The Kyrgyz people mourn the dead following the uprising on 7 April. Photo: Susanne Moll/IMS

Two weeks after thousands of people took to the streets of Kyrgyzstan demanding the resignation of the now ousted President Bakiyev, the situation of media workers remains dire. Suzanne Moll, IMS, provides an update on the situation from Osh, Kyrgyzstan

By Helle Nordberg, IMS

In rapid response to the uprising on 7 April which toppled the government and left the country in a state of unrest, IMS undertook a mission to Bishkek from 15 - 19 April to assess the immediate and long-term needs of Kyrgyz media. The mission was carried out in recognition of the essential role played by media during political unrest and conflict.

Harassment of pro-Bakiyev journalists

Speaking from Kyrgyzstan, Suzanne Moll, IMS Head of mission to Kyrgyzstan, delivers the following assessment of the current situation of media:  

- The present atmosphere in Kyrgyzstan is characterised by uncertainty and rumour-mongering. This makes the role of media even more important as the provider of information to the public. But while there is less media censorship on the part of the government for the time being, self-censorship amongst journalists themselves has increased, says Suzanne Moll.

- There are examples of journalists being harassed by the public or by colleagues for articles they have written in favour of the previous president and government or for working for media known for supporting the former government, she says.    

Bleak history of press freedom

The history of press freedom in Kyrgyzstan is bleak and the situation of media has deteriorated further since the elections last summer in 2009 when President Bakiyev was re-elected in a poll criticised by observers for irregularities. Especially in the last six months, media in Kyrgyzstan have faced increasing censorship, expeirenced forced take-overs of media outlets, physical and legal threats made against journalists and a consistent blocking of internet sites.

While the present interim government has taken positive steps to reopen registration of new newspapers and removed the arrest orders placed by the former government on two independent newspapers for their criticism of the (former) government, there have also been signs of attempts to hamper free media. Examples include:

• De facto takeover attempts, like the effort to take over control of www.24.kg on 15 April by armed groups
• Announcements of nationalisation plans of privately owned media
• Journalists and their defenders receiving threatening phone calls about the publication of articles criticising the Interim Government
• Access to information being limited for journalists, particularly in the regions
• Lack of transparency and information about decision making of the Interim Government

Dialogue between media actors important

Despite the current uncertainty characterising the state of affairs in Kyrgyzstan, Suzanne Moll detects a careful optimism in the air of positive times to come.

- In order for working conditions to improve for media in Kyrgyzstan, one important step would be to gather all relevant media actors in the country including law makers, media house owners, journalists and editors and look at a joint strategy forward, says Suzanne Moll.  

A full assessment of the media situation and recommendations on to how to move forward will be released by IMS in the coming months in cooperation with other international and local media support partners. The report will be made available on the IMS website.

Link to related articles about the IMS mission to Kyrgyzstan.

Background: IMS in Kyrgyzstan

IMS has been working in Kyrgyzstan for eight years as part of a regional programme. The overall objective of the IMS programme in Central Asia is to support peaceful transformation of societal conflict and communal tolerance by building awareness and promoting dialogue through the media.