Eurasianet

This week in our Turkmenistan bulletin: Ashgabat and Moscow suddenly ratify an aged security agreement. Plus budgets, boasts and bribes.

The appearance of the self-defense units is the second time this year that civil society has been forced to hold the line. Where the state repeatedly fails to live up to its obligations, volunteers step in.

After rewarding himself with a more pliant constitution, the president held a massive military parade. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

Chinese personnel, whose presence Dushanbe denies, forbid reporters from filming.

The government’s lack of capacity helps explain the about-face.

Government troops are rumored to have been dispatched to quell the trouble.

Supporters of the move think it will provide a useful outlet for the momentarily unemployed.

Reports from March 16-22 on how the pandemic has upended life in Central Asia and the South Caucasus.