Ikram Mameshev: “The time is necessary that the foam would accumulate”

Ikram Gapparovich Mameshev is at the head of the department of the summary analysis and reports preparation of the Ombudsman Bodies of the Republics of Kyrgyzstan. Our conversation with him is about how this institute develops in the country, what are the results of work, how it is possible to affect a situation in such, for example, difficult and delicate sphere, as the international relations:

- Our legislative base considerably stepped forward in comparison with neighbors. It corresponds to the most strict international principles and standards. But other question, of course, how is it carried out in reality?

- It is the eternal problem and not only in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan …

- Remember, how very good laws were created during the time of the Soviet Union and the developers of these laws sat down and explained how it is better to bypass these laws … The law performance was always the weak point.

But I want to say that the situation changes. If earlier they referred to the constitution sometimes, heard that there is any Labour code and the Civil code, so now more and more people who not only heard about it, but also held in hands and applied to protection of the rights. And the segment of the population, differing legal literacy, constantly grows. And the issue is not only of our capital.

I will give such example. I was in Osh during the tragic events in 2010 – there was a lot of awful, but was also that the people referred to laws in justification of the position! It is already absolutely other understanding.

- What are the main work directions of the Ombudsman and its bodies of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan?

- If to say in a word, the sense of the Ombudsman’s activity is the protection of human rights and the citizen. And there are a lot of work directions; we draw the attention of society first of all to those who cause the greatest alarm. Now it is necessary to speak first of all about the protection of the social and economic rights of citizens as the bread is in the basis of everything: if the person is full, he thinks in a different way – differently than the hungry person.

We attentively look after how is the business in this sphere. Is the fair compensation received by the person for the work? What occurs in the migratory sphere? Now many men left the republic in job searches and it has very serious consequences in the most different spheres including the demographic. The state, which cares about the future, should think of it.

- Where does the information go?

- Various sectors prepare the reports and finally the main conclusions get to the annual report of the Ombudsman. At the same time we prepare various analytical materials; here, for example, the sector of monitoring and protection of the children rights prepared the certificate of position of children now where all aspects of this major subject are investigated. And surely the Ombudsman reacts publicly to various situations – its point of view should be known to society.

- The international relations in the republic are the consideration too?

- Sure enough! It is necessary to penetrate into this sphere too. Now we have no explosions, but, as you know, the international relations are very thin matter: having crossed a side literally with one careless word, it is possible to cause the whole collapse. Unfortunately, our some politicians don't think of it; the personal public relations are on the first place for them. Once I took an interest at such politician: why does he make the provocative statements which can lead to explosion? And do you know what he answered me? It appears, his competitor was showed on the TV already five times and he isn't on air for three weeks …

The politicians should understand that it is impossible to play such things. The wave can rise, which wash away not only these politicians, but will do huge harm to the statehood.

The more rigid and hard statements to other people, the more they find support at those people, who have the minimum education. They are at the level of the third or fifth classes of secondary school in their development. Do you know, what is the point of view on everything that occurred with us for the last 20 years? According to this logic, as it appears, the Russians are guilty in everything: that the Soviet Union broke down and that there are the times now that you will not call a full in any way …

And who knows from these people, that in January, 1919 the Council of Peoples Commissars of the hungry Russia made the decision to allocate five million rubles by gold for construction of an irrigating network of the Big Chuysky channel?! And this important decision for our regions was accepted while the bread distribution was rigidly regulated in Russia and the Caspian roach, for example, was given according to the persons: one small fish for two people …

It is impossible to forget about this as it is impossible to forget about how we together fought against the fascism!

- But the textbooks for secondary schools in the former Soviet republics now report much “interesting”. It seems that just in order to forget everything what you spoke.

- There are different ideas now, different approaches … There is also a such: our history textbook reports that Russia enslaved Kyrgyzstan in the nineteenth century … But how it is possible to speak about the enslavement in general if any educated person in the republic knows that two delegations then went to Russia at once with one purpose: take us! Our conflicts reached such limit that the existence of the whole people is put under the threat!

It is a lot of policy in all this. I think that it is necessary to be through with it … I grew in the Soviet Union and I can say that there were the nationalists at that time. They were, but they hid the extreme nationalism very deeply and when the permissiveness came, all this came to light. Time is necessary that the foam accumulated.

- What to make secret, many people waited for this spring cautiously in the republic. They were afraid of repetition of the Osh events. How is the situation there now?

- In Osh it is quiet now. Only the trials worry, which occurred there. I didn't make a slip of the tongue, calling them exactly so. And namely it disturbs, causes the misunderstanding. I can't believe in any way that it is possible to accuse the head of non-governmental organization “Vozduh” Azimzhan Askarov in such terrible things with whom I met at work more than once! It is hard to believe that this wise and elderly person could urge to cut publicly the heads to representatives of other nationalities …

I think that after everything that occurred in the south of the republic in 2010, the understanding came that it is impossible to allow the repetition of those events by no means. Unfortunately, we lost a big layer of the Russians in the south. The matter is that the authority of Russia has a crucial role in such situations.

In 1990 the Ryazan paratroopers put things in order in the city for four hours, therefore many people waited for the Russian military, when it flared up again. Russia is that force which is respected and which can become an intermediary. And it is very important, after all the most important is not to allow the new victims.

- And do you see that your work isn't in vain? What the word of the Ombudsman has the weight in Kyrgyzstan?

- I can say that the power considers the results of our work. A number of the offers, made by the Ombudsman, is accepted by the republic government. We fought against two-percentage assignment from pensioners for two years, but achieved. Now we paid attention to very actual problem – the high cost of drugs.

Here is still example: when we aloud told about tortures four years ago, so all said hush - allegedly, we have no such … But the push was given and the law about the national center for counteraction to tortures here is already considered in Jogorku Kengesh. The international organizations note that the law corresponds to the highest standards. So, we have successes, but there is a lot of work still ahead.