The recent silence against the massacre of Uzbek civillians, including women and children is indeed strange. This is because when Israel attacked a Turkish aid ship and killed 9 people on board, the entire world seemed to be up in arms.
Malaysia's former Prime Minister, Tun Dr.Mahathir Mohamad, as usual the most vocal Malaysian to speak against Israel seemed to be not so vocal in the Kyrgyzstan tragedy.
According to the BBC report, on May 31st this year, Israeli troops boarded the Turkish-registered Mavi Marmara ship carrying aid for Palestinians. There was resistance from pro-Palestinian activists and at least nine of these activists were killed.
This incident immediately drew angry responses from people all over the world. The Malaysian parliament even passed a resolution condemning the attack on the Turkish ship. On June 4th, thousands of Malaysians led by opposition leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim took to the streets of Kuala Lumpur burning Israeli flags (source:World News Network).
Please also bear in mind that prior to the Israeli raid, the Mavi Marmara was ordered to dock at Ashdod by Israeli authorities, but the aid organizers refused and wanted to proceed to Gaza, prompting the Israelis to make the raid. The Israeli raid cannot be justified however, but then so are the excessive reactions to it when compared to reactions to the Kyrgyz tragedy.
Now let us look at the situation in Kyrgyzstan. The riots in Kyrgyzstan all stemmed from the failure of its president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev to resign when he should have. By the time Bakiyev realized his support was dwindling and things were getting out of control, he decided to resign and leave. But it was too late. Ethnic Kyrgyz rioters went on a rampage, and releasing their fury on the country's ethnic Uzbeks who account for about 15% of the country's population.
CBC News reports that Kyrgyz interim minister, Roza Otunbayeva as saying the death toll from the riots could be as high as 2,000. Those displaced was somewhere around 400,000.
Now, compare this to the nine killed on the Mavi Marmara! Where are the angry responses to these deaths in Kyrgyzstan? Is there anyone running berserk burning Kyrgyz flags?
If we want to show our sympathies, there should not be double standards. The Uzbeks of Kyrgyzstan are humans just like Palestinians and pro-Palestinian activists.
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6 comments:
This is a classic case of religious bias practice from the so called "ketuanan" mind set.
Some decades ago, the "ketuanan" leaders keep quiet about war between Iran-Iraq is also because of religion bias practice.
So, for sure they will deny the Muslm Turkeys genocide the Christn Armenians a century ago.
It is because of Muslim politicians having difficulties in making use of religious issue to gain political mileage/credit from the muslim Uzbeks-Kyrgyzs clash!
This is the same for ethnic/racial clashes with the same religion in many coutries through out the world history.
It is an evil deeds for any leader that earns mileages by manipulating religious emotion.
Yes, like Darfur genocide, bombing of Shiite mosques and shrines in Pakistan, inter-factional war in Somalia, the GIA menace in Algeria, persecution of the Kurdish people and such.
Something about religion from this website: http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/
and
http://mingkok.buddhistdoor.com/en/news/d/943
Something about religion from this website: http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/
and
http://mingkok.buddhistdoor.com/en/news/d/943
there will always be religion and race base leaders waiting to scream bloody murder to gain popularity at some issue ...but deafening silence in issue that mater more to malaysian
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