Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has warned of possible attempts to stir interethnic conflict between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in the country’s south ahead of a presidential election scheduled for January next year. In a statement published on social media, he urged both communities not to trust provocative rumors, to preserve calm and to avoid being drawn into confrontation. The president said the state has sufficient force and capacity to prevent any dangerous scenario.
Key Takeaways: Japarov said “unscrupulous politicians” are discussing plans to provoke an interethnic dispute in the south and disrupt the presidential vote. He recalled the tragedies of 1990 and 2010, noting that organizers of unrest went unpunished while children from ordinary families received life sentences. He called on elders to warn young people aged 20–25 about the grave consequences of interethnic clashes.
The statement reflects the sensitive nature of interethnic relations in southern Kyrgyzstan and the political tensions surrounding the election period. The country experienced deadly clashes in 1990 and 2010, particularly around Osh and Jalal-Abad, where civilians were killed and many families suffered long-lasting consequences. Current authorities are seeking to draw lessons from those events and respond early to rumors, provocations and attempts to exploit ethnic issues for political ends.
Japarov said the information currently amounts to “talk,” but he did not rule out that malicious intentions could be carried out. According to him, it is enough to play on people’s emotions and spread false rumors that offend national pride to trigger a conflict. The president said “unscrupulous politicians” had previously promoted destructive ideas and mentioned provocations related to China. He also said some people fear the completion of the China—Kyrgyzstan—Uzbekistan railway, describing them as “short-sighted, narrow-minded and ill-intentioned.”
The president separately addressed elders and public figures, asking them to warn young people about the tragic consequences of interethnic clashes. He stressed that Kyrgyzstan is no longer a weak state and that, if a dangerous situation arises, the state can “put an end to unrest within one or two days.” Attention will now focus on the government’s next steps, law enforcement precautions and efforts to maintain interethnic harmony during the election period.
Source: kun.uz