By ETHAN Markoff
KYRGYZSTAN NEWS - Kyrgyzstan's President Roza Otunbayeva, Central Asia's first female leader is going to win the prestigious US state department Women of Courage award. She came to power after thrown the authoritarian rule in the country after a massive revolt.
However, some critics strongly condemned the award given to her as she was the leader when the gory conflicts between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks, resulting massive loss of lives. It was reported that about 400 people were killed and thousands of homes destroyed in the clashes.
The International human right activists blamed the Kyrgyz authorities to ignore the rising sentimentalism amongst ethnic Kyrgyz against Uzbeks and letting them to marginalized the ethnic minorities.
The award is to be given to Mrs. Otunbayeva for her courage, leading from the front in absolute adverse circumstances where a country leads by a male dominated Muslim majority.
Her contribution is to change an authoritarian state into the region’s first parliamentary democracy where large year the country had witnessed its first ever largely free and fair parliamentary elections.
The ceremony will be hosted by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The US state department has chosen Mrs. Otunbatyeva for one of 10 recipients of its annual awards.
US President Barack Obama congratulate the Kyrgyz leader for her achievement and also sent his gratitude for a continuous support of US military, which has been present in Kyrgyz soil. US military has set its post at the Manas transit centre in Bishkek and nearby in Afghanistan Nato troops are continuous serving in the region.
Uzbek human rights activist Mutabar Tadjibayeva - a recipient of the US award two years ago - says she will hand back her prize in protest.
March 08, 2011 | 0
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