KYRGYZSTAN RAISES THE QUESTION OF MINE CLEARING ON THE KYRGYZ-UZBEK BORDER

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