The Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs

03/23/2026

Check out the latest episode of Spotlight on Central Asia.

This week, we examine a series of major developments across Central Asia, from the results of Kazakhstan's constitutional referendum to the announcement of new Chinese-funded border outposts and fortifications along Tajikistan's frontier. We also look at the continuing fallout from the security shake-up in Kyrgyzstan, with further arrests and resignations, as well as the increasingly strange foreign movements of Turkmenistan's senior leadership while war continues to rage just across the border in Iran, alongside Tehran's threats to strike Turkmen infrastructure. The episode then turns to the escalating conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan, where some of the heaviest fighting in months is raising fresh questions about border stability, regional security, and the risk of wider spillover. Finally, for our main story, we bring on a panel of experts to discuss the growing issues surrounding the Rogun Dam and its resettlement project, and how both are likely to affect the states downstream.

On the show this week:
- Eugene Simonov (Rivers Without Boundaries Coalition) - Mark Fodor (Coalition for Human Rights in Development)

Hosted by Bruce Pannier and Michael Hilliard.

Proudly brought to you by The Times of Central Asia and The Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs.

https://oxussociety.org/publications/podcast/

03/17/2026

New report:

As Iran faces widespread strikes from the U.S. and Israel, it’s would-be allies from the Axis, North Korea, China and Russia have been largely absent, condemning Washington and Tel Aviv but doing little else. In “Fault Lines: Iran and the Fragility of Anti-Western Alliances,” Bradley Jardine and Edward Lemon outline the broad themes of mistrust and distrust in Iran’s relationships with Russia, China, and North Korea – critical fault lines that run through Iran’s foreign policy and one which shapes, and often constrains, its strategic choices.

As Iran faces widespread strikes from the U.S. and Israel, its would-be allies from the Axis have been largely absent. This report outlines the broad themes of mistrust and distrust in Iran's relationships with Russia, China, and North Korea.

03/11/2026

We have overhauled our website and made it easier for you to submit your information.

Are you a researcher focused on Central Asia? Submit your information and join over 360 colleagues in this searchable expert directory:

https://oxussociety.org/resources/researchers

Are you a scholar from Central Asia who has published a book or peer-reviewed article? Submit it to our databases aimed at showcasing the latest research from the region:

https://oxussociety.org/resources/books

https://oxussociety.org/resources/articles

07/19/2021

Thank you all for coming to our happy hour last Friday and for braving the 95 degree weather. Stay tuned for more fun events in the coming months!

07/07/2021

Meet the Oxus Society team! Alimana Zhanmukanova is a Research Assistant at Oxus and recent graduate of the OSCE Academy. She is interested in issues of ethnic minorities and nation-building, with a focus on the ethnic Russian community in Kazakhstan. Alimana has previously worked at the Central Asia Desk at the Conflict Prevention Centre at the OSCE Secretariat in Vienna. She has extensive experience in project management and has organized dozens of projects with the support of donors including the Embassy of the United States in Kazakhstan and Freedom House.

07/01/2021

Please join us at our next happy hour! Can't wait to see you there!

06/25/2021

The Guardian covered our new report documenting over 1,500 cases of the Chinese government targeting Uyghurs abroad in 28 countries since 1997

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/jun/25/beijing-using-its-financial-muscle-to-target-uyghurs-living-abroad-report?fbclid=IwAR0QoPJ2qXycWVROXy4PIXdhpUt2l8u7OSZY0uPXNMSbvkOGCSIDv2SoUy8

Cases of transnational repression found in 28 countries are ‘just the tip of the iceberg’, say rights researchers

06/25/2021

For years, China has targeted Uyghurs beyond its borders to silence dissent.

Our latest report identifies hundreds of arrests of Uyghurs since 2007. Read the full report (PDF) here:https://oxussociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/transnational-repression_final_2021-06-23.pdf

We've also created an interactive map that visualizes incidents by country and year: https://oxussociety.org/viz/transnational-repression/

Mapping incidents of China’s transnational repression of the Uyghurs between 1997 and today.

06/15/2021

So happy to have found a dedicated website manager! We are pleased to welcome Sam Elzinga to the Oxus team!

As well as working with us to refurbish our site, Sam has been developing a scraper for our protest tracker. Stay tuned for exciting things to come!

06/14/2021

Our happy hour is this Wednesday in Washington, DC. Make sure you get your tickets!

Join us for conversation and drinks

06/12/2021

341 Lenin statues have been demolished in Kazakhstan since 1991. Yet, the country's geopolitical position makes any conspicuous “attack” on Lenin monuments politically dangerous.

Lenin Busts in Semey. Photo from Account.Travel. In December 2014, a crowd toppled a granite Lenin in the center of Kyiv, kickstarting what came to be known as Leninopad. By 2017, Ukrainians had dismantled 1,320 statues of Lenin across the territory controlled by the Kyiv-based government. The

06/03/2021

Don't forget to register for our upcoming panel on public health disinformation and the Covid-19 pandemic in Kazakhstan.

Дезинформация В Сфере Общественного Здравоохранения и Пандемия Коронавируса в Казахстане