It is our duty to find a compromise. We will invite feedback from the local residents, but we cannot be guided solely by their interests. It was this last part of the statement that infuriated the people of Bagys. Some do not fully understand Seitjapparov's concern over the Uzbek side taking umbrage at press coverage. Years ago, the Makhtaaral municipality of southern Kazakstan was also handed over to Uzbekistan but later returned to the Kazak Soviet Socialist Republic.
Makhtaaral residents recall that Tashkent never invested a penny in their municipality.
Bagys people fear they may suffer the same fate. There are families where the man is an Uzbek while the wife and children are Kazak citizens. We hope our government will not turn a blind eye to our suffering. That's the only hope that keeps us going.