Shiyes will be ‘Child’s Play’ if Ufa Tries to Destroy Kushtau, Bashkir Activists Warn

Paul Goble

            Staunton, January 5 – Yesterday, between 700 and 900 Bashkirs formed a human chain in front of the Kushtau mountains to protest Ufa’s plans to develop the area. They warned that if the republic government goes ahead with that project, the ecological protests in Shiyes will be “child’s play” in comparison to the resistance Bashkirs will mount.

            This is the second round of protests. In December, some 500 people came out. Bashkir head Radiy Khabirov dismissed their complaints and said his government would go ahead with its plans to develop a place that for many Bashkirs is holy (idel-ural.org/archives/живая-цепь-в-защиту-куштау-собрала-со/ and idelreal.org/a/30361183.html).

            Most of those taking part were from nearby villages, but yesterday, they were joined by activists from Ufa, other Bashkir cities and people from Moscow and other Russian cities as well.

            The Bashkir National Movement telegram channel declared yesterday that the action “yet again showed that Khabirov is losing the people in the war for Kushtau. Residents of the republic aren’t afraid of his threats: they are afraid to lose their native places and therefore they are ready to come out and will continue to do so.”

            If Khabirov continues to ignore the people and continues with his development project, thee channel said, “we are certain that [such a response] will cost Khabirov his career.”