Stories about Central Asia & Caucasus from May, 2011
FSU: Deportations of Crimean Tatars and Soviet Colonialism
J. Otto Pohl of Otto's Random Thoughts writes about the Soviet colonialism (here and here), and about the 67th anniversary of the deportation of the Crimean Tatars (here and here),...
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Eurovision Diplomacy?
Global Voices’ Caucasus Editor rounds up opinion to the possibility that winning this year's Eurovision Song Contest could contribute to change in Azerbaijan. The post looks at the situation in...
Azerbaijan: Eurovision-induced sexual revolution?
Turkhan's blog [AZ] posts video and photos of a woman celebrating Azerbaijan's Eurovision victory in a less than expected way considering the otherwise traditional and patriarchal nature of local society....
Kazakhstan: Suicide Bombing Hits Provincial Office of Nation's Security Service
Yesterday, 17 May, 2011, a suicide bomber exploded himself at the entrance to the regional office of the National Security Committee in Aktobe, a provincial center in Western Kazakhstan. Four people were injured in the blast. This is the first case of suicide bombing in Kazakhstan, a country known for its inter-ethnic tolerance and for boasting its stability in the uneasy region of Central Asia.
Azerbaijan: Eurovision Pride
Scary Azeri comments on her country's success in this year's Eurovision Song Contest by saying that she doesn't understand how ecstatic many of her fellow Azerbaijanis are about their victory....
Kyrgyzstan: KIC reports stirs controversial responses
Marat Sartpaev analyzes the reaction of Kyrgyzstani establishment and society to the report by International Inquiry Commission on the inter-ethnic conflict that took place in June 2010.
Uzbekistan: The authorities ban American cartoons
The authorities in Uzbekistan have started a massive attack on American cartoons and animated movies, available on cable television, citing ‘violence’ and ‘negative pressure’, Avicenna says.
Afghanistan: Battle for Nuristan
Joshua Foust reports that hundreds of insurgents attacked the capital of Nuristan province in Afghanistan. .
Uzbekistan: 6th anniversary of the Andijan uprising
Joshua Foust writes about the sixth anniversary of the Andijon massacre in Uzbekistan, analyzing the recent trends of falsification the tragedy's history and justification of the government's brutality.
Kazakhstan: Next Richest Man in the Country
KZBlog reveals the links in the deal that can make a former government official the richest person in Kazakhstan.
Azerbaijan: Euro “Vision”
Etiraz comments on this weekend's Eurovision success for Azerbaijan in Düsseldorf, Germany. The blog says that while proud of the victory, the country still lacks basic democratic credentials and hopes...
Azerbaijan: Eurovision Victory
Surprising many, Azerbaijan won last night's Eurovision Song Contest in Dusseldorf, Germany. Bloggers and social media users covered the event extensively.
Azerbaijan: Eurovision win, but…
Unzipped: Gay Armenia reflects on last night's win in this year's Eurovision Song Contest by Azerbaijan. In particular, the blog rounds up reaction from Azerbaijanis critical of their government's human...
Azerbaijan: Scary Azeri on Amazon
Scary Azeri shares with her readers the good news that a fictional story penned by the blogger is now available as part of a collection for sale on Amazon with...
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Thomas de Waal — narrative of peace necessary
On the 17th anniversary of the 1994 ceasefire, Thomas de Waal, senior associate in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment, argues that a new narrative is necessary...
Kazakhstan: Two Kazakhstanis in the World News – One Arrested, One Killed
Two Kazakhstanis made it to the international news last week, both in very unfortunate ways. Firstly, Valeriy Tolmachev, an adviser to Kazakhstan's delegation at UNESCO, attacked a flight attendant with a knife onboard his Paris-to-Rome flight and demanded it fly to Libya. Secondly, 26 year old Kirill Denyakin, who was working in Portsmouth, Virginia, was shot by police.
Georgia: Human rights precedent in the Caucasus
Unzipped: Gay Armenia reports that the first case against homophobia displayed by police in dealing with a LGBT activist in Georgia has been submitted to the European Court of Human...
Afghanistan: US National Archives releases new bin Laden files
Nick Fielding writes that the US National Archives, which has just published a remarkably informative bin Laden file containing some fascinating documents, including the President's Daily Brief from 6 August...
Turkmenistan: Dangerous mirage for businessmen
Foreign businesses are facing an unusual “investment” crisis in Turkmenistan: three major Turkish companies have lodged a legal inquiry with the ICSID, and according to an anonymous source, 22 more...
Afghanistan: So Osama’s dead. And?
Sekundar argues that the death of Bin Laden does not mean a lot for the war on terror, because many other iconic and key figures within al-Qaeda are “still drawing...
Kyrgyzstan: International Commission releases report on Osh violence
Christya Riedel reports that the Independent International Commission released its final report on the interethnic clashes in Kyrgyzstan last year, blaming the country's interim government for failing to stop the...
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