Blog
Crossroads Asia
Kyrgyz Rapper Strikes Chord With Track Condemning Corruption
By Colleen Wood
Fans of Kyrgyz rap are quick to see parallels between traditional musical forms and a famous artist’s new release.
Can Uzbekistan Put the Uzbek Language First?
By Umida Hashimova
Moscow made an unprecedented comment in defense of the Russian language in Uzbekistan.
Kazakhstan’s Coronavirus Payments: The Quest for 42,500 Tenge
By Anastassiya Fershtey
The process of receiving financial aid from the Kazakh government turned into a “quest” for Kazakhs.
Investigating Dam Collapse a Test for Uzbekistan
By Catherine Putz
How the Uzbek government handles the investigation of the dam collapse matters.
Mongolia: How Nalaikh’s Youth See Democracy
By Claire Casher, Samantha Coronel, Rasmus Dilling-Hansen, and Cassandra Jeffery
A Canadian research team shares their findings from a Mongolia youth engagement study.
Askarov’s Final Appeal Denied By Kyrgyz Supreme Court
By Catherine Putz
After a decade in jail and repeated international calls for his release, ethnic Uzbek human rights activist Azimjan Askarov remains behind bars in Kyrgyzstan.
Technology and Policing a Pandemic in Central Asia
By Catherine Putz
Regional governments are retooling surveillance systems in their “smart” cities to fight the pandemic, heightening existing concerns of rights and privacy.
Kazakhstan Begins Easing Some COVID-19 Restrictions
By Catherine Putz
Kazakhstan isn't quite out of the woods, but the government has ended the state of emergency and outlined plans for a staged re-opening.
Kazakhstan’s Richest Sell Almaty Airport
By Paolo Sorbello
TAV, a Turkish holding, completed the purchase of Almaty International Airport, Kazakhstan's most active airport.
Practice Makes Perfect? Mongolia’s COVID-19 Outbreak Drill
By Anandsaikhan Nyamdavaa
Mongolia ran a COVID-19 drill, complete with the lockdown of an entire district, to gauge its readiness for a real outbreak.
Tajik President Replaces Health Minister
By Catherine Putz
Now that Tajikistan has admitted the presence of COVID-19 in the country, the bad news will likely only grow.
Dariga Nazarbayeva Dismissed From Top Senate Seat
By Catherine Putz
First President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s eldest daughter was just dismissed from her post as chair of the Senate. Is it a sign of a power struggle?