Sadyr Japarov. Photo courtesy of the Kyrgyz Presidential Press Service
President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov has claimed that «unscrupulous politicians» harboring hidden agendas are plotting to ignite ethnic clashes between Kyrgyz and Uzbek communities in the south of the country. The conspirators reportedly aim to provoke civil unrest in order to derail the presidential election scheduled for next January. The head of state wrote on Facebook that this intelligence came from «a number of sources."
According to Japarov, while these schemes remain at the discussion stage for now, there is a distinct risk that the treacherous plans could be carried out.
«The reality is that to spark a conflict between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz, it takes little more than spreading false rumors that prey on people's sentiments and insult their national pride, manufacturing unrest out of thin air,» the president explained.
He recalled that the nation had already endured devastating ethnic tragedies in 1990 and 2010. Civilians lost their lives, yet the architects of those clashes went unpunished. As Japarov pointed out, instigators stir mutual animosity while staying safely on the sidelines, watching events unfold with satisfaction. Moreover, young men from ordinary families ultimately ended up serving life sentences following those crises.
Consequently, Japarov urged both Kyrgyz and Uzbek citizens to reject provocative rhetoric and refuse to be drawn into violence.
The president made a dedicated appeal to community elders (aksakals), asking them to caution hot-tempered youths aged 20 to 25 about the catastrophic ramifications of interethnic bloodshed.
At the same time, the Kyrgyz leader stressed that modern Kyrgyzstan is no longer the fragile state it once was. If a threat materializes, the government possesses the power and resources to crush any unrest within a day or two.
Japarov noted that «unscrupulous politicians» had previously tried to push other destructive agendas. When the public refused to fall for anti-China provocations, schemes emerged to divide and pit two brotherly nations against each other. The president added that detractors also include figures who fear the completion of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway, dismissing them as «shortsighted, narrow-minded people with vile intentions."
Issuing a stern warning to political opponents, he emphasized that law enforcement agencies now command vast technical capabilities, backed by tens of thousands of surveillance cameras nationwide. Any criminal conspiracy can now be uncovered in as little as 40 minutes, he wrote.
«So when the authorities hold you accountable, do not shout from behind bars: 'I am completely innocent, I was arrested purely for political reasons, I am facing an unfair trial.' Come to your senses before it is too late and stop your unlawful activities! <…> Our people have not forgotten how we struggled through 30 years of chaos and ended up mired in a swamp. We have only just pulled ourselves out and started moving resolutely forward,» Japarov concluded.
