Selective Memories, Identities and Places: Everyday Security Practices of the Mughat Lyulis in Osh

Abstract

The Uzbeks were not the only ethnic minority that suffered from the violent rampages throughout Osh in 2010. The small community of Lyuli or, more precisely, Mughat people on the outskirts of the city also became targets of ethnic hatred. Up to this day, they are treated with great suspicion by the Kyrgyz majority and continue to be frequently threatened and attacked. The chapter focusses on the securityscapes of female Mughat collectors of alms and waste products, who are the main bread-winners in their community. They need to be highly mobile, yet this mobility comes with great risks as, for instance, sexual assault is a very real threat when moving through the city or the country. The contribution examines the various creative tactics that female collectors apply in order to attain a degree of security, usually involving continuous adaptations to shifting circumstances.