Protests for autonomy in Uzbekistan Republic of Karakalpakstan are getting bigger. pic.twitter.com/WPOBqpjvul
— Aldin (@tinso_ww) July 2, 2022
Karakalpakstan is the largest province in Uzbekistan, covering a large area. This province is home to close to 2 million people, most of whom are ethnically different from the rest of the Uzbek people. Hundreds of thousands of people in this province are of Karakalpaki descent – belonging to the family of Turkish peoples and much more similar to the Kazakh people than to the Uzbeks. The area itself is mostly mountainous and desert – and its inhabitants are mostly poor agricultural villages. The area itself is located near the Erel Sea – in the basin of the Ammo Darya River.
The Constitution of Uzbekistan states that Karakalpakstan is a sovereign republic within Uzbekistan, and reserves the right to withdraw from the republic and hold a local referendum on its independence. Now, in the new version of the constitution proposed by President Mirzeyev – which ignited hundreds of thousands, it is no longer written that this is an independent republic with the right to retire from the Uzbek Republic.
Earlier today APCs of Armed Forces of Uzbekistan were spotted in Republic of Karakalpakstan. Slowly but surely situation seems to be spiraling out of control. pic.twitter.com/nxu6Dbe6Lp
— Aldin (@tinso_ww) July 2, 2022
Soon after the draft of the new constitution was published, masses took to the streets and protested against the new situation, even trying to break into government buildings and set them on fire. Most of the riots in recent days have taken place in the city of Nokos, the capital of Krakówpestan province. On Friday, the local government in the province announced that the Uzbek police had arrested the protest leaders, including many other protesters.
Uzbekistan President Mirzeyev yesterday imposed a widespread state of emergency on the entire Kraków province – for a full month. As part of dealing with the riots in the country and the state of emergency – huge forces of Uzbekistan police and army were sent to try and take control of the situation. The documentation of the demonstrations and the activity of the security forces in Nokos and other cities leaves no room for doubt – the state uses uncompromising violence in order to deal with the dangerous situation.
One of the videos posted on social media shows a lot of blood left on the roads of the county capital after the riots were cleared. Additional videos show huge numbers of people on the streets, and police and soldiers hitting protesters.
Terrifying video from Nukus, Karakalpakstan. pic.twitter.com/j5pygjalH9
— Fuat (@lilygrutcher) July 2, 2022
Uzbekistan estimates that Mirzayev’s move is intended to strengthen his control and influence across the country. He came to power in 2016, following the death of former (and only) president, dictator Islam Karimov. Karimov has ruled Uzbekistan at a high level since the break-up of the Soviet Union, laying the foundations for the violent domination of the population. With his rise to power in 2016, Mirzayev was perceived as much more moderate and promoting democratization, but recent events have cast doubt on his positive image.
As you may recall, in January fierce riots broke out in neighboring Kazakhstan, against the background of large price increases and especially fuel prices. The protests, which lasted several weeks, were eventually suppressed through aid received by Kazakhstan from Russia, and thousands of people were injured and arrested. It is now strengthened that Uzbekistan is building on the indifference of the West and its concentration in the war in Ukraine – and hopes that this will avoid widespread international criticism and maintain freedom of action in the local arena, without foreign involvement.