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."