CIAO DATE: 08/04

Kyrgyzstan

Victoria Garcia

Center for Defense Information

November 2003

Background

Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet Central Asian republic, gained its independence in December 1991. Throughout the 1990s, Kyrgyzstan was thought of as a model new democracy. However, since the last presidential elections in 2000, Kyrgyzstan's human rights record has worsened, particularly with the recent imprisonment of President Askar Akaev’s key political rivals. In 1990, Akaev became President of the Kyrgyz Soviet Social Republic. Akaev then ran unopposed in 1991, becoming the first democratic president of the newly independent Kyrgyz Republic. Akaev was re–elected in 1995, and again in 2000, despite a constitutional provision which limits the presidency to two terms.

According to the U.S. State Department, the Kyrgyz government’s human rights record is poor. Kyrgyz security forces beat and abuse persons, prison conditions are harsh, there have been many cases of arbitrary arrests and detention, and the executive branch dominates the judiciary. Human rights groups are continually harassed by the government. The government restricts privacy rights, freedom of speech and of the press, freedom of assembly and of association, freedom of movement and at times infringes upon religious freedoms. Violence and discrimination against women, children and minorities are all problems, as are child labor and traffiking in persons.

Kyrgyzstan has been targeted several times by international terrorists. The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) is an armed group that seeks to overthrow the Uzbek goverment and create an Islamic state, and is believed to have links to al Qaeda. The IMU has conducted two major attacks against Kyrgyzstan, although the exact reasons why these attacks were staged remain unclear. In 1999, the IMU kidnapped Kyrgyz and foreign citizens, although they were released unharmed and in 2000 the IMU attacked Kyrgyz security forces. In response to these attacks, the Kyrgyz government created the Southern Group of Forces made up of approximately 6,000 personnel to defend against IMU incursions.

U. S. Military Assistance Prior to Sept. 11, 2001

Kyrgyzstan’s armed forces are estimated at 9,000. Kyrgyzstan’s military expenditure was approximately $19.2 million in 2001, 1.4 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Kyrgyzstan only participated in the UN Register of Conventional Arms in 1995 and did not report any exports or imports of major conventional weapons. According to U.S. government data, between 2000 and 2001, Kyrgyzstan received a total of $2.14 million in Foreign Military Sales (FMS). Prior to 2000, it received no FMS. Between 1990 and 2001, Kyrgyzstan received approximately $2.1 milion in international Military Education and training (IMET) funding and $6.6 in Foreign Military Financing (FMF).

U. S. Military Assistance Since Sept. 11, 2001

After Sept. 11, 2001, Kyrgyzsatn quickly offered support to Operation Enduring Freedom by allowing the U.S. military to base its forces at Manas International Airport, located near the capital city of Bishkek. In Fiscal Year 2002 (FY 02), Kyrgyzstan was granted $600,000 in IMET, $2 million in FMF, and approximately $35.5 million in Freedom Support Act (FSA) funding. As part of the Emergency Response Fund in FY 02, Kyrgyzstan was appropriated $3.5 million in FSA funding, and in the FY 02 Supplemental Appropriations Request Kyrgyzstan was granted $9 million in FMF and $33 million in FSA funding. For FY 03, Kyrgyzstan was allocated $4 million in FMF, $1.1 million in IMET, and $36 million in FSA. For FY 04, Kyrgyzstan has been promised $6 million in FMF, $1.2 million in IMET and $40 million in FSA.

Case Study Profile

Country	Kyrgyzstan
Government Type	Republic
Infant Mortality Rate (per 1,000 live births–2003 estimate)	75.92
Total Armed Forces (2000 estimate)	9,000
Military Expenditure (U.S.$, millions)	$19.2 (FY 01)
Military Expenditure % GDP	1.4% (FY 01)
Imports/Conventional Arms Transfers (U.S. $, millions – 2001 estimate)	0
Human Rights Record 2002	poor, continued to committ numerous abuses

Kyrgyzstan’s Submission to the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms
1993	n/a
1994	n/a
1995	0
1996	n/a
1997	n/a
1998	n/a
1999	n/a
2000	n/a
2001	n/a

Fiscal Year	IMET	FMF	FSA	ESF	Total
1990	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
1991	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
1992	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
1993	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
1994	$50,000	$0	$0	$0	$50,000
1995	$60,000	$0	$0	$0	$60,000
1996	$231,000	$0	$0	$0	$231,000
1997	$257,000	$800,000	$0	$0	$1,057,000
1998	$336,000	$1,350,000	$0	$0	$1,686,000
1999	$383,000	$1,550,000	$0	$0	$1,933,000
2000	$358,000	$1,000,000	$0	$0	$1,358,000
2001	$380,000	$1,846,000	$0	$0	$2,226,000
2002	$600,000	$2,000,000	$35,489,000	$0	$38,089,000
2002 ERF	$0	$0	$3,500,000	$0	$3,500,000
2002 SUP	$0	$9,000,000	$33,000,000	$0	$42,000,000
2003 (request)	$1,000,000	$4,000,000	$36,000,000	$0	$41,000,000
2004 (request)	$1,200,000	$6,000,000	$40,000,000	$0	$47,200,000
Total	$4,955,000	$27,546,000	$147,989,000	$0	$180,490,000

Sources

“A Look at President Askar Akaev’s Career and Election,” Human Rights Watch, Sept. 19, 2002.

“Human Development Report,” United Nations, 2002.

“Human Rights Report 2002,” U.S. Department of State, March 31, 2003.

“Patterns of Global Terrorism 2001,” and “Patterns of Global Terrorism 2002,”U.S. Department of State.

“Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Yearbook,” Appendix 5C, Register of the transfer and licensed production of major conventional weapons, 2001.

“The World Fact Book,” U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, 2003.

“United Nations Register of Conventional Arms,” U.N. Department for Disarmament Affairs.