Economic Grievances and Ethnic Clashes in Central Asia

• In Event: Issues in International and Comparative Politics

Abstract

The four Central Asian countries---Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan--- have all experienced a series of ethnic violence due to widespread economic grievances. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, economic hardships began to surface, and as these grievances increased, so did ethnic conflicts. While other factors such as state corruption and migration are involved, economic grievances remain the root cause of the issue. Political figures fundamentally politicize these ethnic clashes, deepening the divide among the population in an attempt to maintain their authoritative rule, simultaneously perpetuating a cycle of violence with no political reform. In the Republic of Kazakhstan specifically, ethnic Kazakhs arrived at the home of a Chenchen, an ethnic minority in Kazakhstan, after children had a dispute over a toy gun. The incident, which occurred in 2007, resulted in 4 deaths and triggered rioting in the villages of Malovodnoye and Kazatkom. Similarly, in the Kygyrz Republic, violence erupted in 2010 in Tokmok between ethnic Kyrgyz and the Dungan minority following a dispute between teenagers, leading to the deaths of approximately two Dungans and the hospitalization of over 40 residents. Building on the examples mentioned, this paper will present an original dataset of more than 40 narratives that mirror similar patterns of conflict throughout Central Asia from 2000-2025, utilizing primary English-language sources that highlight the ethnic and economic grievances, the events that transpired, and the states response. This contributes to the understudied field of Central Asia and furthers the research on ethnic violence and the role of economics.

Authors

• Kori James Greenberg, Rowan University (Dr. Markowitz)

• Munashe Gurajena, Rowan University