Border guards appealed to Rahmon

Tajik border guards have written an open letter to President Emomali Rahmon, calling for the cessation of the activities of the company “Faroz”.

Photo: Internet

In their open letter, Tajik border guards emphasized that the main culprit for the failures of Tajik military and negotiations is the company “Faroz”, which controls the border service of Tajikistan.

In their appeal, the border guards noted that the commander of the Border Troops, Rajabali Rahmonali, ordered them under no circumstances to resist Kyrgyz military personnel.

The full text of the appeal:

“We, a group of military personnel from the Border Troops, are compelled to address you, the Great Leader of the Nation. We, defenders of the Homeland, are always ready to give our lives for the protection of our country and the maintenance of peace and security for the people of our beloved nation.

However, due to the arbitrary order of the commander of the Border Troops, Rajabali Rahmonali, we cannot protect not only the people of Tajikistan but also ourselves and our lives. We have been ordered under no circumstances to resist Kyrgyz border guards. In case of resistance, we face a military tribunal. Our commanders repeatedly remind us of this order from the commander of the Border Troops.

Your Excellency, if we are not given the order to open fire, how can we protect our lives and the safety of the people of Tajikistan, which is our primary duty? This is not the first time that Kyrgyz military personnel and even Kyrgyz citizens have treated us rudely, disrespectfully, and even used force, as they have orders, while we are forced to obey our commander’s orders and not defend our honor and dignity.

The recent incident, in which another comrade-in-arms was killed by a bullet from a Kyrgyz border guard, has filled our cup of patience. We can no longer and do not want to become victims of Kyrgyz military fire. Today, the mental state of the border guards and special forces involved in border protection is severely depressed; officers and border guards are very dissatisfied with this situation. Officers have lost morale. We do not know what to tell local residents, as we are not fulfilling all our duties. Kyrgyz military personnel provoke us, shoot at us first, kill us, and then blame us for everything. If we are still guilty in any case, wouldn’t it be better for us to act like they do and prevent disgraceful incidents?

We know that the reason for all these concessions and orders lies in not hindering the smuggling of fuel and other illegal trade carried out by the company “Faroz” at the border with Kyrgyzstan, including without paying customs duties. There is no one who can stop these criminals. We have turned a blind eye to these crimes until their illegal trade and smuggling threatened the safety and territorial integrity of Tajikistan. But every action has its limits and a red line. Today, these people have placed their personal financial interests above the interests of STATE SECURITY, crossing the red line, which is very dangerous for the security of the state, and ignoring this is considered a betrayal of the people and the state.

If we abandon Tajik lands for the interests of these interested parties, history will not forgive us tomorrow. It is well known that these interested parties act under the pretext of “not starting a war,” while in reality, they think only of their vile and bloody business. They discredit the Tajik people, disgrace the nation and homeland, and deceive you, Your Excellency, calling the Kyrgyz friends, making concessions, and selling the lands and waters of Tajikistan. It is because of their orders that we, the border guards, cannot defend our honor and the honor of our people. They have forgotten that their actions pose a great threat to Tajikistan. Perhaps in a year, the Kyrgyz will claim the entire Sughd region, the Murghab and Lakhsh districts. Can one imagine Tajikistan without Sughd, Murghab, and Lakhsh?

We appeal to you, esteemed President, as the guarantor of the integrity of Tajikistan, and ask you to stop these traitors of the people. We request that we be given the order to open fire in case of danger to our lives or the lives of citizens of Tajikistan from Kyrgyz military personnel. Kyrgyz military personnel have long received such an order, which is why they always shoot at our servicemen and kill them. We ask you to take strict legal measures against the aforementioned individuals to prevent their betrayals.

The commander of the Border Troops of Tajikistan, the head of the Border Troops Administration in the Sughd region, who are under the control of the company “Faroz”, must be removed from their positions.”