Kyrgyz lesson to Arab peoples

18 April 2010
Kyrgyzstan is a small country in Central Asia, Moslems form the majority of the population. The country hosts two military bases, one American and the other Russia. Its security forces are known to be efficient and aggressive but they were unable to protect President Kurmanbek Bakiyev from the wrath of the people who took to the streets in a noisy demonstration on 6 April and then stormed the Republican Palace the following day.

On April 15 Bakiyev and his family left the country. This is the second time in five years that the Kyrgyz people have driven their President to run for his life. A transitional government, led by former foreign minister Roza Otunbayeva, has taken control and promises that transparent and fair elections for parliament and the presidency will be held within six months.

President Bakiyev's downfall was that his regime was characterized by corruption, cronyism, supression of the populace by the security forces and looting public funds, in a manner not that far removed from that of his counterparts in some Arab and Islamic countries.

Bakiyev came to power after another uprising five years ago - named the 'tulip revolution' by the Americans. He held deeply flawed elections and appointed members of his family - including his eldest son - to key positions, just as certain Arab leaders are wont to do.

The current crisis was intitially provoked by rising fuel prices but the underlying grievances were even more severe: many people in the country are near starvation and the unemployment rate is more than forty percent.

President Bakiev's corruption and opportunism were amply demonstrated when he started to play the Russians and Americans off against each other over their air bases. On a visit to Moscow he hinted at shutting the US airbase (Manas) near the capital; a prospect that so delighted Moscow that it offered $2.25 billion in aid on the spot. Bakiev then advised the US that the cost of keeping their base in the country was to rise threefold from $180m per annum.

Despite the fact that most of this money was destined for the pockets of family members - who hold the most lucrative fuel and provisions contracts with the US base - the Americans, defenders of democracy and transparency and the most vociferous opponents of corruption, were the happy with this transaction.

The Obama administration, just like the administration of President Bush, knew about all of these corrupt deals, but when the choice is between 'stability' and democracy, with all its repercussions, they choose the first service of its interests and the survival of its base. This explains why the US supports the most corrupt dictatorships in the Arab region.

Popular revolt has seen the end of several oppressive and corrupt regimes around the world and yet we have seem nothing like this in Arab countries. Conditions in Kyrgyzstan, whose population is only 5 million, are generally better than those in Arab countries like Egypt, yet the Egyptians do not take to the street to demand change and reform. Not even when their fellow Arabs are under occupation in Palestine, humiliated and abused at Israeli checkpoints.

Some may argue that people in these repressive Arab state are too frightened of the security forces to rebel and this is why they are so passive and submissive. Yet the security forces in Kyrgyzstan are proving to be exceptionally brutal and violent - they opened fire on protesters, killing well over a hundred to date, and yet they continue to demonstrate, even storming the presidential palace and setting it on fire.

People who are oppressed must start to defend their interests and their basic himan rights; they need to be prepared to make sacrifices for this lofty goal. Since they do not, it seems that the problem is no longer Arab rulers alone, but Arab people as well.

What is currently happening in Kyrgyzstan must be noted by Arab rulers and peoples alike. This small people has battled against corruption and cronyism, and has toppled their ruler, his family and his crown prince to whom he wanted to bequeath power. No amount of foreign bases in Kyrgyzstan can ultimately protect an unpopular leader from the anger of the people and their demands for political reform and true democracy. If the Arab people would only learn this simple lesson of history our current state of opression would be ended.