TAJIKISTAN IS EMOTIONALLY UNAVAILABLE TO COVID – 19

Despite not reporting any coronavirus infections, Tajikistan is more than happy to receive foreign aid for preventing the spread of the virus. The aid comes in the form of cash but also in food supplies and medical equipment. On April 13, the European Union pledged 48 million euros ($53 million) to Tajikistan to help alleviate the possible impact of the coronavirus pandemic. And the World Bank approved an $11.3 million grant for Tajikistan’s Emergency COVID-19 project on April 2. A few days later, the U.S. government promised $866,000 to help increase Tajikistan’s ability to respond to the pandemic.

While the whole world is fighting to find a vaccine for Covid – 19 and people are dying everyday, it seems that Tajikistan will not loose their cool. Maybe the government of Tajikistan is good at ignoring things, emails too, or maybe they are just emotionally unavailable? It appears paradoxical that the coronavirus known as COVID-19 was not found in Central Asia until mid-March. The region’s highly mobile societies border directly on China, with which intense bilateral relationships exist.

By February, authorities had denied rumors circulating on social media, and on March 10, Kazakhstan warned its population that cases should be expected. Three days later, the first COVID-19 infection was confirmed. Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan reported their own first cases shortly thereafter. In all three countries, the official version was that the coronavirus had not been introduced from China, but by travelers from Europe, the United States or Saudi Arabia[1].

It’s interesting at least, that the coronavirus has not yet affected Tajikistan — that of course if the official narrative is to be believed. Mosques were closed at the beginning of March but have since reopened. Otherwise life continues as normal. Although there have been reports of panic buying and steep price rises for staples like flour, cooking oil and sugar, the government has acted with calm.

There are a couple of death cases that raised international eyebrows, The first was the death on the last day of March of a 60-year-old man in the northern Sughd region. Health officials informed the family of the deceased that he had been diagnosed with pneumonia. This death might have gone mostly unnoticed if RFE/RL’s Tajik service, Radio Ozodi, had not reported that the Jabbor Rasulov District hospital, where the man had undergone treatment, was placed under quarantine after his passing. As the broadcaster also reported, the man had recently returned from a wedding in nearby southern Kyrgyzstan, where the epidemic has taken a solid hold. Despite Kyrgyzstan already representing a risk area at the time of his travels, which took place in the last third of March, the man was not placed in preventative quarantine[2].

The authorities have categorically denied that this death was linked to coronavirus, although there are multiple grounds for uncertainty.

Tajikistan has been ruled by President Emomali Rahmon for 26 years. Rahmon’s extended family and network of close associates holds the keys to nearly every critical businesses across the country, from airlines to banks.

In the last five years, Rahmon swept the political field clean: The country’s only significant opposition party, the Islamic Renaissance Party (IRPT) was labeled an extremist organization in September 2015; the leader of another opposition political movement Umarali Quvvatov of Group 24, was assassinated in Istanbul in March 2015.

Like all other Central Asian neighbouring states, the country, led by President Emomali Rahmon since 1994, has been criticised by a number of non-governmental organizations for authoritarian leadership, lack of religious freedom, corruption and widespread violations of human rights.

The ministry of health and social protection says the public should not believe rumors about the epidemic, and the president himself urged people not to panic over the “various infections” circulating globally. The coronavirus is not discussed in schools and universities, despite reader comments online describing school classrooms full of coughing students. While all its neighbors canceled the Persian New Year celebrations on March 20-21, Tajikistan marked the date as normal and held mass events and street festivals that were attended by thousands of people.

In medical terms, Tajikistan is poorly equipped for a national epidemic. The health service is in a catastrophic state and conditions in quarantine facilities are more likely to accelerate than slow the spread of the coronavirus. Not all of the donated equipment will reach its intended recipients — some will find its way to pharmacies that will then sell it on at inflated prices. But the attitude toward the virus is at least as decisive as the question of the provision of basic materials.

According to RFE/RL’s reporting, Tajikistan only has one laboratory capable of processing coronavirus tests. According to official statistics, as of April 27 only 4,100 tests had been conducted for the coronavirus infection in the country of some 9 million.

The public health situation has suddenly become one of the most sensitive subjects for authorities in Tajikistan.

Health officials often accuse the media of “spreading false rumors” and “sowing panic” amid the pandemic. Two local journalists were summoned by police for interrogation in early April after they challenged health authorities at a press briefing. Independent news website Akhbor was blocked on April 22, following its extensive reporting about the rise in suspicious illnesses and deaths in the country.

The government has long been criticized for clamping down on media outlets and preventing freedom of speech, but the coronavirus crisis has made reporting “even harder in Tajikistan,” media watchdog Reporters Without Borders said. Tajikistan went on to see a spike of deaths among health workers and others who died in quarantine after short-term illnesses.

Among them were a hospital cleaner and a doctor, who died within days of each other in two different hospitals in the southern Bokhtar district this month. Officials attributed the deaths to tuberculosis and pneumonia, respectively, and said neither person had COVID-19. Officials are also placing fairly large numbers of people under quarantine in what authorities say is a precautionary measure.

A Tajik political analyst who commented to Eurasianet on condition of anonymity said that he was convinced the government would emulate China’s initial policy of dissembling over any coronavirus cases, even if they are discovered. “Until the virus becomes a mass phenomenon, the authorities will hide the fact. But if it does become a mass phenomenon, people in this country are going to be in trouble because we have a limited number of ventilators,” the analyst said.

Foreign aid still welcome. Despite not reporting any coronavirus infections, Tajikistan is more than happy to receive foreign aid for preventing the spread of the virus. The aid comes in the form of cash but also in food supplies and medical equipment. On April 13, the European Union pledged 48 million euros ($53 million) to Tajikistan to help alleviate the possible impact of the coronavirus pandemic. And the World Bank approved an $11.3 million grant for Tajikistan’s Emergency COVID-19 project on April 2. A few days later, the U.S. government promised $866,000 to help increase Tajikistan’s ability to respond to the pandemic.

Tajikistan, like other Central Asian states, aimed early efforts at then-known hotspots: China and South Korea, then later Italy and Iran. Beyond the impact of corruption — evidenced in rumors that Chinese businessmen returning from New Year celebrations back home bribed their way out of quarantine — there were additional unaddressed routes for the virus to enter the country.

Steve Swerdlow, a longtime human rights activist with a focus on Central Asia, commented that “The initial phase of denialism has given way to widespread panic, and harsh measures being taken by the government.[3]”

While Tajikistan is acting like China, for e.g. President Emomali Rahmon strengthening the idea of a ‘Leader of the Nation’ who is taking care of his people, human rights activist are scared that it might take a brave doctor to break the story open in Tajikistan, as it happened in China with Dr. Li Wenliang[4].

Meral Musli Tajroska – Psychologist, Consultant on violent extremism and radicalization, an activist for gender equality.

Source: The Diplomat, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Fair Observer, F2N2

[1] https://www.fairobserver.com/region/central_south_asia/andrea-schmitz-tajikistan-news-coronavirus-covid-19-central-asia-world-news-27894/

[2] https://eurasianet.org/tajikistan-the-mysterious-deaths-raising-suspicion

[3] https://thediplomat.com/2020/04/are-there-really-no-covid-19-cases-in-tajikistan/

[4] https://f2n2.mk/en/propaganda-in-the-time-of-coronavirus/