Osh International Conference

The Role of Mass Media in Post-Soviet Conflicts

  Vicken Cheterian, Osh

     Osh is one of the best-situated places in Central Asia to observe post-Soviet conflicts. It was in this town where violent inter-ethnic clashes in 1990 claimed several hundred victims, an event that is still a source of mistrust between ethnic Uzbeks and Kyrgyz. Through Osh, one could observe the rising tension in the Ferghana Valley, one of the key areas in Central Asia, with a reputation of mounting instability.

     The second conference of the Central Asia Media support Project (CAMsP) took place in Osh on 18-20 of May. The three-day program brought together journalists from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, with experts from other post-Soviet countries and Western Europe, to discuss the sources of tension in Ferghana Valley, and the role of mass media in potential conflict areas. The program also included meetings with local leaders, public and religious figures. On the second day, a trip to Jelalabad was organized, to meet with local political figures and NGO representatives.

      CAMsP is an initiative of CIMERA, a Geneva based organization specialized on media and conflict resolution. The project operates through a network of partner organizations in Central Asia. The Osh conference was organized by the Osh Media Resource Center, directed by Alisher Hamidoff. The CAMsP is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, which supports a number of Good Governance projects throughout Central Asia.

     The presentations during the conference sparked agitated debates. Ummed Babakhanov, director of Asia-Plus news agency in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, characterized the sources of tension in Ferghana Valley in three points: “First, the creation of borders for the first time within the Ferghana Valley; second, the lack of resources and especially water, where there are already water penury, demand will increase by 20% in the next 15 years; and lastly the land issue, where it is feared that land privatisation will lead to social polarization and massive wave of migration.”

      Alexander Khamagaev, journalist from Uzbek Radio International Service, stressed on the negative impact of Afghanistan on the security architecture in Central Asia, while adding that the emergence of the independent states of Central Asia radically changed the status of the ethnic minorities of Afghanistan. Many of the participants from Tashkent and Bishkek considered “religious extremism” as an imminent threat to Ferghana Valley.

     The Batken crisis of the last year was a major theme during the debates. Journalists wanted to know the way colleagues covered the issue in their own countries. Oleg Panfilov, a regional expert and director of “Journalism in Extreme Conditions”, a Moscow based organization, that the source of tension could also be seen in “bad governance” by authoritarian and incompetent regimes. Panfilov also presented a paper on Russian-Central Asian relations, insisting that it is based on military and security cooperation, while economic exchange, scientific and educational cooperation between the two sides is in decline. Panfilov concluded by saying that Moscow did not take any position condemning human rights violations in Central Asia, limiting its interest in this field on the fate of the Russian-speaking population of Central Asia.

     The participants often collapsed along state lines, as if they were representatives of their state interests. Kyrgyz journalists asked Uzbeks about censorship and the limitation of freedom of speech in Uzbekistan, while Uzbek journalists, while openly recognizing the limitations imposed on their professional activities, often tried to answer back to criticism. The debate on regional security often led to tensions between Uzbek and Tajik journalists, the later insisting that other Central Asian states should study more carefully the experience of the Tajik civil-war, and learn from its lessons.

     The conference was also an opportunity for the participants to meet with the local administration, community and religious representatives. The governor of the Osh region, Mr. Temirbek Akmataliev  not only opened the conference, but also gave a one-hour press conference. So did the mayor of the city of Osh, Mr. Jusupbek Sharipov. Answering a question about the existence of “Wahabists” in the city, the mayor answered, “I cannot say there are no problems. Wahabists are active among the youth, who know little about Islam. But our special services are dealing seriously with that”.

     The aim of the CAMsP is to create professional links between journalists in Kyrgyzstan, Tajiksitan and Uzbekistan, and to work together on conflict spots, to have a deeper understanding about the point of view of the other side, and eventually reflect these sensitivities through the media on the public opinion.

    The next conference will take place in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, in September.