Majlis

Kazakhs will vote on October 6 in a national referendum to authorize construction of a nuclear power plant. In recent winters, Kazakhstan has experienced severe power shortages, and Kazakh officials assert that nuclear power could help fill the gap. People remember, however, that 456 nuclear weapons were detonated in northeastern Kazakhstan between 1949 and 1989 as part of the Soviet Union’s testing program. The byproducts of these tests continue to affect public health in the region, and many people in Kazakhstan are not pleased with the prospect of nuclear power. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss the pros, cons, and controversy of Kazakhstan’s proposed nuclear power plant are guests Togzhan Kassenova, author of the widely acclaimed book Atomic Steppe: How Kazakhstan Gave Up The Bomb; Aya Renaud, an editor at RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service, known locally as Azattyq; and Darkhan Umirbekov, digital editor at Azattyq, who is based in Astana.

Russia’s longtime influence in Central Asia seemed to fade after the launch of its full-scale war on Ukraine in February 2022, as other countries pursued stronger relations with Central Asian states and active roles in lucrative projects. The Kremlin noticed and has countered with its own initiatives, of which the most binding may be a series of recent agreements that will increase some Central Asian states’ dependence on Russia for energy resources. Joining host Bruce Pannier to look at Russia’s counter-campaign to preserve its strong position in Central Asia are guests Assel Tutumlu, a lecturer at the International Relations and Political Science Department at the Near East University in Cyprus; Francis Olmos, a senior researcher in Central Asian affairs at Spain’s GEOPOL 21 Center and research fellow at the London-based Foreign Policy Centre; and Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin.

Racialization is the process of viewing a specific people with preconceived notions about them. In Russia, non-Russians -- particularly people from Asia or the South Caucasus -- have long been targets of racialization. The problem is especially acute in today’s Russia, where many Russians openly express negative or derogatory views of these peoples, making life extremely difficult for Central Asians who live or work in the country. Joining host Bruce Pannier to look at the impact of racialization and ethnic discrimination on Central Asians in Russia are guests Nodira Abdulloeva, an advocate for the rights of migrant workers in Russia; sociologist and University of Amsterdam postdoctoral researcher Nodira Kholmatova; and Tolkun Umaraliev, chief editor for RFE/RL’s Migrant Unit and Ferghana Valley Bureau.

Russia’s historical legacy in Central Asia has come under increased scrutiny in the region since Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine. Many Russians, including officials, claim -- in some cases insist -- that Russia’s colonization of Central Asia was beneficial to the region. A growing number of people in Central Asia are coming to a different conclusion, as they reassess the years under Russian and Soviet rule and what Central Asia’s relationship with Russia should be going forward. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss this issue are guests Erica Marat, a professor of political science at the National Defense University in Washington and a Central Asia expert originally from Kyrgyzstan, Diana Kudaibergen, a political sociologist from Cambridge University who will be moving on to the University College of London this autumn, and Azamat Junisbai, a sociologist and professor at Pitzer College in Claremont, California. Both Kudaibergen and Junisbai are originally from Kazakhstan

In late June, Tajikistan passed a law on "alien clothing" that bans certain types of Islamic attire, particularly from Arab countries, and some types of Western clothing. Wardrobe violators run the risk of stiff financial penalties. Similar fashion mandates exist throughout Central Asia, focused more on women than men. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss clothing rules in Central Asia and who is affected by these directives are guests Svetlana Dzardanova, human rights researcher at Freedom for Eurasia, who is based in Kyrgyzstan; and Niginakhon Saida, a researcher, educator, and freelance journalist from Uzbekistan specializing in Islam, education, and gender issues in Central Asia.

Nearly three years have passed since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, to the dismay of much of the world. While the Central Asian states were among the countries that didn’t welcome the return of the Taliban, most of them took a different approach to the Afghan militant group than they did when the Taliban first ruled Afghanistan in the late 1990s. Trade has grown steadily between Central Asia and Afghanistan since August 2021, and Central Asian officials meet regularly with Taliban representatives to discuss cooperation on major projects. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss the Taliban’s new relations with its northern neighbors are guests Qadir Habib, director of RFERL’s Radio Azadi; Pahlavon Turgunov, managing editor at RFERL’s Uzbek Service; and Farruh Yusupov, director of RFERL’s Turkmen Service.

Two years have passed since violence erupted in western Uzbekistan’s Karakalpakstan Sovereign Republic. In early July 2022, Uzbek law enforcement personnel used stun grenades and tear gas to disperse thousands of Karakalpaks gathered in a peaceful protest in the Karakalpak capital, Nukus, over proposed changes to Uzbekistan’s constitution that would have stripped Karakalpakstan of its nominal status as a sovereign republic and right to conduct a referendum to secede from Uzbekistan. Officially, 21 people were killed, most of them protesters. Since then, Uzbek authorities have imprisoned dozens of Karakalpaks, and Karakalpak activists located in other countries are also facing pressure. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss the topic are Leila Nazgul Seiitbek, a lawyer and chairwoman of the NGO Freedom for Eurasia; Hugh Williamson, the Europe and Central Asia director of Human Rights Watch; and Mynaim, a pseudonym for a Karakalpak activist living outside Uzbekistan. (Note: Mynaim’s comments have been voiced over to protect her identity, family, and friends in Karakalpakstan.)

The threat of terrorism is never far from the minds of officials in Central Asia, who know that their region shares a 2,000-kilometer border with Afghanistan. In recent weeks, Tajikistan’s speaker of parliament has warned about a growing number of militants in northern Afghanistan and in Kyrgyzstan, where authorities detained 15 suspected members of Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), a group operating out of Afghanistan. Suspected IS-K militants who are Tajik nationals have been blamed for terrorist attacks in Moscow in March and Iran in January. Joining host Bruce Pannier to look at who these militants are and where they are active are guests Lucas Webber, the co-founder and editor of militantwire.com and a research fellow at the Soufan Center; and Riccardo Valle, an analyst focused on jihadism security and the director of thekhorasandiary.com.

Turkey is building up its influence in Central Asia -- as shown by the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). The OTS includes Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan; Turkmenistan and Hungary are OTS observer members. The growing cooperation between these states since Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine accelerated in 2024, in such sectors as investment, trade, transport, energy, and security. Joining host Bruce Pannier to look at developments in the OTS are guests Assel Tutumlu, a lecturer at the International Relations and Political Science Department at the Near East University in Cyprus, and Johan Engvall, from the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies (SCEEUS), based at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs.

Two years have passed since the Tajik government launched its crackdown on residents of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast, or GBAO. On May 16, 2022, police and security forces attacked peaceful protesters in the GBAO capital, Khorugh, and dozens of people were killed in the weeks that followed. After the shooting stopped, the state’s repression of the region continued with the arrests of hundreds of GBAO natives – including this month, when at least 35 residents of GBAO’s Yazgulom district were detained. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss the Tajik government’s crackdown in GBAO are guests Syinat Sultanalieva, a researcher covering Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan for Human Rights Watch, and Bakhtiyor Safarov, the founder of the firm Central Asia Consulting in the United States who is originally from Gorno-Badakhshan.