…on the methods of running negotiations.

Kyrgyzstan: OSCE policemen started work, but they are not even allowed to communicate with population

Shamshybek Mamyrov, deputy head of law and criminal analysis department under Interior Ministry of Kyrgyzstan, informed Ferghana that OSCE mission policemen started arriving in the republic. They will work under OSCE project on “Public security initiative”.

“These policemen will work as expert-consultants under current program on reforming Interior Ministry of Kyrgyzstan. The project works in the interests of Kyrgyz police considering the fact that we will have democratic police”, Mr. Mamyrov informed.

The expert-consultants will work on the development of police operations. Specifically, they will work on improving the quality of investigations, evaluation of expert-criminalists, training the officers on new management methods, work in the conflict situations. European policemen will be able to train their Kyrgyz colleagues on the methods of running negotiations.

Mr. Mamyrov informed that today there are 18 “pilot” districts throughout the republic where OSCE policemen will work (approximately 2 officers per each district).

Responding on the question on how long the policemen will stay in Kyrgyzstan, Mr. Mamyrov said “This is not the task of one day. Preliminarily, the project will be implemented in one year”.

It has to be mentioned that expert-consultants are not even allowed to communicate with population and run independent investigations. According to Mr. Mamyrov, their operations outside of the program area will be coordinated with the head of units.

Bishkek-based political scientist Marat Kazakbaev believes that Kyrgyz police seriously needs assistance from OSCE police forces. “We should never reject this assistance. The latest events in the republic demonstrate that our police needs consultancy, especially for conflict resolution. Our police needs to be explained its role situations like ones that took place in the south. I think this will be positive exchange of experience”.

The expert believes that OSCE police forces should not communicate with the local population. “Their role is only to help our police officers and let our own policemen communicate with population”.

According to Ferghana OSCE consultants have already been working in Kyrgyzstan for two months. So far there are only 6 European policemen in the republic. Their number will step by step increase to 30 while the main body will arrive in January of 2011.

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