Filed under: Uzbekistan
My professor at my alma-ater SOAS, Dr. Shirin Akiner, wrote a report on what happened in Andijon back in May. She became quite a controversial figure for doing so. Her 50-pages report has been published, and is available here. Some of her statements can be read in short here (from an Uzbek TV-show). RIA Novosti picked up the story here. While she is widely cited as an ardent supporter of the Uzbek government’s position, she herself says:
. … the interview has been widely reported under the headline ‘Academic supports Karimov’. This is the cry of the ideologue: in other words, ‘you are either with us or against us – and if the latter, your views cannot be taken seriously’. This is the very antithesis of intellectual inquiry.
via Registan
Many contest her views, including a fellow German reporter, Marcus Bensmann. He testified during a Senator’s hearing which Laurence from The Registan attended. First off, this is Laurence’s opinion on the validity of Bensmann’s account:
Marcus Bensmann, a German reporter who had been in Andijan, looked like a Peter Sellars character, wearing funny glasses and hair that resembled a wig. He spoke with a strong German accent. In response to a question from Congressman Pitt, he attacked British scholar Shirin Akiner’s report on the Andijan event. But the only error he mentioned sounded rather minor. Akiner apparently claimed shooting began at 6:20, while Bernsmann said he was in the square when shooting began at 5:30. He condemned Akiner for touring with local officials, but remained oblivious to the irony that he said he had attended the Andijon demonstration at the invitation of some of the organizers. (Either Bensmann or Templer mentioned that someone told them that if Westerners came, they would feel safe, making them, essentially voluntary human shields.)
The most striking statement from Bensmann was that he attended the earlier trials of the Akromists, and had never before been to a trial of Islamists where they did not mention Allah. Yet, these defendants pointed to the Uzbek constitution, the words of President Karimov, and saying they were just businessmen, he said. But Bensmann didn’t try to explain where this new legal strategy had come from–ICG consultants perhaps? He also admitted that when his stringer was arrested, he just went to the Uzbek police and asked for him to be released–which they did. Bensmann then sent him to another country, he said. He said he knew IMU and Chechen gunmen, they were big and strong but the Andijon gunmen were skinny, so did not come from anywhere else. Given Bensmann’s own claims he is on friendly terms with terrorists, he might not want to anger sources by revealing things they wish to keep secret. Again, an unreliable witness.
(my emphasis)
I got in touch with that Marcus Bensmann to tell him about my (very positive) relationship with Dr. Akiner and that I am generally very much in favour of her analytical observations. As there are many conflicting accounts of what has happened, I was very interested his opinion. One should bear in mind that he is a direct witness, he stood on the square when everything sparked off. Here some of the most striking points:
- The square has been full of people. The AP photo taken by Efrim on that day is real.
- Most people on the square came from Andijon; women, children, young and old — they were not armed.
- The square is much more spacious than described by Dr. Akiner. Her accounts of the dimensions are a joke, according to Mr. Bensmann.
- People were on the square voluntarily, they weren’t forced to be there.
- There were no warnings, e.g. megaphones or shots in the air, to drive the people away from the square.
- Around 5:10 p.m., armoured cars drove past the square and the soldiers opened fire on the people standing on the square. Before, there was no attack on security forces from within the mass of people nor from the occupied Hokimat.
- Mr. Bensmann did not see any fighters from Chechnya or Afghanistan.
- According to Mr. Bensmann, Dr. Akiner forged the time of the attack and puts it to 6.30 p.m. However, it is easy to prove her wrong, as e.g. with the journalist’s telephone bill.
- Dr. Akiner writes that she has been led around through Andijon by the deputy of the local hokim and believes that she could lead fearless interviews. That is, according to Mr. Bensmann, absurd.
Mr. Bensmann is very interested, why Dr. Akiner writes such reports. He is reminded of a visit to a Soviet Gulag by Maxim Gorki and his subsequent report: “In June, 1929 Gorky visited Solovki (cleaned up for this occasion) and wrote a positive article about the Gulag camp that already gained ill fame in the West.”
I won’t comment on that. I am just very much looking forward to being in class with Dr. Akiner next year – when we’ll surely debate this topic as well.
IMHO, the truth probably lies somewhere in between these two conflicting accounts, with some bits better reflected by Mr. Bensmann (who is an actual witness). As Nathan has pointed out before, one very important thing I miss in Dr. Akiner’s reports is a call for more transparency on the Uzbek authorities’ side.
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Hi Ben,
Sorry to hear about your travel plans being snuffed …
I attended a lecture by Martin Spechler here at Indiana University, in which he put forward many similar arguments to Dr Akiner. You might call them kindred spirits.
Funnily enough, and I’m not sure what planet he’s living on, but he seemed to think it was some big secret, worth guarding, as to who the esteemed expert on Central Asia was who was writing a report on Andijon for the consumption of NATO, EU, FCO etc. He refused to mention his/her name. A few of us were having a good giggle over that …
Regards,
Nick.
Nick,
thanks for the comment – I am really busy over here, so not a single portion regret left. Amidst my plans for August and September, I can also use that pause very well…
I am looking forward to seeing Dr. Akiner again in the fall and discuss the Andijon issue further with her. It seems she’s getting some controversial fame vis-à-vis this report. I’ll read it now. It’s here: http://www.silkroadstudies.org/new/inside/publications/0507Akiner.pdf
Comment by Administrator 07.19.05 @ 4:02 pmAkiner, cont.
As a follow up to Dr. Akiner’s report, check out Ben Paarmann’s post on discussing Akiner’s report with Marcus Bensmann, a German journalist who was in Andijon during the unrest who is strongly critical of Akiner’s claims….
Trackback by Registan.net 07.19.05 @ 5:22 pmMartin Spechler has a great piece somewhere on the World Bank site from a few years ago, claiming that Uzbek economic policy is far superior to KAzakh policy. PArt of the problem is that most of these people – Akiner included – hardly venture beyond the intercontinental hotel and govt-sponsored conferences, and get a very warped view of reality. Her description of everyday life – the well-tended flowerbeds is a gem – in Namangan and Andijan makes her sound like a first-time tourist rather than the long-time observer of Central Asian affairs that she is. Good luck with her as professor!
Comment by David 07.20.05 @ 12:27 pmAs to the position of Dr Akiner, I think that she is of those scholars who share their time between scholarly activites and professional activities.
If I am not wrong, she prepared her report after her observations in Uzbekistan. At this same trip she was also seeking ways to organize a NATO conference with Uzbekistan.
So, I think her contested version of events is a little bit influenced by her worry to better succeed NATO conference than requirement of objective scholarly report.
[...] Also, the German media is quite bold in its criticism towards the German-Uzbek deal over Termez, and that is across the board from the conservative Die Welt, center-left Der Spiegel, to the left-leaning TAZ (mainly through journalist Marcus Bensmann). [...]
Pingback by neweurasia.net » Uzbekistan’s European Friend 04.01.10 @ 1:00 am[...] Marcus Bensmann called the permission to stay an early Christmas present Tashkent gave to Berlin. Friedbert Pflüger, CDU politician in the Foreign Committee, in return promised the Uzbek government to carefully consider Karimov’s stance on events in Andijon earlier this year. What looks like a shady deal at first sight demands some more elaboration. Luckily, Pflüger was quick to respond to allegations that he traded ignorance towards human rights abuses for a military base. As directnews reports (my translation): The German government was not blackmailed because of Termez, assured Pflüger. About a week ago, he met with the Uzbek government and reached an agreement, according to which Tashkent will not carry out on an earlier threat to withdraw overflight rights for some EU countries. Germany will also be able to further use Termez as a supply base [for its Afghanistan operations]. Pflüger said that he assured Tashkent that the Uzbek view of events in Andijon will be be considered in a fair manner. One could for example, under the chairmanship of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung or the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, set up a “round table”, on which Tashkent could articulate its point of view on the events [in Andijon in March]. [...]
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