CABAR

The Central Asian Bureau for Analytical Reporting is a project of IWPR

The Central Asian Bureau for Analytical Reporting (CABAR.asia) is a regional analytical, informational and educational platform. Its mission is to develop expert and journalistic analytics as well as providing training on new media and analytical support for broad social processes in the countries of the region.

Stories by the Author

Rubbish pile up on the side of the village’s muddy, unpaved streets. Residents complain that when it is dry, the roads are dusty and when it rains, they are muddy. Taxi drivers are unwilling to take passengers here.

Rubbish pile up on the side of the village’s muddy, unpaved streets. Residents complain that when it is dry, the roads are dusty and when it rains, they are muddy. Taxi drivers are unwilling to take passengers here. © CABAR

Kazak Villages Struggle with Poverty

In Nur-Sultan, glitzy shopping malls and swanky hotels mirror Kazakstan's vast natural resources. In the outskirts, villages with no running water and basic services tell a different story of poverty and inequality.

26 Jan 22

The impoverished village of Prigorodny lies 10 kilometres from the shiny centre of Kazakstan's capital Nur-Sultan. The country's deep inequality has driven the most serious unrest the oil-rich Central Asian nation faced in decades.

The impoverished village of Prigorodny lies 10 kilometres from the shiny centre of Kazakstan's capital Nur-Sultan. The country's deep inequality has driven the most serious unrest the oil-rich Central Asian nation faced in decades. © CABAR

Kazakstan: Economically Successful, Socially Unequal

Vast natural resources have made a select few rich while millions of Kazaks struggle to make ends meet.

20 Jan 22

January 5, 2022 Kazak government declared a nationwide state of emergency after protests over a fuel price hike erupted into clashes and saw demonstrators storm government buildings.

January 5, 2022 Kazak government declared a nationwide state of emergency after protests over a fuel price hike erupted into clashes and saw demonstrators storm government buildings. © ABDUAZIZ MADYAROV/AFP via Getty Images

Kazak Human Rights Activists Fear Crackdown

Experts predict further prosecutions and tightened censorship in the wake of unrest.

13 Jan 22

Vikram Ruzakhunov, a well-known jazz pianist on his return to Kyrgyzstan.

Vikram Ruzakhunov, a well-known jazz pianist on his return to Kyrgyzstan. © Ala-Too 24

Anger Over Kyrgyz Detained in Kazakstan

Arrests seen as a way for Kazak authorities to justify their claim that the clashes were sparked by external forces.

11 Jan 22

Collective Security Treaty Organisation's (CSTO) Russian soldiers in Almaty.

Collective Security Treaty Organisation's (CSTO) Russian soldiers in Almaty. © ALEXANDR BOGDANOV/AFP via Getty Images

Political Unrest Sweeps Kazakstan

“Peacekeeping” forces from Russian-led military alliance arrive to help quell protests sparked by local anger at energy price rises.

6 Jan 22

Thirty participants gathered in Almaty, Kazakhstan on November 12-16, for a six-day intense seminar aimed at widening the scope of tools and information of CABAR.Asia’s contributors. Academics, analysts, experts and editors, from across the region, as well Ukraine and Russia, discussed Information wars and world powers’ influence on Central Asia, data analysis and artificial intelligence, populism and hate speech.

Thirty participants gathered in Almaty, Kazakhstan on November 12-16, for a six-day intense seminar aimed at widening the scope of tools and information of CABAR.Asia’s contributors. Academics, analysts, experts and editors, from across the region, as well Ukraine and Russia, discussed Information wars and world powers’ influence on Central Asia, data analysis and artificial intelligence, populism and hate speech. © CABAR

CABAR.Asia Brings Together New Generation of Experts

The six-day event gave practitioners further tools to provide reliable analysis and reporting.

13 Dec 21

In September Kazakhstan's parliament pushed a draft bill that would require foreign tech companies to register local branches or risk being blocked. Rights groups say that, if approved, it will hinder social media activities and further limit free speech in the country.

In September Kazakhstan's parliament pushed a draft bill that would require foreign tech companies to register local branches or risk being blocked. Rights groups say that, if approved, it will hinder social media activities and further limit free speech in the country. © CABAR

Kazak State Tightens Grip on Social Media

Rights groups fear that a bill framed to safeguard children could limit free speech and intensify government control.

19 Nov 21

Headquarters of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Headquarters of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Internal Affairs. © president.kg

Kyrgyzstan: Demands for Public Enquiry Over State Wiretapping

Warnings that the covert surveillance amounted to a gross violation of the fundamental right to privacy.

27 Sep 21

The economic collapse and freezing of Afghan and donor funds following the Taliban's takeover in August 2021 triggered a severe humanitarian crisis, prompting many individuals to seek to leave the country.

The economic collapse and freezing of Afghan and donor funds following the Taliban's takeover in August 2021 triggered a severe humanitarian crisis, prompting many individuals to seek to leave the country. © Nava Jamshidi/Getty Images

Central Asia Refuses to Accept Afghan Refugees

With the exception of Dushanbe, all other regional powers will strictly limit numbers.

8 Sep 21

Kazak Journalists Mull Pegasus Attack

Despite numbers apparently targeted, no official investigation is forthcoming.

17 Aug 21

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