Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DUSHANBE1706
2006-09-13 11:30:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Dushanbe
Cable title:
ROCK AND ROLL IN DUSHANBE
how-toVZCZCXRO1636 RR RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHDBU #1706/01 2561130 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 131130Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8570 INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1816 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1817 RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1761 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1813 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1774 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1703 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1798 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1517 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1535 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1329 RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 1730 RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1784 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 1086 RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW 0018 RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 9982
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 001706
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DS/DSS/ITA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV ASEC KDEM PHUM TI
SUBJECT: ROCK AND ROLL IN DUSHANBE
DUSHANBE 00001706 001.2 OF 002
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 001706
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DS/DSS/ITA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV ASEC KDEM PHUM TI
SUBJECT: ROCK AND ROLL IN DUSHANBE
DUSHANBE 00001706 001.2 OF 002
1. What could cause Tajikistan's youth to swell with anger, defy
laws prohibiting mass gatherings and demonstrations, and take to
the streets of Dushanbe? Were they protesting non-transparent
election practices in Tajikistan leading up to the presidential
election in November? Were they angry over the high unemployment
that sends hundreds of thousands to Moscow as labor migrants? Or
were they embittered by oppressive restrictions stunting freedom
of the media? No! Tajikistan's teens were enraged when
Iranian-born pop star Arash was a no-show at the national
Independence Day celebration concert.
2. On the night of September 10, the 50,000-strong crowd in
Dushanbe's Frunze stadium erupted into what sources call "mass
disorder." Sources say audience members at the free concert
became upset when the internationally renowned pop star failed
to show up. They began to throw bottles and objects at
substitute performers on stage. As a result of the chaos within
the stadium, 30 law enforcement employees and 20 civilians were
injured, according to sources at the Ministry of Interior. Young
men in the audience poured out of the stadium and approximately
half of the crowd proceeded en masse toward the city center. The
crowd, mostly teenagers, threw rocks at vehicles and about 2,000
made their way downtown.
3. In a country where mass gatherings, protests and
demonstrations are illegal without official written permission
from the government, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of
Security officials dispatched law enforcement officers within
half an hour. Officials quelled the incident peacefully within
two and a half hours, detaining 36 people.
4. Arash, the singer at the center of it all, publicly
apologized on national television late that night for not
performing. His band's flight was delayed. President Rahmonov
had invited the singer to perform for Tajik Independence Day
celebrations in Dushanbe and Kulob. The singer promised to
perform September 11 at noon in lieu of the canceled show.
Security was intense at the stadium. Approximately one thousand
security officials were on hand, each with a baton and some with
guard dogs chomping at the bit to curb any sign of unruly
behavior. Authorities confiscated water bottles and evicted
rowdy spectators from the stadium. Besides doing the wave at
least eight times, the crowd was subdued and wary of authorities
and the hour-long concert ended peacefully.
COMMENT:
5. While the reason the young men took to the streets was
apolitical, it does speak volumes of the changing attitudes of
this large Tajik demographic. Young men suffer from Tajikistan's
high unemployment and are becoming the new emerging voice of the
country. Tajiks who lived through the civil war, recoil from
demonstrations or provoking authority, but this younger
generation may have selective or little memory of the civil war
to hold them back.
6. Although security officials cautiously handled the situation,
and managed to handle the crowd peacefully, what was obvious
from the police reaction and subsequent strategy was that they
lack crowd control experience, equipment, and training.
Authorities showed they were not taking any chances by
increasing force at the September 11 concert. Hopefully this
incident will not be a sign to the government to ban future
concerts. Arash's popularity and the prevalence in Tajikistan of
Persian music from western-based pop stars show that pop culture
can be a tool to introduce western ideas and engage an
ever-growing and youthful population that is extremely isolated
and poor.
DUSHANBE 00001706 002.2 OF 002
END COMMENT.
SIGNATURE
JACOBSON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DS/DSS/ITA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV ASEC KDEM PHUM TI
SUBJECT: ROCK AND ROLL IN DUSHANBE
DUSHANBE 00001706 001.2 OF 002
1. What could cause Tajikistan's youth to swell with anger, defy
laws prohibiting mass gatherings and demonstrations, and take to
the streets of Dushanbe? Were they protesting non-transparent
election practices in Tajikistan leading up to the presidential
election in November? Were they angry over the high unemployment
that sends hundreds of thousands to Moscow as labor migrants? Or
were they embittered by oppressive restrictions stunting freedom
of the media? No! Tajikistan's teens were enraged when
Iranian-born pop star Arash was a no-show at the national
Independence Day celebration concert.
2. On the night of September 10, the 50,000-strong crowd in
Dushanbe's Frunze stadium erupted into what sources call "mass
disorder." Sources say audience members at the free concert
became upset when the internationally renowned pop star failed
to show up. They began to throw bottles and objects at
substitute performers on stage. As a result of the chaos within
the stadium, 30 law enforcement employees and 20 civilians were
injured, according to sources at the Ministry of Interior. Young
men in the audience poured out of the stadium and approximately
half of the crowd proceeded en masse toward the city center. The
crowd, mostly teenagers, threw rocks at vehicles and about 2,000
made their way downtown.
3. In a country where mass gatherings, protests and
demonstrations are illegal without official written permission
from the government, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of
Security officials dispatched law enforcement officers within
half an hour. Officials quelled the incident peacefully within
two and a half hours, detaining 36 people.
4. Arash, the singer at the center of it all, publicly
apologized on national television late that night for not
performing. His band's flight was delayed. President Rahmonov
had invited the singer to perform for Tajik Independence Day
celebrations in Dushanbe and Kulob. The singer promised to
perform September 11 at noon in lieu of the canceled show.
Security was intense at the stadium. Approximately one thousand
security officials were on hand, each with a baton and some with
guard dogs chomping at the bit to curb any sign of unruly
behavior. Authorities confiscated water bottles and evicted
rowdy spectators from the stadium. Besides doing the wave at
least eight times, the crowd was subdued and wary of authorities
and the hour-long concert ended peacefully.
COMMENT:
5. While the reason the young men took to the streets was
apolitical, it does speak volumes of the changing attitudes of
this large Tajik demographic. Young men suffer from Tajikistan's
high unemployment and are becoming the new emerging voice of the
country. Tajiks who lived through the civil war, recoil from
demonstrations or provoking authority, but this younger
generation may have selective or little memory of the civil war
to hold them back.
6. Although security officials cautiously handled the situation,
and managed to handle the crowd peacefully, what was obvious
from the police reaction and subsequent strategy was that they
lack crowd control experience, equipment, and training.
Authorities showed they were not taking any chances by
increasing force at the September 11 concert. Hopefully this
incident will not be a sign to the government to ban future
concerts. Arash's popularity and the prevalence in Tajikistan of
Persian music from western-based pop stars show that pop culture
can be a tool to introduce western ideas and engage an
ever-growing and youthful population that is extremely isolated
and poor.
DUSHANBE 00001706 002.2 OF 002
END COMMENT.
SIGNATURE
JACOBSON