Abstract: Nearly three decades ago, the Soviet Union collapsed. In its wake, the dissolution of the USSR left numerous countries in a precarious situation, as they were forced to transform themselves from regions dependent on a world power, to individual, independent states. Since that time, there have been hundreds of studies on the political fallout that ensued. Likewise, there have been numerous studies devoted to the economic consequences. Although there has been a fair amount of studies addressing the issues of human rights in these countries, we are currently witnessing new era of discrimination and persecution targeted at ethnic minorities, particularly in Central Asia.
As we approach the 30th anniversary of the breakup of the Soviet Union, we notice that old wounds have not been quick to heal; rather, the lines drawn following the dissolution have torn apart communities, and have led to many of the abuses cited by human rights organizations around the world. As this paper will present, many of the divides are driven largely by ethnic divides, and cannot simply be reduced to political or religious diffrences. To be certain, these factors are important, and are not mutually exclusive. However, this paper seeks to address the sociological underpinnings that contribute to the ongoing conflicts in the region, particularly as they relate to minority groups. As it is beyond the scope of this paper to address the entire Central Asian region, we have limited our study to Kyrgyzstan and its Uzbek minority.
Keywords: Treatment of Minorities in Kyrgyzstan, USSR.
Title: The Treatment of Minorities in Kyrgyzstan: The Case of Uzbeks
Author: Professor Shaul M. Gabbay
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online)
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