MINORITY RIGHTS IN CENTRAL ASIA: INSIGHTS FROM KAZAKHSTAN, KYRGYZSTAN, AND UZBEKISTAN

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Aram Terzyan

Abstract

This paper explores the state of minority rights in the three Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. These countries share a lot of similarities in terms of their post-Soviet authoritarian legacy and weakness of democratic institutions. The repressive political landscapes of the Central Asian states have taken their tolls on minority groups, leaving them discriminated against, mistreated, and severely disadvantaged. Minority rights violations range from ethnic and religious discrimination to state-sponsored homophobia. Even though the leadership changes have positively affected the state of human rights in the three countries, there is still a slow pace of reforms. Overall, domestic changes in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan have not yielded considerable results so far in terms of alleviating the plight of minority groups across these countries. 

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How to Cite
Terzyan , Aram. 2021. “MINORITY RIGHTS IN CENTRAL ASIA: INSIGHTS FROM KAZAKHSTAN, KYRGYZSTAN, AND UZBEKISTAN”. Journal of Liberty and International Affairs 7 (2):103-15. https://doi.org/10.47305/JLIA21720103t.
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Author Biography

Aram Terzyan , Center for East European and Russian Studies, Eurasia Institutes - California, USA

I am a political scientist and I received my Ph.D. in Political Science from National Defense Research University and Yerevan State University in 2014. My areas of specialization include Russian and Post-Soviet politics, foreign policy analysis, and human rights. I was a Senior Lecturer of Political Science at Yerevan State University from 2014 to 2018. I have held research positions at New Europe College (Bucharest, Romania), Charles University (Prague, Czech Republic), Ghent University (Ghent, Belgium), as well as at Malmo University (Malmo, Sweden). Currently, I am research director of a Los Angeles -based Center for East European and Russian Studies of the Eurasia Institutes. Besides, I am affiliated with Eurasian Research and Analysis Institute, as well as with the UNESCO Chair of Human Rights, Democracy and European Studies at Brusov State University of Languages and Social Sciences. I have taught the following courses: Theory of International Relations, Energy Geopolitics, International Conflicts, Political Psychology, as well as Elections and Electoral Systems. I have over thirty peer-reviewed publications, along with conference and workshop papers. I have appeared on national TV news and analytical programs. I am a member of the American Political Science Association; the Armenian Political Science Association, the Swedish Institute Network for Future Global Leaders, as well an editorial board member of the Armenian Journal of Political Science. I have served as a reviewer for Third World Quarterly, Journal of Contemporary European Studies, Democratization, etc.