DUSHANBE, October 15, Asia-Plus – An article “Central Asia Turning To Civilian Militias To Shore Up Border Security’ posted on Radio Liberty’s website on October 15 notes that Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are taking an extreme step to strengthen security along their borders, but the move is more likely to add to tensions already present along their ill-defined common frontiers, particularly in the Ferghana Valley.

Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are forming something like civil militias to help border guards who are admittedly stretched beyond their limits when it comes to border security, according to the article..

On October 8, Kyrgyzstan’s parliament passed a bill that provides for arming elements of the population living in border areas and training them to work with local border-guard units. These border-guard helpers would be used in “remote mountain areas.” Ideally, these recruits would be hunters.  The state would provide them with uniforms and mobile-communications equipment and pay them a wage for helping border guards keep the watch.

On October 6, Uzbekistan’s government approved regulations for the Chegara Posbonlari (Border Sentinels), volunteer units to assist border-guard forces. The pro-government youth group Kamolot formed such volunteer units -- Kamolot Posbonlari -- back in 2010 to help patrol borders with Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.

There was no mention of arming the Chegara Posbonlari, but they, like their Kyrgyz counterparts, will receive mobile-communications equipment.  

The article notes that smuggling -- from cotton and gasoline to narcotics -- and livestock theft are common along all of Central Asia’s borders.  The problems are particularly acute along the Uzbek-Kyrgyz border owing to the dense population and abundance of land suitable for maintaining herds.  Both countries are on transit routes from narcotics being trafficked out of nearby Afghanistan.

Border guards are often accused of either turning a blind eye to smuggling and rustling by their countrymen or participating in it.

None of the five Central Asian states can claim to have all of its borders demarcated.  The Uzbek-Kyrgyz border might be the worst-defined frontier within Central Asia.

The combination of illegal activity and an unclear border has fueled conflicts between communities on opposite sides of the boundary.  Border guards have often been needed to restore peace between Uzbek and Kyrgyz villagers, but they do naturally tend to side with their countrymen in these disputes.

There is no reason to believe the introduction of these semi-official civilians into the mix would ease, rather than stoke, these conflicts.

RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service quoted an Uzbek border guard as saying that these Posbonlari are already exceeding their authority in some areas where they patrol.  The border guard, who provided information under condition of anonymity, said members of these volunteer border forces have often demanded money to allow people to cross into Uzbekistan.

The article says that Tajikistan has not announced any plans to follow Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan’s example.  But the situation along Tajikistan’s borders with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan is similar to the situation along the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border.  If both the latter countries implement their plans to augment border forces with civilian groups, Tajikistan will almost surely do the same.

Border guards -- Kyrgyz, Tajik, and Uzbek – reportedly exchange fire across the borders of the Ferghana Valley every year.  People are often wounded and sometimes killed.  Adding civil-defense units is likely to bring more casualties and further escalate tensions.