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| Central Asia |
| Chinese diplomat killed in Kyrgyzstan |
| 2002-06-30 |
| A Chinese diplomat was shot and killed by unknown gunmen in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, police said Sunday. Umurbek Agemberdiyev, the head of Interior Ministry's press department, said the diplomat, who held the post of consul, was shot and killed Saturday night as he and a businessman were driving in the center of Bishkek. The Chinese diplomat was identified by police as Van Tu Yu. There was no one available at the Chinese Embassy to confirm the identification. The businessman, identified as Nurmachamed Umarov, was a Uighur by nationality, Agemberdiyev said. Agemberdiyev said the shooting could have been a contract killing, with Umarov the main target. "It could have been a mafia sorting out," he said. It could have been some sort of "mafia" hit. It could also have been an Islamist hit. Something to keep an eye on, since there aren't many Chinese diplomats assassinated on a daily basis. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |