KARAKALPAKSTAN | Uzbekistan's Emerging Uprising?

In July 2022, violent demonstrations broke out in Karakalpakstan, an autonomous republic in Uzbekistan. But while the rioting was quickly contained, it has raised questions about the status of the region and whether we could not see a more serious and prolonged uprising emerge in this important - though long neglected and often forgotten - territory.
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What creates an independence movement? In truth, there are many factors that drive secession. Sometimes it can be caused by an attempt to remove the self-rule of a region that already enjoys autonomy. But could we now see a separatist movement emerge in Karakalpakstan. While little known internationally, this territory has a long and fascinating history. Within the Soviet Union is was passed between Russia and Kazakhstan before becoming an autonomous republic in Soviet Uzbekistan. This made it the only autonomous republic - a second order substate unit in the Soviet Union - in Central Asia. Crucially, following the collapse of the USSR, and the emergence of the newly-independent Republic of Uzbekistan, it retained its autonomous status. More to the point, and extremely unusually in international relations, it was also given a right to secede. As a result, Uzbekistan didn't witness the territorial disputes seen elsewhere. However, Karakalpakstan's autonomy, and its right to independence, have now been questioned by the Uzbek President, Shavkat Mirziyoyev. And it was this that sparked the recent violence. But what could this mean for Karakalpakstan and Uzbekistan in the period ahead?
CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction and Titles
0:39 Secessionism and Karakalpakstan
1:55 Background to Uzbekistan and Karakalpakstan
3:10 Karakalpakstan in the Soviet Union
4:17 Karakalpakstan's Status after Uzbekistan's Independence
5:14 Uzbekistan and Karakalpakstan under Karimov
7:23 Karakalpakstan's Status Under Threat?
8:44 The July 2022 Tensions in Karakalpakstan
9:54 Pro-Independence Sentiment in Karakalpakstan
12:12 What Next for Karakalpakstan?
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FURTHER READING & USEFUL SOURCES
Uzbekistan Government www.gov.uz/en/news/view/34672
Uzbekistan Constitution www.constituteproject.org/con...
Aral. The lost sea. • Full Documentary: "Ara...
Karakalpakstan: A Population in Danger www.aerzte-ohne-grenzen.de/si...
Making Uzbekistan: Nation, Empire, and Revolution in the Early USSR amzn.to/3aOJRvE
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The Foreign Policy of Counter-Secession amzn.to/2Qinm5t
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KEYWORDS
#Uzbekistan #Karakalpakstan #CentralAsia
#InternationalPolitics #CurrentAffairs #InternationalRelations
#Secession #Statehood #Independence
#InternationalLaw #InternationalHistory
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[@JamesKerLindsay]

This really is a fascinating story. Until the violent demonstrations in July 2022, even most seasoned international watchers had probably never heard about Karakalpakstan. And yet it is one of the very few territories in the world that has a constitutional right to independence. But theory and practice are two very different things. Do you think it will want to now use its right to secede after the recent violence? And, if so, will the Uzbek government let it?

[@georgewright4285]

I don't think that short, medium or long term karakalpakstan would benefit from it as it's a really, really poor region with not much going for it

[@FlamingBasketballClub]

Do you believe if Karakalpakstan were to gain independent right now or in the near future, would Russia try to gain control of that region?

[@ryancresswell4398]

So long as there are natural gas reserves in the Karakalpakstan region to exploit, the Uzbek government will never release the region. The CSO will support military action by the Uzbeks to keep control over the region

[@FlagArmadaProductions]

@@georgewright4285 it should join Kazakhstan, it is a much richer country

[@FlamingBasketballClub]

@@FlagArmadaProductions Kazakhstan isn't doing well as right now.

[@stayhappy6177]

Thank you so much for bringing up this news about my country. I'm from Karakalpakstan. Unfortunately the situation is really bad. People are afraid to talk about politics, about their opinions. When the government start to tell there will be amendments on Karakalpak constitutions, most of my relatives were afraid to call to the call center just to say they are against for the changes. As we now see most of my friends are kidnapped and arrested just for being in the peace meetings and showing they are tired of this dictatorship. The dead people are being burned by military. We want our independence. I'm not sure of course if this happiness will arrive in one day but we still hope in silence. The number of diseases for cancer and tuberculosis are tremendous. The poverty , no water to for plants, the color of the drinkable water in Nukus is brown. The government on purpose make the karakalpak less on statistics. Plus many karakalpak had to leave to neighbor countries to make better life. Incredible amount of people work in Russian and Kazakhstan to make the bread for family. We just pray for the justice and for the independence.

[@omonatilim]

Алдайбермесе...

[@julesmarwell8023]

All mean are born free.. all men should die free...God bless

[@mojewjewjew4420]

@@julesmarwell8023 Separatism doesn't mean freedom

[@mojewjewjew4420]

This is your fault, separatism is not the answer, if you dont like the situation try to make it better or join Russia.

[@elbeknabiyev2533]

Aren't you shame of telling lies. Uzbek and Karakalpaks live happily without any trouble.

[@J_Stronsky]

Been to Karakalpakstan multiple times and walked on the Aral Sea - I wish I could explain to people the extreme environmental destruction, poverty and rampant corruption there. I went in 2016 while Islam Karimov was still around and again in 2019 - things had changed for the better, but it really wasn't enough given all that the Karakalpak people have endured over generations. If there is an serious independence uprising, it would be highly unsurprising.

[@abduashurov818]

Do you think with their independence they will be better off? Since 2017, over $2 billion has been invested in Karakalpakstan by other regions money. And non-Karakalpakstanis make up only a small part of the region. There are also Russians, Tajiks and Uzbeks living there for the most part. Also, they have no thoughts of independence. If you see internal messages from the protesters, they don't want independence (because it doesn't make sense), but only more autonomy.

[@danielyusupov1447]

@@abduashurov818 Yeah, they want more autonomy, in case of independence, they will have only desert as a resource.

[@cocktail2380]

What about Irish independence movement .And Catalonia?

[@robthomas3811]

What about them?

[@stayhappy6177]

We karakalpak want our independence like an oxygen. All the people tell that karakalpak don't want independence are uzbeks or don't us to get better. If we will stay poor after gaining our independence it's our problem to solve.

[@RCSVirginia]

The only thing that I know about Karakalpakstan is that it is the home of The Karakalpakstan State Museum of Art named after I.V. Savitsky that was featured in the film "The Desert of Forbidden Art." It is a fascinating film about an amazing man who worked tirelessly and bravely to rescue and preserve the avant-garde art that Soviet authorities condemned and ofttimes destroyed when it came into their possession. One can watch a trailer for the movie on KZbin.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks so much. It’s fascinating to think it was such a backwater that it became a place where you could escape the supposedly ever watchful gaze of the Soviet authorities.

[@ryanprudente6602]

One of my buddies in high school studied Uzbekistan for a school project and every time Uzbekistan is mentioned I think back to then.

[@Trofusky]

Professor, where do you get your news? The fact I didn’t even know about Karakalpakstan before today makes me think I’d love to see how you keep up with this kind of stuff

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks Mitch. (I’m assuming, you are indeed Mitch! 😃) As you might imagine, I follow a lot of news sources. As a couple of good suggestions, I find that the Reuters newsletter is quite good as they have reporting from around the world. Also, various national sources are great for different regions. The BBC has a lot of great international reporting, especially on Commonwealth countries. France24 is brilliant for places where France has a long interest. DW is also a very reliable source. TRT World and Aljazeera are actually very good on different regions. And Balkan Insight is a favourite for SE Europe. Obviously, it’s important to be aware of where they are coming from. But that’s why it’s always important to cross check things.

[@JohnSmith-mm8yd]

@@JamesKerLindsay Hi prof James, South of Karakalpakstan is mainly consists from ethnical Uzbek population. So if Karakalpakistan gains independence those Uzbeks would want to separate from Karakalpkstan and rejoin Uzbekustan. That is why Karakalpakistan can't get independence from Uzbekistan because otherwise country will face Uzbek separatism.

[@iaw7406]

I learnt about it on bald and bankrupts channel

[@FredoRockwell]

I am rarely as excited as I was to see you've just published a video about Karakalpakstan! Way to go!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks Fredo. In many ways, looking at the background to the situation, it’s utterly remarkable that it’s been so quiet for so long! Most other territories that have been so abused and have a right to secede would have been long gone. I’d love to look into this more. Or perhaps you can track down someone from the opposition there and find out more?

[@FredoRockwell]

@@JamesKerLindsay I'd love to track someone down - if an organized opposition of the sort we're talking about exists. Challenge accepted!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

@@FredoRockwell Good luck! :-) But please do be careful!

[@lucianboar3489]

@@JamesKerLindsay maybe the catastrophe was too traumatic? Like the local psyche is too depressed to consider secession?

[@ekek7]

Thank you for covering this subject. I am from Nukus, Karakalpakstan but I don't live there anymore and have moved to the United States. The information about the Aral Sea is true, however, the "agricultural projects" mentioned include cotton production with forced child labor (a.k.a child slavery) which resulted in many deaths. I was part of the republic wide cotton picking efforts while I was in high school as well. Imagine you start school and trying to make new friends, just to find out, a week later that everyone is being sent to pick cotton for 3 months straight (September, October, November) with no way of leaving or contacting your family. During this time, the government doesn't provide any food or a room to stay. Children bring their own mattresses, food and personal care products. Usually these kids are placed in a school gym and sleep on the ground. I myself slept in a room with 10 other guys on dirt floors with nothing but a mosquito net on the window (no actual glass). Also, usually water is brought in barrels, outhouses and outdoor showers are a norm, no natural gas to cook with, no store or oven, you will have electricity if you are lucky, no ac/heat obviously and no medical attention. Also, the true reason why the amendments to the constitution were proposed is to allow the president to stay in power for 7 years per term (instead of 5) and also RESET the current term of the president to allow him to stay in power for 14 more years (7 years x 2 terms). This would make Shavkat Mirziyoyev the 2nd president from 2016-2026 (current 2 terms) and 2026-2040 (14 more years under new amendments) which totals to 24 years. This is very similar to the previous tyrant president's tenure of 25 years. The reason why I say that its the true reason is because EVEN IF they held a public vote for keep/remove independency of Karakalpakstan, karakalpak people would have been outvoted by the Uzbeks because Karakalpak people are a minority in their own republic. Uzbekistan's government have been moving more and more uzbeks into Karakalpakstan for this exact reason. They even gave a piece of Karakalpakstan's land to Uzbekistan's Khorezm province. Seeing the horrible photos and videos during the days of the protests were heartbreaking to watch. All my friends and family were posting online until the internet shutdown (original cause provided by the government was Excessive Heat but that's just an excuse and no-one buys it). After that there was only silence with no way to contact anyone. I was fortunate enough that international calling was not blocked and was able to talk to my family there and everyone was and is still safe. Currently there is still curfew and the republic is in the state of emergency. People are lining up in front of Police Headquarters because they don't know if their loved ones are dead, injured in a hospital, jailed or have "disappeared". The government has failed its people and even police don't even know where people are because the National Guard and the National Security Service were the ones on the streets shooting and grenading people. I really had hoped that with the new president, things would be different. But Uzbekistan is still the same country foundationally and nothing has improved. They still stick to their silencing, censorship and intimidation tactics that were done under a previous regime. I have heard from many of my friends who live abroad that they were warned by the National Security Forces via fake social media accounts to not post anything or upon their return, they would end up as Dauletmurat Tajimuratov (who is the journalist mentioned at 9:00 who initially sent letters to the Karakalpak Senate/Congress asking for a peaceful protest permission and called people to march the streets peacefully who is now in an unknown hospital in coma and in critical condition). Its truly saddening that Uzbekistan has burnt all the bridges it has been building since 2016. I really had hoped that I would be able to tell people in the US about my home country PROUDLY but there seems to be much much more work to be done still. I encourage everyone to read human rights watch reports and learn more on what Uzbekistan actually is like inside. Thank you again for the video and for listening! If you have any questions that you'd like a native to answer, please feel free to reach out.

[@susanwestern6434]

Thank you for your inside view. I hope your family and friends keep safe.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much. It's comments like this that make doing the channel so worthwhile. It is so important to be able to get an inside view on what is happening. It was so sad to hear about your experiences. I didn't cover the cotton picking, but it was internationally condemned as nothing more than modern-day slavery. It was a horrific practice. I'm so sorry. Thank you so much for the other insights. It is really depressing to see how the progress made since 2016 has now been rolled back. And obviously it will be interesting to see what happens in Karakalpakstan from here on. In the meantime, I hope that your family are safe and well.

[@ekek7]

Thank you very much for the love and support. It is truly appreciated!

[@rustamibragimov9099]

hay Elyor Qarqalpaqlar yeri nishidi Xorazmda oʻzi Xorazm yerinda yashab oʻtribsila ku Qazaqla silari oʻldirganda Xiva xonidan panox soʻrab galdingizla qu Silara yer bardi suv bardi oʻzbekla koʻr boʻlasila yaxshiliki bilmasangizla oʻzi qaraqalpaq dagan xalq qachon koʻchib galdi Xorazm yerlarina tarix oʻqi yaxshilab 2000yildan bari Xorazm xonlar sultonlar shoxlar yashidi verda uy bargani raxmatima amerikada oʻtrib osmana qarab chogʻirasan Karimov dil dayisma san

[@islamgaziev1717]

Hi, I'm from Uzbekistan. It was indeed a surprise to many in Uzbekistan as well. You see Karakalpakstan is a very remote region and you don't often hear about it even in Uzbek news. And generally, people in Uzbekistan do not oppose the government so any sort of meeting or unrest is something unimaginable. But maybe it's also an ethnic difference in the end that Karakalpaks decided to fight for their rights. It might be possible and I heard other people also say that this change about Karakalpakstan was made on purpose to distract everyone from the fact that the president can basically stay for 10 more years in power. Still, in my opinion, it is not the case. Uzbeks, in general, do not confront the government and maybe these are the remnants of the Soviet era and do not really dispute the president's decisions, many would be happy if he stays for 10 years more as a president. Even the first president is still seen as a father figure and respected by many. I think this was a big miscalculation from the government as they thought that Karakalpaks think the same way about the government as Uzbeks do, but as we see Karakalpaks are more ready to show their dissatisfaction with the government and act to demonstrate it. I hope this will all end peacefully but have a feeling that it will all come back once again, many Karakalpaks see Uzbeks as traitors now(from what I hear and read on social media platforms), and quite a few Uzbeks(also based on what I saw on local social media pages) called the protestors separatists, this obviously may lead to further ethnic tensions in the future. Another theory that circulates among people is that this is all provocations from Russians to involve Uzbekistan in more cooperation with Russia and potentially influence us to join CSTO. Also, the official statement from the government was that this is all a foreign provocation. At the moment there is a curfew till the end of July and also limited access to the internet in Karakalpakstan.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much. It is always so great to get a local view. I appreciate it enormously. And I agree. As an outsider lookign at the available evidence, my sense is that this was a grave miscalculation. It was as thought the plan was to amend the constitution and someone thought that if they were changing things then it might be worth getting rid of Karakalpakstan's guaranteed autonomy and right to secede. As someone else pointed out, this is a case of a solution to a problem that simply didn't exist. The things is whether this has now created that problem? And it's really interesting that you raise the Russian angle. I have heard this too. Although there are many comments here suggesting that it is all a US plot. But frankly, I'm not convinced that either was directly involved. Again, I think you're right. This was just a mistake that blew up.

[@islamgaziev1717]

@@JamesKerLindsay the external influence is something local/most of post-Soviet authorities like to use. I'm not sure if they believe themselves that people are not able to organize themselves this way, or they say it for the media to prevent people realizing that such things are possible without any outside influence. What we can say for sure is that this was a cold shower for the president. Interestingly, he went to Nukus 2 days in a row and was returning back to Tashkent for night, despite having a residence in Nukus. Some say he was afraid to stay there given some of local administration buildings were stormed during the first day of protests. The good thing is at least he came there. But you know another thing that is common in Uzbekistan is that when bad happens then it is because president didn't know, but when good happens it is because president personally took it under control. And while majority of people still believe in that, I think Karakalpaks won't believe in this agenda anymore.

[@_Ocariao]

As a future geography teacher and a geopolitics lover, I really appreciate your content, professor. If somehow you beat KZbin's algorithm, you'll be a major channel in the theme. I just think you sometimes repeat the phonetic's tone of the first and last phase of some sentences, just a detail. The informations that you bring us with research and your knowledge are interesting to watch and to get conjecture of the subjects. Wishing luck to you from Brazil's northeast.

[@thetsartank7855]

Agreed, really like the variety off topics he brings up as well. An underrated channel for sure!

[@amantedabahia]

As another northeastern Brazilian and long time supporter of the channel, I second this. Very good to see Brazilians here.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks so much for the feedback. I really appreciate it. The problem is that I have to script the videos very precisely because of the topics I cover. It makes it very tricky for me as this isn’t how I speak in ‘real life’. Even when I lecture I tend to speak off notes and never read. If you watch my Q&A videos, you’ll see what I mean. Those are much more me. And I love doing them for precisely that reason. Very warmest regards from London. :-)

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Indeed Lucas. It’s really nice to see Brazil so well represented. :-) I hope all else is well at your end. Have a great weekend!

[@perihelion7798]

Kaliningrad, and now Karakalpakstan...this channel is certainly providing an interesting geography lesson. If a certain geographical area of a nation is contributing significantly to that countries economy, it will have an uphill fight for independence. This situation reminds me of the Basque Country in Spain. There have been sporadic conflicts in that region, but Spain will not let it go. But many regions desire independence. These situations are very difficult resolve without bloodshed. Karakalpakstan is another example.

[@lucianboar3489]

I don't think it contributes that much, but another region of Uzbekistan (Khorezm) would be an enclave if Karakalpakstan were independent in its current borders.

[@iskanderaga-ali3353]

Separatism is rarely caused by economic interests, not by them alone

[@JamesKerLindsay]

You might wants to have a word with the Scots about that! Seriously, you are right. It’s rarely one factor just on its own. It’s a combination. But one factor can really drive it forewarn. And in some cases that is an economic issue. Catalan separatism is another good case in point. And was Slovenia’s exit from Yugoslavia.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks so much. This was a particularly unusual case as it wasn’t on anyone’s radar even a month ago. Spain is a fascinating case. It takes such an absolutist position on secession. It simply refuses any discussion on the issue. Ironically, in the case of Catalonia, that seems to have driven up pro-independence sentiment more than anything. People didn’t seem to want it. But when told that there was no way they were even allowed to consider it, they started to shift.

[@mathewvanostin7118]

Kaliningrad isnt interested in becoming independant 😂 they feel very russian Altho if kaliningrad was offered to become german. And the russian citizen would get german passport/eu passport immediatly. This could work! Since russian see rich countries of europeean union as a major increase of quality of life Germany can always offer to buy kaliningrad in exchange for huge money. They should of had done that in the 1990s 2000s when russia was poor and needed lot of cash Trying to engeneer a coup or manipulate part of locals to join independance movement is not the way to go anymore. Since russian are aware of the tricks and will respond firmly if necessary The best way is just to offer to buy the territory in exchange of massive money like the alaska deal back in the late 1800s

[@tamu7243]

Karakalpakstan lies in a very difficult position. The Amu Darya / Panj River contributes to essentially all of Karakalpakstan's freshwater resources. This river and it's tributaries originate in the Tajik and Afghan highlands, and runs through Turkmenistan before arriving in Karakalpakstan. Uzbekistan has way more political and military power to make sure that this river is not interrupted with damming or further pollution than an independent Karakalpakstan would have. Though I would fully support the Karakalpak people and their right of autonomy, I don't see it becoming an independent nation would be a good strategy. It still rely too heavily on Uzbekistan's protection of their water resources, something they could not give up.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks so much. Great points!

[@martinhaaland7457]

I do predict revival of Aral Sea in the future. However, it will not happen if Mirziyoev doesn't reach economic plans. Water channel from Kaspiy to Aral would cost a few billions, which is a thing Uzbekistan can't afford right now. Today's government does the opposite of previous govertments unfriendly policy towards neighbors including Karakalpakstan. Therefore Karakalpakstan seeing Uzbekistan as his brother would benefit him. We are indeed brothers.

[@youknowmyfirstlastname3206]

Nope Turkmenistan/Uzbekistan dumps salty water from to retrieve aral sea. (Actually Afghanistan and Tajikistan dumps their dung

[@tamu7243]

@@youknowmyfirstlastname3206 But if Karakalpakstan was independent, Uzbekistan could use their power over the waters to controll Karakalpak politicians, then essentially making their independence redundant. A country that cannot control their own water resources are the weakest and most fragile countries. Iraq for example have all their rivers have their origin in the Turkish and Syrian mountains. Turkey and Syria have both dammed all rivers flowing into Iraq. The Tigris and Euphrates only has 30% of it's pre-damm volumes, which has devestated the Iraqi agriculture, and with more and more frequent droughts, Iraq's once super fertile farmlands is becoming desertificated. Other examples would be Egypt and Sudan, who have their water resources originate mainly in Ethiopia with the Blue Nile. India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia having their most important rivers originating in China, with rivers such as the Ganges, Irrawaddy and Mekong. This is why I think Karakalpakstan sould stand powerless as an independent country. At least while countries like Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan remain as authoritarian as they currently are.

[@rustamibragimov9099]

​@@JamesKerLindsay Oʻzbekla Hechqachon hechkima yomonliq atmagan Uzbekistan and Karakalpakstan one natsional

[@ABCantonese]

This is an important story. Aral sea and cotton fields aside, even if you have come across Nukus and Karakalpakstan, there's nothing really pushing you inside and take a look, let alone understand and empathize. This video did the job.

[@michaels.6141]

Thank you for always bringing light on important topics with such insight and impartiality. You certainly are way better than most other information sources.

[@miketackabery7521]

Gosh I'm so glad you have this channel Mr Ker-Lindsay! Real background and depth. Excellent to hear about places off the mainstream's radar, and by someone with a real depth of knowledge. You must love doing research!

[@andriesvisagie]

Thank you for the insightful analysis .

[@ivandinsmore6217]

I had never heard of Karakalpakstan until TLDR news did a video on the subject today. Interesting that you have also talked about it too. Excellent video.

[@dainomite]

Very interesting topic!!! Thanks for doing a deep dive on a very obscure topic James! I’m always learning so much about these topics, I love it! See everyone in the next video!

[@crose7412]

@dainomite TLDR Global have also covered this topic today therefore it is becoming less "obscure".

[@TheLocalLt]

Thanks for doing this video professor, this was a great introduction to a topic I knew nothing about; very sad though to hear about the deaths. It’s been quite fascinating reading all the comments from locals or emigres. This is definitely a complicated issue with many factors. Thanks so much for providing a great forum to talk about this issue that really deserves a lot more global attention!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks LocalLt. It was so interesting to research this case. So unusual in many ways. And the fact that this was a completely unforced error by the Uzbek president makes it so interesting. I hope all else is well with you.

[@aydoskonys7854]

Thank you so much!

[@nut6043]

Great video that brought this issue to light!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks so much. It is certainly one of the more obscure issues I have covered. It's just very sad that it has come to international attention in the way that it has.

[@scottlyons8130]

Wonderfully done and informative. Thank You !!!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much!

[@scottlyons8130]

@@JamesKerLindsay My pleasure. Your channel is wonderful, very informative and most importantly null ideology just facts. So wonderful and so rare in this age of hyperpartisan. Your information is so easy to track and follow. Your students are lucky, wish I had you for my poly sci class.

[@dr.dileepjamma3778]

Thank you, This is a new topic for me and I thought of asking.

[@eol6632]

Great work as always

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you very much!

[@peterjaniceforan3080]

Excellent presentation, thank you.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much!

[@EdMcF1]

The Shade of the former People's Commissar for Nationalities, Mr Josef Dzughashvili, still haunts this region.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Absolutely! You are so right. (I had that in the original script, but had to cut it out to try to keep things focused.)

[@radicalmind5742]

Stalin was a Russified Georgian.

[@Asamations]

I had to replay that bit from 3:29 onwards so many times! I love maps so bad. And to see the Russian Empire expand was so satisfying. 😂 The Google Earth map at the start was also enjoyable. Out of interest, how did you make the Russian Empire map expansion? Like what app did you use? Anyways, putting the maps aside, another excellent informative video James. I knew 0 about this dispute. Which is why I did recently watch a couple of videos on Uzbekistan as I wanted to understand this dispute better. Yours was easily the most helpful to give me an overview on the situation. Thanks!

[@ShubhamMishrabro]

This map style looks very similar to the map used by real time history

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks Asa. I hoped you might pick up on this and appreciate it! :-) I’ve decided to try to up my mapping game. I did the Russia one on After Effects. (But it was quite basic. I’m not sure it wouldn’t have been easier from within FCPX with my trusty Photoshop and some other tools.) I’ve also been playing around with Google Earth studio. That initial graphic of Karakalpakstan from altitude was done on that. It’s incredible and very easy to work out quickly (which AE isn’t!) But it’s when you team them up together that you can get some truly mind blowing results. By the way, if there’s one channel that is amazing for mapping and effects it is Boone Loves Video kzbin.info Seriously, the guy is amazing! If you haven’t seen it, I’m sure you will love it.

[@Asamations]

@@JamesKerLindsay Ha ha. I've seen Jason's videos. He's excellent isn't he? Keep up the great work! :)

[@CrocodileWhispers]

Thank you for your analysis. Enjoy ur vids

[@dso4594]

What an excellent channel. Thank you for your hard work.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much!

[@vkrgfan]

Aral Sea disappearances is one of the biggest environmental disasters. I’m from the region, when I was born Uzbekistan and Karakalpakstan were still part of Soviet Union, back then people had better economic conditions, however that time is when Soviet authorities began diverting water from two major rivers Amu Darya and Syr Darya for cotton irrigation. That’s when Aral Sea began to shrink, though some engineers raised concerns about it, one Soviet ecologist stated that Aral Sea is the “mistake of nature” and that area can be used for other agricultural needs. The problem is that there was a fishery industry which completely collapsed with the disappearance of the Sea. People had no work, no money no resources after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, all engineers were gone, many gone back to Russia, some left to Western countries. Uzbekistan and Karakalpakstan were left to deal with it on their own, try continued cotton production despite many warnings, because they didn’t have any others consistent resource to keep the economy running plus Uzbek President Karimov completely failed in his economic strategy, with him in power corruption exploded he also thought that the USA will be the “ new economic partner” but turned out they came to use Uzbekistan as a military base because it borders with Afghanistan. So eventually he realized that Americans don’t really care and he asked them to withdraw. Anyway, it is a tragedy, I still have a close family there, they said some things are improving but mostly in the capital in surrounding areas there is still a lot of poverty and corruption.

[@imnotanalien7839]

Really interesting and informative.

[@BajanEnglishman51]

Nice of you to shed light on this region

[@profesor1992able]

Fantastic. Expected this issue to be covered!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much Albert. It was a brilliant suggestion! :-)

[@profesor1992able]

@@JamesKerLindsay Thanks for taking my suggestion into account dear Professor. If you do not mind I will be always glad to offer topics for your consideration.

[@marvin59vongeest79]

Great channel ! Always interesting. Thanks...

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much! Always appreciated.

[@dodation]

Territories of all of the post soviet countries is a very controversial topic especially in Central Asia. The map was literally drawn by the Lenin first and Stalin later. All the Stan countries are planned so there would always be an unrest in the region. Would love to hear about it more from you sir

[@kristJ25]

I have heard about this and was interested in these Stan lands. I got lost in main stream . Thank you for refocusing my mind.❤

[@saifurkhan300]

Very good and informative report. This is a new geopolitical crises and your report will help people to learn a lot of Uzbekistan. Thank you very much.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much.

[@andrewsarantakes639]

Great video. It seems the fall out from the effects of the Soviet Union have had such long lasting negative impact on societies. So much irony given that a country which gained its independence from the Soviet Union would havevits current political actors prevent a part of the country from breaking away. As always, thanks for great content presented without any political bias. Keep up the excellent work.

[@somefatbugger]

Enjoy your videos immensely. Cheers

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks so much Shaun. I really appreciate it.

[@somefatbugger]

@@JamesKerLindsay no worries. It's great to listen to all your analyses.

[@peterkops6431]

Thanks Prof 👍🏻👍🏻

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks a lot Peter.

[@santbibliophile]

I hope you find time in the future discussing Bangsamoro and Mindanao secessionist movements in the Philippines. As per usual, good job on this video. 👏

[@vidiot9000]

Excellent video. Thank you for all your work! As a video professional I have one tiny little suggestion, during your recordings turn down the screen brightness on the screen behind you in an otherwise wonderful looking and sounding production.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much for the tip. I appreciate it enormously! I have long struggled with lighting and sound, but it has been getting better. This really helps. I'm actually going to be changing my set up soon and so I am experimenting with some changes. Many thanks again!

[@LuisRomeroLopez]

First english channel I find talking about the current situation on Karakalpakstan. I'm suscribing!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks. And a very warm welcome to the channel! It is a fascinating topic. And it could well be a situation to watch.

[@LuisRomeroLopez]

@@JamesKerLindsay Thant you for the content and the topic!

[@igorbrille8222]

Thank you for bringing an quiete unknown area into the community's attention

[@thomwitteveen2886]

Really like your video's!

[@mariosbardis4831]

Very interesting video! It is good to see tooics being covered in this channel that almost nobody in the Western World has ever heard of. Another interesting topic I think you should make a video about is Kabylia and the struggle for self determination of the Kabyle people. I think it is an unknown topic but can be expanded to cover the struggles of the Berbers to maintain their ethnic identity and oppose to Arabisation by their states (mainly Algeria and Morocco). Greetings from Limassol!! 🇨🇾🇬🇷

[@HIFsm99]

Thanks for JKL. In this world of turmoil , confusion and unrest I just love these videos.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks so much. It isn't always easy covering so much turmoil. Worrying times!

[@maciejn5920]

Interesting! I don't watch any news, I just learned about this because I wanted to see an in-depth video about Karakalpakstan.

[@MazzaEliLi7406]

Thank you.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks.

[@michaelhall7546]

Stir'em up James Ker 😁

[@ShubhamMishrabro]

I heard about it some weeks ago. I also learned many autonomous regions of central asia especially in Afghanistan and Tajikistan populated by pamiris

[@Xavyer13]

I literally learned so much. I didn't know about anything of these things

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks so much. To be fair, until very recently I don’t think anyone did! It was fascinating to run a search on Karakalpakstan in things like the New York Times and The Economist. Next to nothing showed up. Apart from the Aral Sea catastrophe, this really has been a completely forgotten part of the world for decades!

[@nozzk]

James, please consider doing a video on Norfolk Island. They had their autonomy within the commonwealth of Australia revoked a few years ago and the islanders have been calling for independence ever since.

[@user-rw4kz5vt5l]

Thanks

[@peterkops6431]

You are filling a large gap in worldwide current affairs. And it is a gap that needs addressing. Understanding what is happening in more remote regions helps shape an understanding and appreciation of our place in the West. I really appreciate and enjoy your coverage.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much Peter. That’s incredibly kind of you to say. I love making the videos, despite the rather grim topics I have to cover.

[@michealoflaherty1265]

I love Prof Ker-Lindsay's "just the facts" approach.

[@ometriaslong3069]

Is Karakalpakstan's constitutional right to secession based on a referendum exclusively among the residents of Karakalpakstan proper or the entirety of Uzbekistan? If the former isn't explicitly spelled out expect Tashkent to use interpretive machinations to claim the latter.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks. Really good question. It is unclear. It could mean the inhabitants of Karakalpakstan. Or it could mean the Karakalpakstan people. Interestingly, by convention, self-determination votes aren’t usually held across the wider country as a whole. It is up to the self-determination unit. Hence Scotland, not the whole of the UK; Quebec not the whole of Canada; Montenegro, not including Serbia; and South Sudan, but not the rest of Sudan.

[@CATDHD]

Thanks for the video - learnt a lot about my own country. No sarcasm

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much. It is such an interesting story. I was actually discussing it with someone from Uzbekistan this morning.

[@bramsturk619]

Great video Professor! When independence does happen, are there any more regions in central Asia at (risk) of seccesion? Maybe in Uyghuristan? Or even in Northern Iran?

[@lincolnlog5977]

Balochistan is one I think he’s covered

[@cocktail2380]

No way .China is too strong

[@lincolnlog5977]

@@cocktail2380 People we’re saying the same thing about Russia before they went after Ukraine

[@nabilalhami1681]

Back to Central Asia, I see. Also 'Uzbek unrest' seems to be quite a catchy title for a thumbnail.

[@joanofarc6402]

Thank you so much for this overview !! I know so little about this area of the globe and how they were incorporated into the Soviet Union.

[@the0ne809]

If I'm not mistaken, in that region of Uzbekistan, gas fields were discovered. That could change the whole dynamic on how this situation pans out.

[@MyKarur]

Another useful video James on a region and subject that is not discussed in mainstream media.In my view, concept of Nation States is a modern concept and this has always been geopolitical.One day,region is under Soveiet Union and the next it is transferred to ...;. The problem is to group all Central Asia as Turkik and Muslim.This is a broad category but does not allow subtle cultural and ethnic commonalities.The reality is that most people in Central Asia udentify with their ethnic and cultural group and less with the State.

[@farajaraf]

I find it very interesting. I’ve heard about it before and always wondered what’s up with its huge size and small population.

[@falsevacuum4667]

Arid conditions will usually do that.

[@loadingbmode7617]

Will you be discussing the Sri Lanka situation or not?

[@Aussie-Mocha]

Just found this channel! I have only been learning about Geopolitics and global power struggles between our major economies and natural resources since 24 Feb 2022. What I can see is quite intense and in some cases scary . The fight for freedom, independence, sovereignty, a fair and just system of government “for the people with the people” are up against Imperial and Communist regimes who want to control everything. These regimes have existed for Millenniums. The West in my eyes is a new idea of regime only a few centuries old that allows any country to hold on to their culture and identity but will be allied and replicate certain economic, government and military structures that are designed to help countries support each other. AKA - NATO & EU It’s definitely not a perfect system yet and it clearly has much corruption amongst it and definitely a lot of Spies that feed information back to the old Regimes. Secret services are definitely underestimate. And not enough regular people understand or realise just how much influence and manipulation can be done by these agencies. Hope to see more great videos here 👍🏻

[@user-ux3zl6cf1h]

Thanks for the video. I am karakalpak, I live in Nukus.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you. I hope that it was a fair and accurate account of what has happened?

[@thomasjohnson2862]

Great work James! Got a question, and a kind of basic one: why do autonomous agreements on governance exist? What’s in it for the central state like Uzbekistan if they grant Karakalpakstan autonomy? I’m trying to understand why autonomous agreements exist, when under autonomy, a region could become de facto independent?

[@LansanaDia]

Can’t speak for James but as someone from the UK with three semi autonomous regions/nations (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) there are various reasons. First, clearly different traditions and roles in history make a uniform national identity in some states incredibly difficult e.g Protestant Calvinism in Scotland as opposed to the less hardline Protestant Anglicanism in England, and with Wales the still living and in use Welsh language in parts of Wales making it completely different from English. Whilst Scotland is no longer really a practising majority Calvinist nation that tradition along with the Anglo-Scottish wars and its own legal tradition has created a distinct culture difference between the Scots who make up about 10 percent of the UK’s population and the English who are closer to 85 percent. Even with Wales which has been dominated for longer by the English and has the same law code the presence of Welsh as a language even if it is shrinking slowly year on year has prevented anglicisation in the way which happened with Cornwall. Cornwall is another region of the UK which was once independent of England, had a language not dissimilar to Welsh but now nobody seriously considers a ‘nation’ as the language was firmly driven out apart from lingering sentiment of being Cornish the reality is the area is firmly part of England and everyone thinks of them as English. However the way this was achieved would be seen as brutal in the modern era and basically an example of blatant racism. This issue of regional identity has been faced by multiple European states with various ways of handling the issue. If we look at France for example we now think of it as one nation France but if we were to go back 500 years Britanny Normandy and Provence all had very divergent languages and traditions from Paris and had people who would not have considered themselves French. The solution to this in the 19th century amongst the French elite was to enforce French language in schools and for any job that gave social mobility to purposefully kill of nationalisms that rivalled the French one. This would involve the beating of school children for speaking their language as opposed to the ‘national language’ and the discrimination of people speaking the local language with elite society seeing it as a mark of stupidity and low class. England did this to varying degrees in Ireland, Wales and Cornwall with considerable success but not as completely as the French. It benefits the UK to grant some autonomy as excluding another controversial round of anglicisation (which probably would increase support for independence in these territories) it allows the Celtic nations to feel like their distinctness is recognised whilst maintaining most major powers in the central government in London. Second geography The geography of lowland England is incredibly different even from northern England let alone the highlands of Scotland, southern England the UK’s population hub is fertile has good links to the continent and is a mild climate. This means the English approach to individualism is somewhat different from a more collectivist idea that is not uncommon to find in Scotland where the environment (far less fertile, far from the continent, colder and more mountainous) has meant a lot more reliance on others and a more hard headed approach to life and scepticism towards wealth and ostentation (though that also comes with Calvinism). Granting Scotland autonomy not only recognised this difference (Scotland having some powers to raise taxes on social spending and I believe agriculture) but also is a ploy by the UK to keep Scotland which comprises about a third of the UK’s territory from leaving the UK as without this land the UK’s nuclear submarines would have difficulty finding a place to operate out of whilst providing a 24 hour nuclear deterrent. The reality though is that granting autonomy is hardly unproblematic, come any crisis it means that there is an incentive of parties in the devolved government to blame the central government for its problems and because the territory has been granted autonomy due to its different ‘national’ characteristics it can then start claiming the territory is a nation and would be better governed independently. Paradoxically it also increases the profile of independence parties but not always feelings towards independence. For example more people vote SNP (Scottish National Party) in Scotland than for other parties in Scotland yet less voted yes for independence and even today support for independence in Scotland is about the same as it was polling in the independence referendum. Some of this is likely due to a feeling on the part of voters that they want a strong voices fighting for Scotland’s interests but that they don’t necessarily believe that they want this party to take them out of the union. Basically the issue is a tricky one if you have regions that are peripheral in terms of population but not in terms of land then you can see how a situation can develop where the centre gets all the attention but the outer nations opinions get repeatedly ignored and they feel like a colony of the bigger nation. If you press on and attempt to suppress the nationhood of these areas through violence not only is this morally wrong in the modern era it does opposite of what you want and leads to a stronger feeling of separatism (e.g not in a completely dissimilar way what is going on with Russia and Ukraine). Interestingly enough we are seeing the reemergence of this tension between heartland and perceived periphery in the USA. A part of America feels that it’s stance and traditions when it comes to religion, abortion and firearms are being eroded by other Americans in populous coastal states. The growing centralisation of America might be the thing which actually undermines its national cohesiveness. Institutions like the Supreme Court to me as a Briton seem ways in which Americans seek to resolve these issues leading to a winner takes all approach which drives the nation further apart and a previously unthinkable secession movement appearing in some states whether blue or red in the next couple decades if nothing changes.

[@c.t.8614]

Great video, and informative as always! Can you do an episode on Saudi Arabia-Israel relations. As it seems possible that in the near future the Saudis will soon recognize the Israeli state and create diplomatic relations between the two nations. And how would that effect the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks C.T. Great suggestion. This picks up on something we saw at the end of the Trump Administration when Bahrain and the UAE announced their recognitions. It's an open secret that Israel and Saudi Arabia actually have quite good relations. But it would be really interesting to take a look at the problems behind this. I've marked it down. Let me think about it.

[@aaronjones8905]

The fact that the president responded to the protests by removing the amendment shows a surprising desire to avoid at least the appearance of a brutal dictator. It could possibly be beneficial to the efforts to save the Aral Sea if Karakalpakstan did secede considering only Kazakhstan has managed any real reforms.

[@HydraulicAmerica]

Amudarya river dries out before it reaches Karakalpakstan. Karakalpakstan cannot save the Aral Sea. It becomes even more unlikely if it secedes. Because if it does secede, for Uzbekistan Aral sea becomes somebody else's problem and water will be diverted from the river even more by Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

[@mirandapillsbury7885]

The Aral Sea cannot be saved. Even if you dump in tons of water it is evaporating and creating high salinity. It will never be the same again.

[@gustavoganismo206]

@@HydraulicAmerica Perhaps Karakalpakstan would wish to join Kazakhstan - a much wealthier country, whose language is sometimes considered to be the same as Karakalpak.

[@HydraulicAmerica]

@@gustavoganismo206 All of the Central Asian nations are Turkic in origin except for Tajiks. And when they say Karakalpak is closer to Kazakh, it does not necessarily imply that Uzbeks and Karakalpaks are different people. So argument of joining to Kazakhstan because they are close doesn't really hold ground. And people just misunderstand the real prosperity of Kazakhstan. It is prosperous in general terms and 4 times higher GDP per capita figure compared to Uzbekistan but income inequality is far worse in Kazakhstan. Once you get out of big cities like Almaty, Astana it is the same living conditions as in Uzbekistan, maybe a bit better but not much. So Karakalpaks will not gain much or any economic favors from their new Kazakh overlords. And I dont think Kazakhstan would want to do anything with Karakalpakstan either. Remember everyone is Turkic in Central Asia and whoever kicks the balls of their own brother by taking their territory, will face the wrath of everybody else in the region. And you also have to keep in mind that military age population of Uzbekistan is same size as the whole population of Kazakhstan. So there is direct military action waiting to happen if Uzbekistan gets even a hint of conspiracy from Kazakhs. Moreover, there are some sizable Uzbek minorities living in the south of Kazakhstan. Maybe Uzbekistan will support their desire to join Uzbekistan. This is the card that Uzbekistan can easily play if push comes to shove. Generally speaking, every country in Central Asia has minorities living within their border and it could easily become Balkan 2.0 and the only thing that is keeping the stability in the region is the trust and lack of reasons for conflict and no one including Kazakhstan would want to change it.

[@Cr4pSnip3r]

Can't pretend to know much about this issue but I found the video very interesting. Hopefully we can avoid violence again, we see far too much of it at the moment.

[@Sneikki]

Weird to think that Tajikistan has basically the same situation with Gorno-Badakshan. This too could blow up any minute now that everyone is seeing Russias weakness.

[@RCSVirginia]

My guess would be that the Soviet-style irrigation and water usage in Central Asia is probably some of the most wasteful in the world. That certainly makes the environmental degradation even worse. Countries in drier areas of the globe could certainly benefit from adopting Israeli methods of managing water in both agriculture and human settlements.

[@mauriceoreilly9955]

In your introduction, I thought were talking about Scotland rather than a region of Uzbekistan!

[@tommyboxeo6632]

Hey James, can you do a video on New Caledonia? Its a pacific island that wants independence from France and i think they already did a referendum on it if im not mistaken.

[@FlamingBasketballClub]

I thought the professor spelled something wrong 😅😂

[@nielsreyngoud2870]

Interesting! It’s a place on my bucketlist to visit. Would love to go to Moynak and stand on the ‘shores’ of the former Aral Sea. Did you know the region was also home to a deadly chemical facility? Kantubek on a former island in the Aral Sea.

[@CATDHD]

there is a open air music festival in Moynak, in the cemetery of boats every year now. somewhere in april-may it happens. it's good bit of fun.

[@jkmcgregor7797]

I think you should do a video on Nagalaim independence movement..the nagas declared independence in 1947

[@joshadams8761]

Given that the Republic’s population is only 1/3 Karakalpak,secession seems unlikely.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Perhaps not if one also factors in that a quarter is Kazakh.

[@joshadams8761]

@@JamesKerLindsay Agreed. The question is to what extent will Kazakh-Karakalpak solidarity manifest.

[@edwardsnowden8821]

@@JamesKerLindsay ethnic cleansing also works you can ask abkhazia, South ossetia and artsakh how they did it.

[@roots5070]

Can you make one video how would be if Kosov and Albania unite how different and strong country would be with economy with army with population etc.

[@tomsheppard378]

Would it be hard for such an area to be independent? It sounds like they would have severe economic problems if independent. It seems regional powers arent keen, I heard that India is supportive of the Uzbekistan regime. I dont know how others feel

[@jomartjolaman6075]

They won't survive on their own without governance either from Kazakhstan or Uzbeks, the Aral sea is drowned which leads to toxic sand storms because of the minerals and there is nothing to grow or to develop in agriculture there because of that

[@jomartjolaman6075]

You also should consider karakalpaks are very religious and have bad education and infrastructure

[@lucianboar3489]

It would have been a very interesting independent country had the original Aral Sea survived. And survived in its more pristine form, like before the '50s or WW2. Or if instead of agriculture that diverted the water from the rivers that fed the sea, the new industry developed on its shores would have been tourism. I heard that the mostly dried now delta of Amu Darya was very beautiful and biodiverse. It could have been a Central Asian Botswana with not just the Okavango Delta but also a huge lake/small sea taking up a third of its area.

[@gustavoganismo206]

@@jomartjolaman6075 Perhaps Karakalpakstan would wish to join Kazakhstan, a much wealthier country whose language is sometimes considered to be the same as Karakalpak.

[@jomartjolaman6075]

@@gustavoganismo206 yeah karakalpaks may want to join Kazakhstan cause our languages practicly speaking are the same exlucuding some little changes in vocabulary, but I don't expect anyone except some sofa lying nationalist would want it to join Kazakhstan cause there are little no benefits to Kazakhstan if they join it

[@ryanprudente6602]

It’s not too similar, but this reminds me of the conflict in Tigray a little bit.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks. I can see that. (And I really must take a look at it again soon.) But the one this really reminds me of is actually Balochistan.

[@ryanprudente6602]

@@JamesKerLindsay now that you say that I agree with you. I think the conflicts Balochistan and Karakalpakstan are most similar to each other in the way they were both kind of forced into unification with Pakistan and Uzbekistan. I hope Karakalpakstan doesn’t go down a similar path as did Balochistan since the situation there with the violence is pretty bad. The way Karakalpakstan reminded me of Tigray was the both have a constitutional right to secession and there were plans to reduce autonomy of both regions.

[@Michael0697]

4:25 an interesting thought for discussion: I wonder what would have happened had the Soviet Union's disintegration been followed by an honest realignment of state borders according to people-led referenda.

[@avantelvsitania3359]

A very interesting topic worth keep following. I think a very important aspect in this situation, when we we ask “Will Karakalpakstan secede?”, is if the authorities in Nókis are really representing its population. As we know the “autonomous” republics of Russia are in fact under the direct control of Moscow (for now), that directly appoints its ruling class to act as puppets. Uzbekistan is not of the dimension of Russia, but neither Karakalpakstan has the resources or industry of many Russian republics. In fact, as these events show its existence is barely acknowledged by the international community. In fact, Karakalpakstan is scarred by one of the worst ecological disasters on History that reduced it to misery and general oblivion. In this regard, a very important question is precisely if the authorities in the autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan are really autonomous, or the region is just powerless and dependent on Tashkent that is in control of who administers the region. Because, if Uzbekistan controls the deputies of the regional assembly and the “autonomous” government, than a referendum will hardly happen. But of course, the sudden unrest seems to be another indication that things are changing in Central Asia. Even if the current regional administration is dependent on Tashkent, a real representative movement may be gaining momentum. We shall see. Perhaps if Uzbekistan had slowly diverted its economy away from cotton and invested in restoring the flow of the Amu Darya, Karakalpakstan could have seen a restoration of its landscape. Both ecological and human. And this could have harmonized the local population with the Uzbek government. Or in the contrary, it would only give Nókis the early power to secede. If Karakalpakstan really manages to secede, I don’t think it would be an independent Nation. The people should decide, but basing on Historical and cultural ties, it should instead be an autonomous region of Kazakhstan, since Karakalpaks are not only close to the Kazakhs but more of a subgroup of them. In the end this would result in the Aral Sea be under one single Nation, which could help its restoration. Thank you for your work, I shall wait for more!

[@canuckguy0313]

You mentioned that this is one of the few examples of an autonomous area with a constitutional right to secede. I didn’t know there was more than one (or even one until today!). What are (some of) the others?

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks. It’s a strange bunch: Ethiopia, Liechtenstein, and Saint Kitts and Nevis all permit secession under their constitutions.

[@canuckguy0313]

@@JamesKerLindsay Liechtenstein? There’s hardly anything there to secede from! :) (The other two are a little bit of a surprise as well. I know there’s calls in Nevis for independence from time to time but I guess it’s not popular enough to act on. Ethiopia’s a bit of a shocker considering they fought a war to keep Eritrea Ethiopian but I wouldn’t be surprised if their constitution, and that provision, is much newer than 1993 and it was written to prevent another war like that. (However I think they’re also currently fighting wars in a few areas like Tigray and Somali Ogaden to prevent secession despite the constitution)

[@TheLocalLt]

@@canuckguy0313 Ethiopia grants the right to secession because of its history as a multi-ethnic empire, but it’s never really been tested in practice because federalism has never really functioned in the county: the toppling of the rather centralized empire in the 1970s was followed by ~50 years of one-party rule under various centralized communist/socialist regimes which fought numerous wars to stop the secession of regional communist splinter groups such as the Ethiopians and Tigrayans. Only since Abiy Achmed turned the country classicalist does the question really become viable, but even then he is forced to fight those same Tigrayan communists, who tried to retake the Addis Abbaba and who upon failure of that effort retreated to Tigray and essentially remain in defacto secession. Until the country expunges the TPLF from Tigray, along with its proxies elsewhere, and becomes a true classical federal state, preferably with (real) elections, it’s impossible to know what the actual possibility of secession is.

[@meowxxmar]

omg.. i am really don't know what my country so interested, before going to the comments.. i thought that foreign countries treat us like nonames.. 😦 thank you so much, i subscribed!! i live in the capital of Uzbekistan, if anything

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much. And my very warmest greetings from London. Sadly, I’ve never had the chance to visit Uzbekistan. I would love to visit one day. It is such a fascinating country with such an interesting history.

[@zhannaseytbekova9028]

АЗАТЛЫК АЗАТЫЛЫК АЗАТЛЫК БЕРСИН КАРАКАЛПАКСТАНГА 😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@gmuzbekistan5733]

Pashooool naxuy

[@OldFArt-gx9fh]

Sadly and awfully similar to the tragic journey of birth of South Sudan. The news from now on will not get any better unfortunately. Thanks for documenting on this forgotten corner of the world.

[@kristJ25]

Can you talk about Kyabar pass

[@cam._.ar1]

I'm literally an uzbek citizen that left abroad- (Part of the Persian minority) and while we were gone, this chaos started happening?

[@jaymudd2817]

Oblost,haven't seen this word for a while. P.S. You tube kept trying to change it to Oblong.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks. That’s strange. I edited the captions and removed the auto-generated ones. I should have been OK.

[@jaymudd2817]

@@JamesKerLindsay Command Economy and Demographic change caused fall of USSR, Republicans want all the credit, glad I'm Independent

[@psy-lion]

5:08 Liechtenstein??? What?

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Yes, bizarre but true. Even though it is already one of the smallest countries in the world, it does actually permit secession: Article 4, Paragraph 2 Individual communes have the right to secede from the State. A decision to initiate the secession procedure shall be taken by a majority of the citizens residing there who are entitled to vote. Secession shall be regulated by a law or, as the case may be, a treaty. In the latter event, a second ballot shall be held in the commune after the negotiations have been completed.

[@user-zq2es8gc9o]

👍

[@mat3714]

Algorithm

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks so much. Always welcome. :-)

[@diegochristiansen-barker887]

The aftermath of the Soviet Union and the political development of this area of Asia is quite a fascinating topic. How unstable would you say this area is?

[@FlamingBasketballClub]

Which region is the professor gonna cover next? Any guesses?

[@bilic8094]

He should do a video on the US I don't think he did one in a long time.

[@FlamingBasketballClub]

@@bilic8094 Maybe he ain't feeling North American right now 🌚

[@tauceti8060]

Coorperative Republic of Guyana.

[@bilic8094]

@@FlamingBasketballClub Or maybe an on site video in the newly independent DPR LPR that would get crazy views.

[@boburzod]

Historically, when did Karakalpaks move into this area around Aral that was part of the Khiva Khanate? - around 16th century, so it is their like 5th generation living in the region, till then they lived in parts of Kazak steppes. So Uzbekistan or Khwarezm region has much more reasons to keep the region with itself. Ethnically, do Uzbeks really care about these lands or have tension with Karakalpaks? No, they don't. Uzbeks see Karakalpaks as almost a single nation. We dance on their traditional songs, we understand their language to the most part, we recognise that Karakalpakstan has quite special status in the country (even if most don't know it to the word as on constitution) Economically, it is about fourth of the area of Uzbekistan. but doesn't have much contribution to the overall growth. I sometimes wonder "ok so it's independent, then what ?

[@stevennoyb4595]

If they’ve been there for 500 years then that means about 20-25 generations have lived there.

[@Trofusky]

Whenever he mentions the size of the nation relative to the UN I feel that

[@bishopofsahs]

I used to work for URS corporation and they wanted us to go over there and build that airport up I can’t remember the name of the airport

[@roberthoyt7921]

Is Karakalpak independence any closet to reality? If so, how will the world react?