Stories about Central Asia & Caucasus from June, 2008
Armenia: Racist Rhetoric?
Blogian raises concern over what it considers to be racist rhetoric used by Armenia's first president, Levon Ter-Petrossian, at a radical opposition demonstration staged Friday in downtown Yerevan. Meanwhile, The Armenian Observer and my The Caucasus Knot carries more coverage of the unsanctioned rally.
Georgia: Abkhaz Tensions
Steady State comments on how the media in Georgia reports on continuing tensions with Russia over the breakaway region of Abkhazia. The blog implies that the media is being used to encourage such tensions and says that if there was any real interest in peace then a different approach would...
Georgia: Post-Election Concerns
Steady State comments on the evaluation of the recent parliamentary election in Georgia by the country's human rights ombudsperson as the “worst in the country’s history.” The blog also examines the position of international observers and the United States on the vote and raises it concern with some of the...
Kazakhstan: Astana’s Pyramid
Adam posts a picture of the notorious Pyramid of Peace, whose project was developed by the project by Sir Norman Foster, in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan: Sputnik lost
Lena B-va reports that the first and the only Kazakh satellite, which was launched last year with a great PR and pompous celebrations, is out of control due to a computer glitch and is likely to be lost.
Kyrgyzstan: Visa Issue
Elena publishes a list of countries which don’t need to get the visa to visit Kyrgyzstan.
Kyrgyzstan: Ahead of Olympiad
Elena reports that there will be 20 Kyrgyz sportsmen in Beijing at Olympic Games 2008.
Afghanistan: Brokenness of a Different Sort
Joshua Foust reports on an incendiary new report on the abuse of detainees in U.S. custody at overseas facilities like Bagram air base in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: Displaced Families Face Lethal Circumstances
The Rumi reports that the problem of displaced families who currently live in camping in a desert nearby Mazar-I-Sharif city was discussed on the special meeting of Afghanistan Human Right Commission, Balkh Provincial Enlightenment Movement and civil rights activists.
Armenia: New Youth Initiative Action
The Armenian Observer reports on the second action staged by the newly formed HENQ Youth Initiative while my The Caucasian Knot also covers the flash mob staged today in the Armenian capital and includes photographs.
Armenia: Children's Political Park
Unzipped comments on the latest move taken by the authorities to prevent tomorrow's planned rally by the radical opposition in the Armenian capital. In order to prevent supporters of the first president from assembling in Yerevan's Liberty Square, a children's park has been set up. The blog casts doubts on...
Armenia: Ukrainian Color Revolutionary Visit
And Nothing Else Matters [RU] comments on a recent visit by a prominent architect of the Ukrainian Orange Revolution to Armenia, highlighting the fact that the activist's own blog shows Dmirtri Potekhin in the country. In a second post, the blog says that consultations were held with the leader of...
Armenia: Internet, Telecoms Services Improve
The Armenian Observer says it is happy now that the newly rebranded Beeline company is offering ADSL Internet services at $40 a month. It also reports that 3G mobile telecommunications services have finally arrived in Armenia.
Armenia: A1 Plus European Court Ruling
Six years after it was effectively removed from the airwaves, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has finally ruled in favor of the A1 Plus TV Station. Known for its criticism of the authorities, A1 Plus failed to win a tender for its own broadcasting frequency in April 2002.
Kazakhstan: Living Under Cult
The main discussion this week in Kazakhstani blogosphere was caused by the suggestion that was voiced by a number of MPs to rename the capital city Astana to Nursultan, in the honor of the long-ruling president Nursultan Nazarbayev, who retains power for more than 18 years already. It is worth...
Kazakhstan: General prosecutor reaches out to Austria
Adam reports that the Kazakhstan's General Prosecutor visites Austria in an apparent attempt to foster extradition of the disgraced former presidential son-in-law Rakhat Aliyev.
Afghanistan: Toward Genuine “Afghanization”
Barnett R. Rubin offers a guest post by Shahrbanou Tadjbakhsh, PhD, Director of the Center for Studies of International Relations (CERI) Program for Peace and Human Security, CERI/Institute of Political Science, Paris. Her article was scheduled to appear in Le Figaro on June 12, the day of the International Conference...
Kazakhstan: Petrodollars, English Teachers
Adam links to a blog-post saying that Kazakhstan has decided to attract English-language teachers from abroad and pay tham 2-5,000 dollars a month.
Azerbaijan: Media Campaigner Assaulted
This is Tbilisi Calling, the blog of journalist Matthew Collin, reports that a media rights campaigner has been pistol-whipped and hospitalized in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku. The incident happened after police raided a party celebrating the 80th anniversary of the birth of Che Guevara.
Armenia: New LGBT Blogs
Unzipped: Gay Armenia points its readers to two new LGBT blogs. The first, Hye Trent is by a Lebanese-Armenian transexual, while the second, Pink Armenia, is from a newly established LGBT NGO in the country.
Kazakhstan: Religious Communities Cautious Over Law
Zhanna says that the Kazakhstan’s state apparatus is continuing its consolidation efforts by introduction of stricter control over relidious organization and their activities.
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