Zhar ZardykhanMonthly archive Joined 23 March 2022 · 16 postsI mainly write on Central Asia. I studied Eurasian history and politics, love languages, photography, and hiking. Email Zhar Zardykhan
No good news for media freedom in Kyrgyzstan as government arrests journalists, activists, and bloggersSex tapes, surveillance, and blackmail in silencing journalistsWritten by Zhar Zardykhan19 December 2022
With the Russian invasion of Ukraine unlikely to stop soon, Kazakhs rally around their languageHow the Kazakh language found itself at the center of debatesWritten by Zhar Zardykhan21 November 2022
From ‘forerunner’ to ‘a puppy': How Mongolia got hooked on Russia's ‘Pivot to Asia’Mongolia’s extreme dependence on energy imports from Russia pushes it one wayWritten by Zhar Zardykhan20 October 2022
Russians fleeing Putin’s war face long border queues, overpriced flights, fear, and uncertaintyBordering countries face inflated rents and citizen concernsWritten by Arzu Geybullayeva, Zhar Zardykhan7 October 2022
Carving a path for LGBTQ+ people through shame, homophobic violence, and bansAn interview with an LGBTQ+ activist from KazakhstanWritten by Zhar Zardykhan6 September 2022
A water diplomacy expert discusses the prospects of water conflict and cooperation in Central AsiaAn interview with Jahan TaganovaWritten by Zhar Zardykhan31 August 2022
As peace and prosperity unravel, Central Asia braces for a surge of forced labor and sexual slaveryHuman trafficking in the post-pandemic Central Asian regionWritten by Zhar Zardykhan9 August 2022
Superstar wrestler jailed for murder as high crime rate alarms MongoliansMongolia has one of the worst homicide rates in AsiaWritten by Zhar Zardykhan24 July 2022
Central Asia rushes into armed drone race as regional arms transfers brewDrone diplomacy and geopolitics of arms race in Central AsiaWritten by Zhar Zardykhan7 July 2022
A woman chess champion challenges ageism, sexism, and political intrigues in Kazakhstan'The Queen's Gambit' as it all became knownWritten by Zhar Zardykhan4 July 2022
Tajik government crushes restive region amid deep economic and security concernsMore than 40 dead and hundreds arrested in GBAOWritten by Zhar Zardykhan29 June 2022
Central Asia celebrates Victory Day amid Russian pressureA delicate balance between memory and politicsWritten by Zhar Zardykhan2 June 2022
Central Asia’s fears of rising militancy in Afghanistan as Moscow invades UkraineHow Russia's withdrawal from the region unties Taliban aggressionWritten by Zhar Zardykhan17 May 2022
Nothing new in the ‘New Kazakhstan’ as attacks on social media freedom continueFighting cyberbullying used as an accuse to reinforce censorshipWritten by Zhar Zardykhan6 May 2022
Inflation, youth, and protests in MongoliaYouth took to the streets to make the government workWritten by Zhar Zardykhan26 April 2022
War, words, and worries in Central AsiaThe Russo-Ukrainian war and official response across Central AsiaWritten by Zhar Zardykhan8 April 2022