Kazakh demands return of land from Uzbekistan


Kazakh newspaper 'Respublika 2000'
November 29

Uzbekistan has to acknowledge that it "unofficially" took extra Kazakh lands along with Bostandyk District, Kydyrali Dauletbayev, a member of the Land and Destiny of the Kazakhs commission writes. Some 45 years ago, by resolution of the Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh SSR, Bostandyk District and part of the land of Saryagash District, including Bagys village, were transferred from the Kazakh SSR to the Uzbek SSR.

In an article published in the 29 November edition of the Kazakh newspaper Respublika 2000, he writes: "I do not understand why the Uzbek side does not admit that it unofficially took extra lands along with Bostandyk District. Neighbours should not deceive each other."

"Why does Uzbekistan always expand its territory by annexing our areas? The delimitation commission worked for many months. Why are there still unresolved issues after six months? Asked if Bostandyk District should be returned to Kazakhstan, I would say yes."

"As for the villages of Bagys and Turkestan, the Uzbek side usurped them because legally these are Kazakh lands."

Dauletbayev also wrote that there should not be armed forces at the border between friendly countries. "There should not be armed forces at the border between friendly countries, and there certainly should not be any attack forces there. If a modern bomber takes off from the Bagys aerodrome it will reach Shymkent [the capital of South Kazakhstan Region] in five minutes. It will take a tank a little more than an hour to get there, not to mention artillery shells. I do not want to artificially heighten tension, but it is obvious to see that infants shudder and start to cry when jets fly over houses at low altitude. The Russian writer and playwright A. Chekhov said if there is a rifle hanging in the first episode, it will fire in the third. So, let us build our relations without a rifle in the first episode and remove the military complex at the border."