Officials of Batken province administration of Kyrgyzstan met with officials of Ferghana province administration of Uzbekistan on 28 May, RFE/RL reported. The two sides discussed the situation on the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border, specifically the situation regarding minefields layed by the Uzbekistan military. Kyrgyz officials addressed their Uzbek counterparts with the demand to clear the territories along the border of mines.

Since large areas along the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border are mined, the lives of the local people living in border areas are in imminent danger. There have already been several incidents when civilians stepped on mines and were killed. Although the Uzbek people are also experiencing harmful consequences of the minefields, people living on the Kyrgyz territory are suffering the most. According to the preliminary data presented by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, the mines were placed by Uzbekistan in order to protect the country from Islamic militants. Although the mines are intended for Islamic militants who a pose a potential threat to the neighboring republic, victims of the mines have so far only been innocent locals.

The latest tragic incident on the minefield took place quite recently when a 35-year old resident of Batken province, Ulukbek Tolebaev, stepped on a mine and was killed.  He was grazing his large flock of sheep not far from his village, Chon-Kara. 30 carcasses of dead sheep were found in the same place, where the mine had exploded. Tolebaev had six children. Another incident took place when a 14-year old schoolboy, Aijigit Aitbaev, stepped on an antipersonnel mine near to the Sokh village. He got numerous injuries and was immediately hospitalized. Doctors say that his health condition remains serious. Another victim of Uzbek mines is Myrzaly Abdulaev, who stepped on a mine and was maimed for life, becoming a first-group invalid. What is most threatening is that such situations are becoming common. Many local people living on the Kyrgyz territory near to the Uzbek border are engaged in livestock raising and that poses the likelihood of more people falling victims to Uzbek minefields.  The fact that there are no warning signs of the mines makes this danger even greater.

During talks on 28 April, the Kyrgyz government requested Uzbekistan to pay compensation to the victims’ families. In response to this demand the Uzbek officials said that payment of compensation is not an issue that can be solved by Ferghana province administration, it can be solved only by the authorities in Uzbek capital, Tashkent. Mamat Aibalaev, the governor of the Batken province, in his interview with a Radio Liberty correspondent stated that unless the issue of Uzbek minefields is solved in near future, it could become intractable. During a meeting in Bishkek on April 24, Salamat Alamanov, Kyrgyz government official responsible for negotiating border demarcations, said that the Kyrgyz government ‘constantly raises the question of mine clearing on the border and of giving the maps of minefields by the Uzbek side to Kyrgyzstan.’  He said that it is necessary to provide security to the population of both countries living in the areas near to the border. Residents of the Batken province and its authorities have repeatedly been addressing Uzbek authorities with the demand to inactivate the minefields or at least to put precautionary signs informing about their location. However, no measures have been taken by Uzbekistan so far, and the question remains unresolved.

Gulzina Karym Kyzy