For the past month I've been wondering whether to describe the political situation in Khorog. Here goes. In mid-September after the Tajikistan President completed his week-long visit, he publicly announced his displeasure with the level of crime in Khorog. Most of the local administrators were replaced, a military presence was established, and Khorog was given 30 days to improve or else. The crimes were initially described as unregistered vehicles, excessively tinted automobile windows, and unlicensed drivers. Traffice checkpoints were created and in fact the number of vehicles on the roads was significantly reduced. After a few weeks the newspapers reported that other objectives were to confiscate personal weapons (left over from a 2012 conflict) and to capture several "crime lords" who allegedly operate in the region. I have no idea about the underworld here; perhaps drugs and gemstones are being moved but we are a long, long way from any market. Anyway, just before I left for a week-long Fall Break in mid-October, there were reputedly 4000 soldiers stationed in town.
Mostly these actions didn't affect those of us at the university But I did go into town one evening to have dinner with a visiting Fulbrighter, which meant an hour wait for a taxi on the return trip and a few anxious moments when the driver refused to pass through a checkpoint because he didn't have papers. After 15 minutes of waiting in vain for a friend to bring papers, he decided to risk it and passed the checkpoint without much problem. Having two obvious foreigners in the taxi undoubtedly helped.
One act of reconciliation was the appointment of a local, well-respected civil servant as governor of the district. But by early November the inevitable confrontation occurred and a young man was shot by a commander at a checkpoint. Fortunately it was a rubber bullet and the man was ok. But the locals held a rally shortly thereafter, protesting the act and the military presence. Public tensions then appeared to ease off but it's hard to say for certain, since by then Khorog and in fact most of Tajikistan experienced a shutdown of internet services: Facebook, WhatsApp, all other social media, YouTube, all newspapers and media worldwide, and most websites I usually visit were censored. VPNs were blocked. My university maintained email access but Khorog did not. This lasted for about two-three weeks, depending on the location. I don't know how the locals responded but it made a noticeable impact on the expats at the university, including me, who could not keep in touch with family back home. And everyone worried that things would get worse.
By late November the internet was mostly restored (though even now, in early December, a few sites are blocked. And the blockages come and go, indicating Big Brother is still manipulating the system). News reports died down and my Saturday morning trips-to-market seemed as normal as ever. We see soldiers occasionally - they're posted in the hills and occasionally pop out of nowhere when we take our weekend walks along the outskirts of town. As always, they never talk to or harass us; just stare and glare.
Regretfully there was another incident this past weekend. A horrific traffic accident occurred after dark, resulting in three civilian deaths and two others severely injured. The cause was an out-of-control SUV driven by a soldier who was allegedly under the influence. A mob formed but accounts differ as to whether they did anything before the police restored order. No update from online newspapers though social media is apparently quite active.
This is the first post without related pictures. Though the checkpoints and hidden soldiers would make for good photojournalism, I've chosen to turn away without pushing anyone's buttons. In fact, I haven't gone into town after dark for almost two months - it's just too much of a hassle. But to end on a positive note, at no time have I or any other university member been personally threatened by any of these activities. For us it's an inconvenience, not a perilous situation.
