From the Embassy press release:

The United States Government strongly condemns the April 12 attack on human rights activist and NGO leader Edil Baisalov. Our sympathy goes out to Mr. Baisalov and his family. On April 13, U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch visited Mr. Baisalov in the hospital to express her support.

This cowardly act was not only an assault on an individual, but also an assault on civil society and on the principle of freedom of speech. We view this attack as a serious escalation of the troubling political violence that has occurred in Kyrgyzstan over the past year. Kyrgyzstan is unique among its neighbors for its vibrant civil society, and it is to the government’s credit that civil society has been allowed to flourish. This attack is a stark reminder that civil society must be protected.

Mr. Baisalov is outspoken in his criticism of organized crime in Kyrgyzstan. We urge the Kyrgyz Government to take a stand on combating organized crime and upholding the rule of law. We further urge the Kyrgyz government to vigorously investigate this crime and provide security to Mr. Baisalov and others who may be at risk.

Whether Russia, China or any other state will put out a similar statement is an open question. (My money is on ‘no’.)

Criminal proceedings have begun, but given the rampant corruption and bureaucratic inefficiency (despite what Bakiev says), I would guess that the assailant will not be found. Hopefully, this will shock the state into taking a hard look at the shenanigans that take place on a daily basis, but I’m becoming more pessimistic every day.

As I first learned of on Registan, Edil Baisalov of the Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society (and guest of Williams College) was violently attacked in an assassination attempt outside the Coalition’s offices near Ala-Too Square in Bishkek. The complete breakdown of public services (police, emergency transportation) made the situation worse - the assassin is on the loose and the lack of an ambulance likely endangered Baisalov’s life. Thank God he’s OK.

Baisalov has bravely lobbied for greater measures to combat organized crime. Kulov visited him in the hospital, and hopefully more will come out of that meeting than a PR opportunity for an administration whose inaction Baisalov has taken the lead in criticizing. Baisalov says that he won’t be intimidated. In a climate of fear that has enveloped Kyrgyzstan. He’s truly an inspiration for democracy activists worldwide, and the Kyrgyz government can no longer afford to ignore him (if they ever could).

The widening campaign against organized crime in Kyrgyzstan pits a hardy band of NGOs against some of the most deeply entrenched interests controlling politics - groups that are likely holdovers of apparatchiks that have been allowed to flourish in an environment in which everything (and everyone) has their price. Perhaps Russia, seeing a connection with its anti-narcotrafficking efforts, could increase its assistance? However, there seems not to be much that the U.S. can do - State should release a statement praising Baisalov and calling for greater security measures, but it would be difficult to complement the message with an expression of soft power - extra development assistance (or perhaps penalties for failed domestic security promises) would likely not be enough to turn the tide against the criminal syndicates. In any event, Kyrgyzstan is definitely backsliding, an indication, in my opinion, of the disconnect between people and the government - the latter can afford not to take the former seriously (as has been the case so far with the protests) and individuals do not perceive their stake in the government and try to avoid interacting with it at all costs. However, in order to expel the criminal plutocrats from power, people will need to be more engaged in political affairs so they can respond when politicians try to dupe them. As Edil Baisalov shows, the Kyrgyz people are not pushovers, and through grassroots political organization they can work towards a more transparent and representative government.