“Ozodlik”(RFERL):

Creating buzz through

exaggerating things

Uzbek SNB (Secret Service) always used media as puppets. Anybody, who listens to international radio stations, can feel that SNB is manipulating them too. Lets’say, SNB publishes an article against Radio (“Ozodlik”). Then, as if it was waiting for this, radio station stops critical reporting. I am glad that this pattern became obvious and efforts to stop it began.

If SNB will try to take Radio under its control, but democrats from the other side will resist this, radio can be preserved. Then they will not be able to transform Radio into the machine of lies.

Empty words don’t make any sense; therefore I’d like to mention just one example of efforts to manipulate Radio. Bear in mind that is difficult to manipulate someone, who does not want to be manipulated.

On February 11 I read on www.erkinyurt.org site that at our Osh University a course on studying poems of Muhammad Salih was introduced. The article quoted Radio “Ozodlik” as reporting this news. As if time went backward, on February 12, I heard this news on “Ozodlik”. Our compatriot Sarvar Usmon (Oktam aka) announced pompously: “ Poems of Muhammad Solih, who is banned in Uzbekistan, will be studied in neighboring Kyrgyzstan” (!!!) I thought that the Kyrgyz Government issued some kind of decree on this issue. But having listened to the report of Ozodlik’s local correspondent, I got disappointed.

I am familiar with the background of this story. At our department there was a discussion regarding the program on contemporary literature. Some suggested to include studying Shavkat Rahmon, Khurshid Davron, Usmon Azim, Yodgor Obid, Qamchibek Kenja, Yusuf Juma and some other poets in the proposed course. A young lecturer Davron Nasibkhonov suggested including in this course Muhammad Solih as well. In response to this idea, our rector Ravshan Tursunov said that our programs were interconnected with Tashkent and that if we include name of Muhammad Solih right away, our relations could become strained. He also said that so far there were no bans on Solih’s poems and that there would be no such bans in the future, but if we make this process official, we could get ourselves into trouble. This is the whole story.

But “Ozodlik” aired news that the decision on studying Muhammad Solih’s poems was approved and that a group, who demanded this, celebrated victory. www.fergana.ru site and other sites in Russian language, quoting “Ozodlik”, published news that Solih’s poems would be studied throughout Kyrgyzstan.

After Andijon events Uzbek SNB monitors closely events in Osh. Our University is not an exception from this; they are watching us as well. The fact that Solih’s poems were part of curriculum always bothered them. Through one act - inventing news and using “Ozodlik” as puppet, they created a big political case. Now the issue is brought up on high levels. Now there is a ground laid for the Uzbek Government to put pressure: SNB could now show to Islom Karimov the story aired on “Ozodlik” and with this argument to intimidate our (Kyrgyz) government. Thus, tensions would appear between our two countries, currently existing efforts will stop. Isn’t this one of the games launched with the aim to put pressure on Kyrgyzstan that finds itself between Russia and Uzbekistan? Those who were unfamiliar of SNB games, found themselves involved.

Radio “Ozodlik” should not create a buzz like that. By consistently praising Solih for no obvious reason “Ozodlik” hurt him, Uzbekistan and its own reputation. Don’t get we wrong - I am not against Muhammad Solih. We here often argue with each other on this issue. I am against those, who are becoming part of SNB’s games and feed Islam Karimov’s actions.

It is impossible to deal with political issues via turning Radio “Ozodlik” into lie-producing machine. I think, supporters of “Ozodlik” also need to know what I, as a person distant from politics, understood.

Usmanbek, Osh.