congressional delegation and U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom to visit Ashgabat for increased bilateral ties.
–Austria to seek greater bilateral ties.
–Turkey and Iran to join in a joint venture for power plant in Turkmenistan.

Uzbekistan:
–Already reported here at FPA Central Asia: a new report from International Crisis Group on Uzbekistan’s virtually-unseen elections, now picked up by RFE/RL, Bloomberg, BBC. 
–Uzbekistan closed its border with Russia for four days because too much Uzbek produce was being exported to Russia (for higher sales price).  This drove local prices up, so an immediate intervention occurred, creating shortages in Russia’s Siberia and Urals regions.  You know, this is not the way to run an economy.  . . the dots stand for curse words . . .
–Iran sent gracious messages of fellowship to Uzbekistan for its National Day.
–Kazakhstan has extradited 56 Uzbeks in the last two years to Uzbekistan, mostly post-Andijan refugees associated with the Akramiya movement.

Xinjiang:
–Chinese Premier Mr. Wen Jiabao visited the XUAR for four days this week.  For those of you following the The Beat, you know that Xinjiang has had one natural disaster after another over the past year: floods, earthquakes, windstorms, and mudslides.  This week, more heavy rain and snow (in August).  Mr. Wen promised to provide earthquake-resistant housing and flood-control measures.  He also stressed the importance of bilingual education so that Uighur minorities could tap into the Chinese economic miracle.  A nice article from CCTV.

Photo: UMKC.edu; Mongolia Times

Have a great weekend, everyone!

This video is from Worldvision, and documents the actual living conditions of homeless children in Mongolia.  Film conveys a lot: but like almost all art, it does not convey touch, smell, taste; this video does its best to include at least a verbal document of those miseries of children’s street life.  Along the way, it is also an essay on public health issues.

I checked, and according to CharityNavigator, Worldvision and Save the Children are two highly-rated charities for seeing to children’s needs across the world.  Worldvision is a non-denominational Christian charity based in Washington State and around the world.

Cassie over at the FPA Children’s blog is doing a wonderful job of bringing children’s issues forward: everything from child soldiers to child weddings to the quality of toys.  Go check out what she’s up to: it’s the stuff of real family values.

Further Reading:
Charity Navigator
Child Sponsorship Charities at American Institute of Philanthropy’s Charity Watch site

It’s Friday: must be time for the CAB.  And what a week: there’s no keeping up with this hot zone of geopolitical interest . . . although some states have more news than others.

Central Asia General: 
–All SCO this week, every day.  First, the beginning of a Collective Security Timeline, on a separate page in this blog, for reference.  Stray and random bits of info are welcome: leave a comment and a reference and I’ll put it into the list.
–Nathan Hamm over at Registan.net discusses and gives great references to the study of nomadism as a theory for explaining Central Asian politics, etc–and more importantly, the limits of its use.

Kazakhstan: 
Not a great week for one of my favorite places:
–Rakhat-gate moves to Austria, discussed here yesterday. What a mess.
–With the Kashagan oil field in delayed production, Kazakhstan will not be able to meet new commitments for oil distribution.  This is a problem for Poland, the Ukraine, and the West, since Nazarbaev cannot commit to the Trans-caspian line without the crude to fill it.  News analysts continue to see these things as all-politics.  No, no, no!  It’s a production constraint with political and economic repercussions.  Ihlam Aliev President of Azerbaijan can plead, but if the oil ain’t distributable, it ain’t.  In the meantime, Italy’s ENI, the operator of the field, is facing dismissal by Kazakhstan’s authorities–or at the least–less favorable contract terms.
–Kazakhstan and Jordan strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in the realm of agricultural commerce, transportation agreements, and paving the way toward more intimate free trade relationships.  This article also references Egypt-Kazakh relations. 

Kyrgyzstan:
–China’s Hu Jin-tao will visit Kyrgyzstan for the first time ever on August 14th, for SCO summit but also bilateral talks; and thence to Kazakhstan & Russia.
–Global Voices Online rounds up the Kyrgyzstani preparations for the SCO summit, which include beautification and security measures.  It’s not all fun, getting ready for a party.  Mirsulzhan has more on the primping and preening of Bishkek, and other aspects for the locals.
–In the same post, Mirsulzhan details the reactions of Kyrgyzstani bloggers toward Feliks Kulov’s idea of a Kyrgyz-Russia reunification.  It makes one wonder if Mr. Kulov’s has taken a look at Belarus’ plight at the moment.
–Bermet Akaeva is charged again, with a possible 2-year sentence if convicted.  This time, she’s being charged for trying to influence the outcome of the last charge. 
–Bread prices are up, and citizen confidence is down.
–Kyrgyzstan’s farmers are better off than Uzbekistan’s and Turkmenistan’s: not only do they know that the world cotton market has turned to lint, they are refusing to plant the crop.  That is called a rational supplier response to market price–in the U.S. cotton growers are doing the same.  Yet the adjustment for Kyrgyzstan is catastrophic, with 60% of its work force involved in agriculture.

Mongolia:
–An Indian news agency explains Khaan Quest 2007, a military exercise reported in the CAB last week, as a bid for India and the U.S. to keep tabs on China’s space program and other strategic observations.  A Mongolia-India war game immediately follows Khaan Quest 2007: this one is named “Nomadic Elephant.”  Considering previous ties and balance of power theory, one should next expect that Pakistan’s observer status in the SCO might be ramped up to a full membership.  Don’t know that though . . . Pakistan is complicated . . .
–Mongolia’s President Enkhbayar to attend SCO meetings as an observer.

Tajikistan:
–A sign of increasing bilateral regard: The former Iranian Foreign Minister and the first Iranian ambassador to Dushanbe are awarded with Tajikistan’s Peace Prize, for work undertaken during the Tajik Civil War.
–Two former Guantanamo detainees are on trial in Tajikistan for illegal border crossings and “mercenary activity” in Afghanistan.
–In Dushanbe, unlicensed mosques are being razed;

Turkmenistan:
–IWPR discusses grain harvest shortfalls in Turkmenistan.

Uzbekistan:
–Erk opposition party website has been hacked: or censored: or both. . .
–A look at the importance of Iran to Uzbekistani commerce.

Xinjiang:
–Again, yesterday, here: SCO Military exercises began in Xinjiang, and then move this weekend or so to Chelyabinsk.  Chelyabinsk was verboten to foreigners for 30 years–now Chinese troops are lobbing fake bombs and driving tanks in the area.  Amazing.  And–significant.