Is Kirghizstan the next Afghanistan or Pakistan?

By Mark Smith

It’s 3 a.m. in the morning in the “center” of Bishkek, Kirghizstan. Crowds of Kirghiz youth loiter the streets smoking cigarettes and drinking inexpensive local beer.

Either coming from an inexpensive pub or just passing time, the X and Y-generation is out in full force. When asked what they are doing “What else are we supposed to do? There are no jobs here!” is the common reply.

After many revolutions and civil unrest in the Southern city of Osh, Bishkek has been flooded with migrants seeking employment in the poverty stricken country. At almost every garbage dumpster there are homeless people scavenging bottles or anything to sell or barter.

While Bishkek once had a significant ethnic population of “white Russians,” including Chechens, Armenians and Ukrainians, the population is dwindling as more and more of these people are migrating to Russia to seek better and a more stable life even willing to sacrifice their small pensions to do so.

Government corruption is still quite prevalent and the fringe of this society, Turkish, Pakistani, and Arabs have made significant investments into the country both legitimate and illegitimately.

Pizza parlors, fast food establishments, pubs and small shops are often owned and operated by Turkish and Pakistani expatriates offering a vehicle for their family and colleagues to migrate.

Larger Turkish suppliers of retail goods and food items have built the only modern shopping centers in the capital city. The Turks have also built and operate modern schools and universities to educate the residents only after the mandatory teaching of the Turkish Language. Pakistan has invested heavily as well opening branches of Islamic banks and donating funds to build Mosques throughout the country.

The once proud nomadic Kirghiz are no longer found bravely on horseback tending their flocks and keeping out intruders but instead found with a skullcap or headscarf loitering around one of the newly built mosques.

More and more headscarves can be seen these days. After interviews with several locals, it was discovered that a family is given a cash reward by the mosque for convincing members of the family to abide by the ritual. The more members of a family that veil themselves, the larger the reward. An appealing opportunity in a poverty stricken country.

Kirghizstan is strategically located between such superpowers as China and Russia and not far from radical Islamic states with its desolate and harsh landscape a ”terrorist training camp” could easily be hidden.

The country has little military strength and police assets. The revolution of 2010 was abrupt and successful only to the point of creating yet more obstacles for prosperity.

With the withdrawal of American Troops in Afghanistan, American presence at nearby Manas Airbase will surely be withdrawn providing a perfect sanctuary for radical Islamic groups.Infrastructure is quickly approaching a complete collapse. Roads are very poor and though electricity is still quite inexpensive, absolutely no preventive maintenance has been performed since the collapse of the Soviet Union some 20 plus years ago. Power outages are common and the entire electrical grid is burdened. The soviet style block housing that the country and its people inherited are in a similar disarray and in urgent need of expensive renovation.

The fate of Kirghizstan is worrisome and in dire need of international guidance and support, otherwise could easily be swallowed into the vast world of uncertainty and become a tyrant we must contend with another day.

Mark Smith is director of Business Development for Southwinds Development Corporation and travels extensively to remote regions of the world. He may be reached at mcgs_sdc@yahoo.com.