Language Research

In 1992, 185 newspapers (out of 279) and 33 periodicals (out of 93) were printed in the Uzbek language. Education in Uzbek was available from primary school through university level. In 1988/1989, more than three quarters of students were educated in Uzbek language schools. Since the establishment of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Arabic script has been taught.

The situation changed after the enforcement of the new Language Law. It seems to have hindered the freedom of expression of the Russian-speaking minority in particular. In 1994 it was announced that as of September, broadcasts of the Russian language television channel in Uzbekistan would be stopped. This decision was justified by the fact that Russia had stopped financing the station. The Russian-language media in particular was targeted. In January 1996, the newspaper “Vestnik Kul'tury”, published by the Russian Cultural Center in Tashkent, was suspended immediately after its first issue appeared. In August 1996 the Moscow radio station “Mayak” was ordered to stop its relays in Uzbekistan as of January 1997.

Updated (March 2005)

UZBEK RADIO BROADCASTS IN TURKMEN

Ethnic Turkmen residing on the territory of Uzbekistan can now receive information on events happening in the country and all around the world in their native language. Since January 2005 a daily half an hour program in Turkmen has been broadcast by the "Radio Tashkent International". Besides everyday news, the radio offers to its listeners also Turkmen songs and verses.

Turkmen broadcasting on the Uzbek radio is an important move made by Uzbekistan towards strengthening cultural ties between the two neighboring peoples.

At the meeting between Turkmen and Uzbek presidents held on November 19, 2004 in Bukhara, Islam Karimov informed S. Niyazov about five national culture centers for Turkmens and forty-five Uzbek schools where Turkmen is used as the language of instruction.

However, President Niyazov could not give similar positive information about the position of the Uzbek minority compactly residing in the border areas with Uzbekistan (Dashoguz and Lebab velayats).

Ethnic Uzbeks living in Turkmenistan have programs in their native language neither on any of the four existing Turkmen TV channels nor on the three channels of the national radio. The oblast newspaper "Dustlik bairogi" in Uzbek and the regional paper "Djumischi" in Kazakh, as well as all velayat newspapers, which used to be issued in Russian, were closed in the mid 90s.

Uzbek singers, musicians and dancers living in the Dashoguz and Lebab velayats are left out from contests and festivals even though they are very popular also among the Turkmens. When selecting future winners, only those participants, who sing in Turkmen and are dressed in national Turkmen costumes, are taken into consideration. Such discrimination does not lead to the development of culture or art; on the contrary it prepares the ground for interethnic conflicts and mutual distrust.

Source: Minelres News, January 12, 2005, http://lists.delfi.lv/pipermail/minelres/2005-January/003766.html

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