Ethnic Harmony and Conflicts in Central Asia: Origins and Policies

Abstract

In ethnic terms, Central Asia constitutes a maze. Both during Czarist times and under Soviet rule, Central Asia was full of sharp ethnic contradictions. Frequent ethnic conflicts and struggles of ethnic minorities first against Russian and then Soviet domination, were an essential part of the history of Central Asia. Since the Central Asian republics declared their independence at the end of 1991, ethnic harmony has been seen as the most fundamental condition for political stability in all five newly independent multi-ethnic Central Asian states. In the last few years, governments of the Central Asian states have all wrestled with problems of ethnic conflicts and ethnic harmony. Policies of various Central Asian states towards ethnic minorities have also attracted worldwide attention, including the attention of one of Central Asia’s neighbouring states, China.