Democracy on the ropes...

Zdravstvoytye iz Bishkek! Greetings from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan! As most of you know I have been settled here for about a month here in lovely, green Bishkek, the capitol city of this mountainous Central Asian republic. Lots to catch up on, so here we go....

Last Saturday, May 27th, I observed a political demonstration in the central Ala-Too Square (named after the majestic 4000+meter Ala-Too mountain range looming over the city to the south (Ala-Too means colorful mountains)). The demonstration was organized by the main opposition parties to the current governing party run by President Bakiev and Prime Minister Kulov, who came to power after the March 24th "Tulip" Revolution of 2005. The revolution ousted the former President Akayev, whose initially democratic and reform-minded tenure in office, which began following the collapse of the Soviet Union, soon became very corrupt. Akayev used his power to enrich his family and cronies, and even siphoned off all of the 'rent money' paid by the Pentagon for the use of the nearby Manas air base by the U.S. Air Force, including the jet fuel revenues which he sold at triple the market rate. Thank your senators for that fine waste of U.S. taxpayer money. Sick of their corrupt government, reform-minded activists and other political opportunities took to the streets, starting in the southern cities like Osh, and soon the streets of Bishkek boiled over with revolution. Akayev and many of his cronies were chased out of the Kyrgyz "White House" and out of the country, with few casualties fortunately, but quite a bit of looting of businesses perceived to be owned by Akayev's family. Internationally monitored elections brought a new regime to power with high hopes for real democratic and economic reforms, elimination of endemic corruption, and a crackdown on rising ethnic mafias that operate in different regions of the country. So it goes in the Who's ode to revolution, Won't Get Fooled Again, "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss." So it goes in Kyrgyzstan. Newly-elected President Bakiev's government has been achingly slow to implement much needed reforms, and indeed seems to be taking over Akayev's corruption racket quite handily. Bakiev's son now owns a monopoly cement enterprise, and Bakiev has links to some very shady criminal figures, including the recently murdered Kyrgyz crime boss Ryspek Atkembaev, who was living under Presidential protection at Bakiev's retreat at Lake Issyk Kul. It was a professional hit in broad daylight in front of a mosque near Bishkek. Rumors of suspects and motives have been swirling around freely in the central asian conspiracy vortex, but most are certain the real answer will not be found, just as investigations into the deaths of several parliamentarians last year have been stifled by the government. Amidst this political chaos, there is still some hope. There is a free press, though Bakiev has been threatening to shut down the main indepedent media company, Pyramid Media. And there is an organized opposition and well-established civil society as well. And most people I've spoken with do not trust this president more than the last one and ardently wish for change, but as well most people just want to make a better living than what's available now. The gap between the wealthy elite and the rest of the country is quite stark, and Kyrgyzstan does not share the same natural resource wealth (i.e. oil and gas) that is greatly improving the lives of their Kazakh cousins to the north, who don't enjoy nearly as many political freedoms as the Kyrgyz.
So as the first anniversary of the Tulip Revolution came and went with few discernable changes, it is easy to understand why apathy toward politics has begun to spread. Despite this, tens of thousands have come out in support of the "For Reform" opposition rallies on April 29th and May 27th of this year. Fears of violence by agitators trying to hurt the image of the movement and provoke harsh responses by government forces never materialized at either event. Instead they were quite festive events, with the usual blustery political speeches, along with some entertaining songs, poetry and prose mocking the current administration. As well there was a large diversity of supporters, young and old, earnest university activists and concerned world war II veterans. Finally a list of demands for the government was announced at the end of the rally, which can be viewed here .
I met a young lawyer from the Justice Department whose uncle was a parliamentarian and guest speaker at the rally. He spent time studying in the United States and expressed awe and respect for the American judicial and political system. Flawed as it is at times, he knew it was something his country should strive to achieve. I asked him if he thought the rally that day was a success and he said, "Maybe. We cannot have more demonstrations with no results. The people will become frustrated, and maybe again, they will march on the White House..."

A Kyrgyz armored vehicle parked in Ala-too Square. The Kyrgyz government tried to block the opposition rally on the square by proclaiming the same day the Army and National Guard Day Parade will be held, though the holidays were actually several days later. Fortunately, the government relented and allowed the rally instead.

Reform supporters... with cool shades...


A sign on a port-o-let asking President Bakiev's son Max, 'what about cement for the people!"

Never too early for civic education in Central Asia!

The local free press getting into the action.

A young journalist with Pyramid Media getting the message from the people.

"No Room for Max!" the President's son suffers at the hands of another slogan...


It was hot, but not too hot to keep the oldtimers away from cheering on democracy.


The wide view of Ala-Too Square, with the Erkindik (Freedom in Kyrgyz) statue and the National Museum providing the backdrop.

More pensioners out in support of democratic reform. Some wore their military medals. The traditional hat they wear is called a kalpak.
More photos of the rally here...

Goat Carcass Polo-Feel the Excitement!

After I inquired repeatedly about attending an ulak-tartysh match, or Kyrgyz polo (called buzkashi in Tajikistan and northern Afghanistan), my girlfriend’s driver, Asanbek, finally alerted us to an upcoming game on Saturday at the Gippodrom on the western edge of Bishkek. Asanbek is a wise and jovial Kyrgyz man, but despite having earned a Ph.D. in Agronomy, he chose to take up the more lucrative profession of driving taxis in Bishkek. Asanbek kindly escorted us to the match, though he seldom attended them himself. I was personally relieved to find out he would join us at the stadium. After hearing stories about this violent sport, especially the more chaotic version of buzkashi in Tajikistan, where the rushing tide of riders often spills over the sidelines and into the crowd, I was preparing myself for vodka-fueled mayhem both on and off the pitch.

As we found our seats in the far end of the stadium away from the packed center section, I soon realized this might be a more civilized event than I imagined. Alcohol was not permitted as far as I could tell, and a family atmosphere prevailed. In fact, so many kids swarmed about the railing along the field, one poor policeman had the unenviable job of clearing them off, only to watch them swarm back minutes later at the other end. Soon the drama along the fence line was overshadowed by a sudden burst of cheers and whistles from the crowd as two horses broke into view and raced along the near side of the pitch, one sporting a male rider and the other a female rider. The male rider took a staggered start behind the female rider and his goal was to catch her before she crossed the baseline of the pitch at the other end. According to tradition, if the male rider catches the woman, then he has won the right to kiss her. This race was repeated going the other direction, but the man took a head start this time. If the woman catches him this time, she earns the right to slap him on the face with her horsewhip. Of course this was only a dramatization of a nomadic tradition, but the crowd cheered them on with abandon as if they all came today just to see the guy get whipped in the face. And today our bloodthirsty crowd was not let down, and our male rider went home with a stylish welt across his cheek.

Soon the two teams took the field, riding single file towards the centerline from opposite ends. This was a big match-up featuring two of the top ulak teams in Kyrgyzstan, and the stakes couldn't be higher. Of course pride and honor was on the line, but so was a cache of Chinese-made televisions, DVD players and portable stereos for the winning team. In other countries, the victor's spoils include silk cloaks, cash and guns. The riders then streamed toward the far side of the pitch and arrayed themselves by team facing the crowd. As each rider was introduced, his horse stepped out front then quickly stepped back into line as applause rang out. In short order the starting teams took to the field while the substitutes stayed saddled on the far sidelines.

The ball, or "boz", in this case was a goat carcass, though at times calf or sheep carcasses are used depending on what's available. Ancient lore says the the game was introduced when Genghis Khan ruled the Central Asian steppes, but instead of a goat carcass, human carcasses were used instead, something that was in no short supply once Genghis and his boys visited your town. For our match here in modern day Bishkek, one lucky goat was selected the day before the match and slaughtered, having it's head and lower legs cut off and the stumps sewn up tight. Next, the carcass is soaked in cold water for 24 hours to toughen it up. At kickoff time the carcass is dropped in the center of the pitch and upon the ref's signal, two herds of pumped-up riders converge on the carcass as each team attempts to take possession of the boz. This is where the acrobatics and feats of strength begin, because the rider must reach down and pick up this 50-80 lb. lump of flesh, pull it up and hold it with one hand, with the horse whip in mouth and the other hand on the reins while trying to ride toward the opponents goal as other riders smashed and rammed into him.

Of course, no fists or elbows can be thrown intentionally, but there is no way to stop such motions in the maelstrom of man, horse, saddle, dirt, goat, snorting, grabbing, tugging, straining and whipping. Broken noses, tenderized faces, broken arms and legs, occasionally death by trampling are all risks these riders face with only padded shorts, athletic tape and WWII-era pilot helmets as protection. Mercifully, nobody died for a DVD player today, but we did see one poor rider sitting in the ambulance holding up a badly mangled hand as a doctor attempted to apply a splint. He should at least get a Wung Shi CD player for his sacrifice.

Essentially, the game is quite simple. The winning team is the one who scores the most points by dropping or tossing the boz into the opponents goal, which is a raised circular pit made of dirt, reinforced with car tires. But the speed, the brutality, the incredible feats of strength and horse riding skills all combine to make it one hell of a sport to watch. It's a real adrenaline rush to stand along the fence at the center line and feel the pounding of the hooves, hear the grunts and screams of the riders and horses alike, and see the sweat and dirt kicked up as the rider holding the boz is able to break free from the congealed scrum and dash down the sideline toward glory. Basically, if you like rugby, polo, football, rodeo and ultimate fighting, you’ll love ulak.

For more pictures of the goat-tastic action, click here.

24 hours in Istanbul

Our 24 hours in Istanbul was a tantalizing appetizer of this amazing city. Thanks to our jet-lagged bodies and brains, we managed to only find time to explore the Sultanahmet area, which contains the iconic Blue Mosque and it's elder sibling, the Hagia Sofia Mosque. Standing in between both mosques, both during the day and especially at night is truly breathtaking. It's especially nice to eat dinner and sipping Turkish wine at the Cozy Cafe on the top floor while gazing at the majestic Blue Mosque lit up at night under a full moon. But be sure to take at least 4 or 5 days to explore the buzzing bazaars and neighborhoods of Istanbul, and be very careful with the taxi drivers, especially in front of the Hagia Sofia. One of them took us on the classic 'too much traffic, we go the other way' route which double the price, then tried to pull the old switcheroo by taking our 50 Lire note and showing us a 5 Lire note saying we gave too little. Yet it was so obvious my verbal lashing made him give it back immediately. But we won't let this scoundrel ruin our memories of Stambouli, we shall return!
More photos here...