Want investment? Be patient
Recently in Kulyab region broke out a fight between 40 Chinese workers and 50 local men. Many people were injured on both sides but no one of them complained to police just to avoid more problems. IWPR makes a good report on that.
The Chinese involved in fight were ‘part of a team of 300 labourers drafted in to build a high-voltage electricity transmission line from Lolazor to Khatlon.’
…all began when one of a group of teenagers gathered outside a mobile phone shop threw a stone at a truck full of Chinese labourers which had stopped close by.
I think, it is a normal thing in post-Soviet territory when local people see out-of-towners making benefit on “their land”, they get in conflict with them by any means. Most probably the stone thrown at a truck was just an excuse, as it usually happens. The same happens with Tajiks in Russia and we can not do anything with that.
According to Iskhokov [local guy], dozens of Chinese got out and set upon bystanders with their tools including steel bars and hammers.
…Chinese men began beating up a boy who must have been ten or 11 years old. I tried to help him, but I got hit by numerous blows from steel bars. They beat me until I was unconscious.”
It is hard to believe that dozens of Chinese with their hammers and steel bars could beat 11 year old boys. But, who knows? Once I saw three Chinese men in marshrutka , probably workers from any construction company and one of them was smoking. I could not believe my eyes that someone would smoke inside marshruka full of passengers but it was like that. Probably in China he would be put in jail for his action but here he was only admonished by women sitting next to him.
According to experts, the Chinese companies do not want to hire unqualified Tajik labor, and Tajiks, in the areas where these companies work, do not want to see Chinese workers working for these companies in their homeland. One of the main requirements of Chinese companies before coming to Tajikistan is a hire of own labor. When they come to work in Tajikistan they bring cheap labor with them, even cheaper than they can have in Tajikistan.
The Tajik labour ministry has lobbied for a requirement that 70 per cent of any foreign company’s employees must be local people. However, Anvar Boboev, deputy director of the Agency for Social Protection and Migration, said the government is in no position to dictate terms to investors.
I would not blame any of the fighting sides in this conflict but I would rather blame our government for not taking into consideration the interests of local people. If they fear that the Chinese companies would not invest in Tajik economy in case all their requirements are not met then don’t invite them.
on November 26th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
hi Vadim
One month ago I saw many of them in the north constructing road of Dushanbe (Khujand road) and asked about them, my friend answered “as u know every family in China is allowed just to have one child and the government doesn’t register the second and these are the second children and after that!!! They don’t have any home, any family, any passport and anything!!!! They are contented to the food and a place to sleep. Do u believe it?
on November 26th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
Listen my dear Vadim,
don’t try to critisice Chinese of their rong-doings… I am tajik myself and I know nowadays new generation in Tajikistan is being brought up…I fully support chinese bitting the boy! The boy shouldn’t have thrown the stone to the chinese labourers… I guess that’t what they get when the tajiks cross the limits… As for you my dear russian brother, do not try to mix up with chinese and tajik afair-it’s not your business…Better go and see what’s going on in your Russia right now.
on November 28th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Hamed, actually I wouldn’t believe that. But I think it is true that they are not hired for their qualifications. They are hire because they offer a cheaper labor. That’s it.
Anonymous,
I’m not Russian and I don’t want to live in Russia.
on December 10th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
Vadim is a Russian name, isn’t it?
on January 18th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Hi
I was reading all comments and believe me or not was ashamed to be a Tajik. I am living in England and I do miss my home country very much. But I do not miss the peoples attitude.
World has changed a lot and will do so no matter what. Tajiks should change too to be part of it.
It does not matter what we called or which part of Tajikistan we came from we still Tajiks we must stick for each other instead of fighting. Attitude is everything Pick a good one.!!!
on January 22nd, 2008 at 4:48 pm
It is not very wise to judge by the name only, there are Europeans who give foreign names to their children, because it is exotic, no matter what…, even if he were Russian, many Russians being born in Tajikistan or other Stans, are more Central Asians than Russians, and they play an important role. The persian name Firdavs, is widely used among Turkic speaking people, but it is usually a female name for them rather than male.
Re: the article, I think the teenage boy, he is actually not yet a teenage, if he is 10 or 11, has no other means to show his frustration about what is going on in his land. I wouldn’t be so quick to judge people. Usually, this form of entering into conflict shows helplessness of the person. What else can he do?
The cheap Chinese labour force might cause economic difficulties for Central Asians. Already poor, they do not even have opportunities to gain their bread from Chinese undertakings in Tajikistan.
Nigina, I know what you mean about attitudes.And i do agree with it. But they are not static, they change, and it is much easier to speak about attitudes while being in England ( or in other developed countries), where the world seems so close and easily reachable.