Don't scare away tourists with bad news, Kyrgyzstan says

AFP | Bishkek                                                          

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Kyrgyzstan has called on its citizens to avoid publicising negative information about the country in order not to frighten potential tourists.

The ex-Soviet Central Asian country has recently introduced visa-free regimes for many countries, as part of its efforts to develop tourism in the mountainous nation.

"With tourism season coming up, don't scare tourists by spreading frightening news", said Daiyrbek Orunbekov, the head of the presidential information policy department.

"If crimes do occur in our country, then let's write about it only in the Kyrgyz language in small print somewhere in a corner," Orunbekov said on social media on Monday.

Kyrgyzstan enjoys relative freedom of speech compared to other countries in Central Asia, but rights groups have decried what they say is growing pressure on the press.

Late last month, authorities shut down the main non-state media Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), funded by the US.

The government had said RFE/RL had broadcasted "unreliable information... going against national interests" in its coverage of the September 2022 deadly clashes with Tajikistan.