DUSHANBE, September 15, 2012 Asia-Plus -- In an open letter to President Emomali Rahmon, released on September 15, residents of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) express concern about the situation the emerged in the region ahead of president’s visit to Gorno Badakhshan.

The GBAO residents, in particular, express gratitude to the president for his readiness to visit the region.  “We hope your visit will speed up the process of peaceful settlement in Gorno Badakhshan.  It is very important that you see an actual picture of the tragic results of wrong decisions of separate officials.  These decisions undermined tranquility and mutual confidence across the country, and the people’s trust in the government.”

“These dire days we deeply believe in your sincere sympathy for our grief and do not want separate persons to use your visit to conceal their brutal decisions…  They make ordinary people grieving over the recent events in Khorog participate in pompous events to celebrate your working visit under the threat of dismissal, especially employees of public institutions, teachers, medical workers, students, and pupils.”

“It is known that you are scheduled to meet with representatives of the public of Khorog, but the regional administrators have banned raising the issue of the recent events in Khorog at a meeting with you.  But we consider that the recent events in Khorog that have brought grief to our homes and have become reason for the tears of Tajik mothers must be the main theme of this meeting.”

“We have been waiting for your visit from the first day of a military operation and believe that not all information about the situation in Khorog reaches you.  We, however, hope for your impartiality and adherence to peace-building values and we are waiting for peaceful, fair and transparent settlement of the situation that emerged in Gorno Badakhshan.”