evidence: In Tajikistan, regional police departments like the one in Chorkuh would usually serve an entire district. But this town, located in northern Sughd Province's Isfara District, is an exception, with 60 officers stationed there. [...] Isfara is located in the heart of the volatile Ferghana Valley, the most densely populated and religiously conservative area of Central Asia that straddles the borders of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. The valley has become the scene of a number of violent conflicts since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Officials have warned any violence or militant activity in Isfara could easily spread throughout the region. In fact, there are no clear borders between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan in Isfara District. On our way from the provincial center Khujand to Chorkuh, we crossed into southern Kyrgyz territory at least six times. At one point, we even saw a campaign billboard for a Kyrgyz political party, still standing a month after the country's first parliamentary elections.