In their appeal, the veterans emphasize that current legislation clearly defines the status of participants in various conflicts, including the Afghan war and the liquidators of the Chernobyl disaster, yet the defenders of Batken remain outside the legal framework.
“More than 25 years have passed since the end of hostilities, but the veterans of the Batken war still do not have official status. The existing laws only mention participants in conflicts in other countries,” the appeal states.
The veterans are requesting to be granted veteran status and to receive legal social guarantees and benefits necessary for their support.
They also insist that the names of the fallen be commemorated at the state level.
The participants of the Batken events are confident that recognizing their status will restore social justice and serve as an important moral signal for current and future defenders of Kyrgyzstan.
At today's meeting of the Jogorku Kenesh, issues concerning the rights of veterans were raised. Deputies Saltanat Amanova and Seid Atambaev drew attention to the veterans' appeal and urged the government to take control of resolving this issue.
- In 1999-2000, armed formations of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan invaded the territory of Kyrgyzstan twice through the difficult mountain passes of the Batken and Chon-Alai regions. A military operation involving about 2,000 Kyrgyz servicemen was conducted to neutralize them. During these hostilities, 54 people were killed, and more than 130 were injured, leading to these events being known as the Batken events.
