Central Asia

Thursday 16th June

Central Asia: the discourse of danger

John Heathershaw and Nick Megoran, 16 June 2011
From policy reports and academic studies, to computer games and television mini-series, Central Asia is routinely portrayed as overwhelmingly dangerous. Does it matter that serious analyses dovetail with fictional accounts? John Heathershaw and Nick Megoran argue that it does, because it indicates a common Western geopolitical vision of Central Asia that distorts policy towards the region.
Friday 11th March

Lipstick on a crocodile: electoral authoritarianism in Central Asia

Grigorii Golosov, 11 March 2011
Western governments and investors have long indulged themselves by describing Central Asian states as “hybrid regimes” or “imperfect democracies”. The truth is that they are dictatorships occasionally “legitimising” themselves with highly engineered elections. Such electoral authoritarianism doesn’t begin to deceive those who are forced to live under it...

Tuesday 27th April

Central Asia - the smouldering volcano

Carlo Ungaro, 27 April 2010
As the recent popular violence in Kyrgyzstan reminded us, Central Asia is strategically vital. The West needs to work with Russia, and China, to put in place a programme of pre-emptive damage control
Wednesday 14th October

China and Russia strengthen ties at Beijing summit

14 October 2009
Officials meet for Shanghai Cooperation Organization talks as China and Russia commit to improving relations. UN-backed Congo offensive a ‘humanitarian disaster'. Britain commits 500 more troops to Afghanistan. Syria and Turkey to hold joint military exercises. China tries fourteen more over Xinjiang unrest. All this and more in today's security briefing.
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