Government / Revolution

First year law students in Kyrgyzstan wrote the following essays about Kyrgyzstan's governmental system and revolutions:

In Kyrgyzstan when we have a mess (revolution) in our country destruction of property occurs. When the people don't know that the the shops and offices aren't owned by the government they break windows, doors, and walls and take anything and go to other shops and offices. When there is a mess people died and it ruined the economy. Despite the disadvantages of the mess we have advantages. We changed our president and we have a new constitution. In the future I hope that we increase the economy, our country will develop, unemployment will decrease, and people won't get angry with the government. I think that we should develop in education, medicine, agriculture, and entrepreneurship. Why did I say education, because in Kyrgyzstan many children don't go to school; they can't read, write, and do math. It's bad because children are the future of our country. I said medicine because in our country we don't have vital equipment. In the future I think by working in agriculture and entrepreneurship we can produce goods and transport them to other countries. This is how I see developing our country.

I think revolution is bad because people begin all disastrous destruction of property. They begin to hit and kill each other. I don't like it. When I saw it on TV, the revolution, I cried because many people died. In the future I wish that this will never happen again. It was good that the revolution changed the president. Maybe he will become a good president and the country will change for the better.

The advantages and disadvantages of presidents in Kyrgyzstan. The first president was Akaev. I think he wasn't the best president, but normal because Taxes were low and prices very small. What are the disadvantages, I don't know. Maybe it is that he had much money, but the people didn't have money and didn't work. The second president was Bakiev. He was a very bad president because: 1) much corruption, 2) mess, 3) people died, 4) taxes were higher, 5) prices were higher, 6) people didn't have work and money. He doesn't have any advantages. The third president was Otunbaeva. She was very good because she was the first president who didn't go to another country and she could regulate a hard situation. The fourth president is Atambaev. I don't know if he is good or bad. Time will tell. (Analysis- to publish my good tsar article maybe I can say the good tsarness of Roza was that she freely gave up power and made that as an example for the future. That may be better than changing the form of government, which can easily change again.)

Before the revolution in Kyrgyzstan Bakiev's family ruled, but soon there was a revolution and Bakiev didn't want to give to the opposition and they shot their own people! And on the 7th of April revolution young guys died as citizens of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. But the people of Kyrgyzstan sill made their own and drove out Bakiev and then came on the power of new people! I hope all is well and I hope that the revolution will be no more!

In Kyrgyzstan there were two revolutions. On March 24th 2005 and April 7th 2010. A lot of innocent people suffered. The government killed civilians in Bishkek and robbed shops and in Bishkek it was a mess. I think that Bakiev and Akaev as ex-presidents are to blame because they raised the prices of taxes on light, water, gas, products, etc. Akaev and Bakiev lived through the citizens. They stole all the money from citizens. Two ex-presidents didn't help the citizens. Their relatives were owners in a big company. I think that it is bad because the president must help his people and he musn't steal from his people.

In Kyrgyzstan there is a parliamentary-presidential form of government. In my opinion it's a for of government that suits our country because power is divided between the president and parliament. Before the president had more power than the parliament. It was bad because no one could contradict him. Perhaps today's form of government is good. Recently we have accepted it and we don't know exactly how this form of government will work. In my opinion Otunbaeva was a good president. When Dastan Bekeshev came to our university he said that Otunbaeva accepts criticism, that they can argue with her. Roza Otunbaeva has a good education. She's the first woman president in Central Asia and Kyrgyzstan and the first president who didn't run away.

In my opinion on 7 April (2010) we didn't have a revolution. It was a mess because if it was a revolution we would have changes, but we don't have changes. Now I want to tell about the mess before and after. Before the mess:

1. We had a presidential system
2. We had a president from Osh
3. Bakiev had three wives
4. It was corruption
5. Maxim Bakiev sold narcotics
6. Maxim was an owner in "Megacom" and he increased the price on the tariff of mobile phones
7. Taxes increased
8. Prices increased
9. Bakiev appointed his relatives as the owners in a big rich company.  

After the mess:

1. We have a parliamentary-presidential system
2. - 
3. Atambaev has 1 wife
4. ? 
5. - 
6. - 
7. - 
8. Just oil prices are higher
9. -

I hope that we will not have another mess and our life will be better.

Business Disputes

First year law students in Kyrgyzstan wrote the following essays about solving business disputes:

I want to tell you about two best friends. One of them gave another man money and he didn't return his money, and he didn't answer the telephone when his friend rang him, and the friend went to another friend and told him about the problem. Together they went to his last friend's house and hit him. The next day he returned his friend's money. I think it's not normal, but sometimes it's a good way to discuss problems because our police can't do anything.

In my opinion in Kyrgyzstan people decide problems with the police.

In Kyrgyzstan best friends do not go to the police. If one of them says I don't pay money because I don't have any money the other can go to his home and take his house, car, etc. I don't know how to solve this problem.

In Kyrgyzstan how do people solve business disputes. I will tell you one example about this situation. If I need money for building a shop I go to my friends or someone who also need money and we together make one group. There stand 3 or 5 people. Then we together go to the bank and take money. Then every month everyone of this group must pay this money. If one person doesn't pay money, the other people of this group must pay money for this person who doesn't pay.

Kidnapping

In our country there are many different religions and many people who exercise religion and traditions. One of these traditions is kidnapping girls. But, I think it's a tradition of the past. And now this has become obsolete. But not everybody thinks so. The vast majority of our guys think that it's a joke or trick. I'm glad that in our country there is the law about kidnapping girls. And if guys do it without permission of girls they can get a term. I know one guy who wanted to kidnap a girl without her permission. But her parents didn't agree to marry their daughter. The next day the police took him to prison, but he gave money to them, and toward the evening he was at home. It's not normal, but it's a good variant to decide a problem. In my opinion it's a good tradition if the girl is not anti to marry. But only if it's by joint agreement. Often this obsolete tradition is in Muslim families.

Female Russian student in northern Kyrgyzstan

Reket (school bullying) in Kyrgyzstan

First year law students (college freshman) in northern Kyrgyzstan wrote the following essays on reket (school bullying) in Kyrgyzstan:

"Reket. One girl in high school requested 100 som from a small girl. Becasue the big girl needed money the small girl stole money from her mother, because the big girl said: If you don't give me money I will fight you when you go home. The small girl was afraid because she gave money to the big girl. I think it is worse because the inspector doesn't have an advantage. If the government is worried then maybe it should change the system."

"In the schools of Kyrgyzstan school boys or girls take money or phone of the younger ones. Younger school boys or girls give money or telephones because they are afraid of the senior children. Inspectors cannot solve this problem in the school. In my opinion this problem is very developed in the schools of Kyrgyzstan. Reket interferes with learning at school."

"In the school, high school, people take money from children and they must save money and give it to them. If little school children don't give money to guys they will be hit. This makes children afraid because if they complain the high school guys maybe will be able to kill. The police don't fix it. This is all a bad system."

"Bullying is very developed in Kyrgyzstan. The most developed place is in school. At school senior pupils demand from elementary grades a small sum of money and children find the told sum of money. Bullying is a very bad business. It is necessary to struggle with bullying. Bullying is a bad system."

"Bullying is Reket. It's when one or a group of bad boys take money or mobile phones from children. These children take money from smaller children. Little children maybe can steal this money from their parents or other people. Then the policeman records these bad boys. It is a bad system."

"My opinion about Reket or bullying. In our school and in the streets big boys have an illegal work. They take money or something from young children. For example, in school, where I was studying I saw many situations when the Reket gangs who were studying in the 10th or 11th classes take phones or money from young school boys who were studying in the 8th or 9th classes. If they don't give money they hit them. Reket is not only with boys, it is also with girls. I think it is very bad because it is illegal. It is a problematic situation."

"I think bullying is bad! Because of this bullys require money and phones and if you don't give money or phones  then you are beaten. That will happen. In the school one of the senior class students demanded money from those younger who could not raise money and they shot them down a lot. I think it's very bad for a teenager and you have to deal with this problem."

"In every school of Kyrgyzstan we have bulllying. Every pupil and high school pupils take money from little and weak guys. Sometimes they take 200 som, sometimes 500 in one class in every week. They do it by group. If somebody tells about them to the police the police are sometimes afraid of these little rekets. It's awful, I think because weak and little people must steal money from their parents and give it to a gang of bullys. I think it's the parent's problem because they don't do anything with their children who give money by illegal ways. I think they must punish their child and bosses of schools must do something with this problem and not close their eyes. I think if these little reketeers don't stop, in the future they can do something real awful and there will be bad implications."

"In our country many schools have Reket. For example in my school big boys make a big group and ask money from children. They ask 1000 som or 2000 som, it depends on the interest of the big boys. In my mind this problem is global in our Kyrgyzstan school and to finish it is very hard. But, I think teachers must punish these big boys or expel them from school."

Corruption in Kyrgyzstan

First year law students (college freshman) in northern Kyrgyzstan wrote the following essays on corruption in Kyrgyzstan:

"I think corruption is good because it decides problems. If you go to prison you give money and you leave. I think corruption is bad because if your brother goes to prison the prosecutors ask big money."

"The Gai are very bad because they stop people without cause. Then they ask for money. I think this is bad."

"I think in Kyrgyzstan each person encountered this problem (corruption). Life is very bad. Each person needs more money. Teachers give A(+) for the money because they need for a good life. I am very sad . . . for our country"

"When the GAI stop us, we give them money because they can take our driver's license. When we give money to GAI and when they take money from us, we break the law. But, I think that if the GAI don't take the money, they won't survive."

"Government Hospital: If I have a cold or a broken hand I go to the hospital. In order to get good service I have to give money to the doctor, then they help me. But, I paid money before. This I think is bad, because it's wrong."

"My opinion about corruption. In Kyrgyzstan we pay money to the police, to the doctor, the GAI and to other people. When we study in the university or college we pay money to the teacher. At the end of the semester the student has to pay about 100-150 soms for one subject, if he wants a good mark. If he doesn't pay money, the teacher will give him a bad mark. I think that corruption is very bad, because we have to pay much money to many people."

"Corruption in Kyrgyzstan. In government schools teachers take money for good marks. Teachers take presents from parents. I think this is not legal because the teachers violate the laws. Teachers need to go to jail."

"I think that in Kyrgyzstan there is corruption, for example our police officers. I will give an example. I went 100 km/h and I broke the rules of the road and I was stopped for speeding. I did not think that they could be offered money to let me go and close the case. I gave them 400 som and they let me go. and that is corruption."

"In government hospitals in Kyrgyzstan everybody knows that we have corruption everywhere. For example, we go to the government hospital when we need help, but everybody wants to get better help, to lay in a good room, to eat normal, to have all drugs, and have a good ratio of doctors. And everybody pays the doctors. For us it's normal. I understand that it mustn't be in the hospital. I think it's awful because maybe old women or men don't have money to pay the doctors, but nobody can do anything."

"Corruption in Kyrgyzstan. Government organizations take money. For example, the hospital and police. I think our organizations take money because they have very small paycheck. If our government ups the paycheck for policemen or doctors they will not take the money from us."

Aksakals in Kyrgyzstan

First year law students (college freshman) in northern Kyrgyzstan wrote the following essays on aksakals ("white beards" in Kyrgyz or respected elders who process disputes) in Kyrgyzstan:

"Sometimes in Kyrgyzstan's villages we have aksakals but I never saw it. I heard that they give an advice, sometimes, they're like a judge. They make decisions, but sometimes it's illegal. It's bad, but if somebody rapes another person, this girl must go to the police, but sometimes the police can't do something with it and then the girl goes to the aksakal and they help her in this situation. I think, it's good in the situation, where the Police- can't do anything."

"When my sister divorced, with her husband she went to aksakal. They gave her an advice and then she took her child. I think that it is a good idea to have in our country aksakal."

"One husband beat up his wife because he was drunk and his wife went to the aksakal. And the aksakal decided that the husband was guilty. And the aksakal decided that he needed to beat him up because he can't hit his wife. What I think about aksakals is that it is a bad system because aksakals don't have law."

"When a husband and wife divorce then an aksakal gives their opinion about that."

"I understood many things. The family (aksakal) elder is a person who plays a big role. He solves a lot of things. He is the head."