Karakalpakstan

Population

As of 2022, only 2 million people live in Karakalpakstan, with the total population of Uzbekistan just over 35 million. In the republic there are Uzbeks, Kazakhs and, in fact, Karakalpaks, close in language and traditions to Kazakhs.

Economy

As of July 2022

History

2022: Rallies against the removal from the constitution of the article on the right of Karakalpakstan to secede from Uzbekistan

On July 1, 2022, large-scale demonstrations broke out in the Republic of Karakalpakstan. Processions were held in the regional center, the city of Nukus, as well as in Chimbay and Muynak. Several thousand people took part in the action. People held the flags of Karakalpakia and chanted slogans about the sovereignty of the republic.

The formal reason for the republican protests was the publication of the draft constitution. From now on, the Republic of Karakalpakstan should have lost its independence, and its inhabitants should have lost the potential right to hold a referendum on secession from the country.

The organizer was a blogger and editor of the newspaper "El Khizmetinde" Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov. He called for a rally in front of the Jocarga Kenes building (the highest legislative body) to ensure freedom for the Republic of Karakalpakstan. After that, he was detained and taken to the local police department.

His supporters, learning about the detention of the blogger, organized riots and demanded his release. Tazhimuratov, according to official figures, was released. However, opposition resources claim that the security forces beat him, and the blogger ended up in intensive care. Demonstrations and acts of disobedience in Karakalpakia did not stop.

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced the need to leave the legal status of the Republic and the rights of its population unchanged.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan called the events taking place "an attempt to destabilize the situation in the country and seize the state administration of the Republic of Karakalpakstan with the support of external forces, including through targeted information releases and distortion of events."

A state of emergency was introduced throughout the republic by presidential decree for the period from July 3 to August 2. Internet access was also limited. Against the background of protests in Nukus and other cities on the Kazakh-Uzbek border, the Daut-ata - Tagen automobile checkpoint was suspended.

Servicemen and equipment were sent to the region to maintain law and order. Smoke bombs and water cannons were used to disperse the demonstrators. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 243 people (38 law enforcement officers) were injured during the clashes, 18 (four security officials) of them died from serious injuries.

According to the state prosecutor's office, a group of more than 300 people invaded the territory of the Nukus airport, seizing the special equipment of 50 National Guard employees.

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev flew to Nukus twice to meet with deputies of Jocarga Kenes, veterans and activists of Karakalpakia. In his speech, he noted that a group of persons tried to destabilize the situation by provoking law enforcement officers. He stated that any actions that encourage separatism, riots, violent resistance to the authorities will be suppressed in the future.

The authorities' failure to comply with constitutional rights and discriminatory policies contributed to the development of separatist sentiments. Previously, among the population were:

• supporters of secession from Uzbekistan
• entering Kazakhstan
• maintaining the current status, but in the form of autonomy with broad rights.

Now the number of adherents of independence is growing, and the number of people wishing to stay in Uzbekistan is constantly decreasing due to the actions of official Tashkent.

2021: Rallies against the translation of Karakalpak script from Cyrillic into Latin

In 2021, rallies of local residents were held in July in Hodgeyli due to the language reform of the Mirziyoyev administration. According to the new requirements, all writing in Karakalpak was to be translated from Cyrillic into Latin. This caused large-scale protests over the placement of the Uzbek language as the main one in the sovereign region.

2017: Resettlement and support of ethnic Uzbeks

Another problem in relations between the authorities of Uzbekistan and Karakalpakstan is the ethnic issue. The national policy of the authorities towards the Republic of Karakalpakstan has long caused discontent among the local population.

This applies to the policy of resettlement of ethnic Uzbeks to Karakalpakia. At the same time, Uzbeks enjoy all privileges in obtaining land and administrative posts. For example, in 2017, Uzbeks were relocated from the Ferghana Valley, from three regions: Namangan, Ferghana and Andijan to Karakalpakstan. They were given better lands and the right to start a business. Land is taken from local farmers and given to immigrants.

Local officials in leadership positions are replaced only by ethnic Uzbeks from Tashkent. And in the region itself, political parties are legally prohibited.

2016: New President of Uzbekistan Mirziyoyev begins to improve the economic situation in Karakalpakstan

With Mirziyoyev coming to power in Uzbekistan in 2016, practical work began in Karakalpakstan to improve the socio-economic situation in Karakalpakstan. Roads, gas pipeline, water supply, new industrial enterprises are being built. A project is being implemented to green the bottom of the dried Aral Sea. Since 2018, foreign investment has been attracted. However, the leadership did not deal with the problems that really worried the local people and only aggravated the situation.

2013: The end of the treaty on accession to Uzbekistan and the discussion of independence

Karakalpakstan did not have de facto sovereignty and did not, with the exception of state symbols and an article in the constitution on the right to secede from Uzbekistan. All this was spelled out, but not executed. However, the presence of this article gave hope to most Karakalpaks and acted as a kind of symbol. Everyone knew about this, but no one would use it if the Uzbek authorities had an adequate policy towards the region.

This loophole haunted neither the previous president, Islam Karimov, nor the current one. And the issue of its change was not raised by chance: it was decided to bring into line the actual status of Karakalpakstan with the legal one in order to eliminate the legitimate possibility of seceding from Uzbekistan.

The issue of independence began to rise especially sharply after 2013, when the 20-year treaty between Uzbekistan and Karakalpakstan formally ended.

1993: Agreement on entry into Uzbekistan for a period of 20 years

In 1993, Karakalpakia entered into an interstate agreement for a period of 20 years on joining Uzbekistan as a sovereign republic with the right to leave the country on the basis of a popular referendum.

However, despite its status in the constitution, legally enshrined rights were not respected by the leadership of Uzbekistan. Karakalpakia still has a high unemployment rate. Since Soviet times, Karakalpakstan has lived on state subsidies. And after the shallowing of the Aral Sea, this region became environmentally unfavorable.