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| State of emergency in S. Kyrgyzstan after ethnic clash | |
| 2010-05-20 | |
| JALALABAD, Kyrgyzstan - A state of emergency was declared in Jalalabad on Wednesday after two people died and 74 were injured in clashes between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in southern Kyrgyzstan, a Central Asian ethnic tinderbox. Kyrgyzstan has been in turmoil since a popular revolt toppled President Kurmanbek Bakiyev on April 7, kindling big power fears of a civil war in the impoverished former Soviet republic, which hosts both U.S. and Russian military bases. Kyrgyz special forces fired into the air to try to prevent thousands of Kyrgyz from storming an Uzbek-funded university in Jalalabad, the home region and power base of Bakiyev. "We condemn all attempts to foment violence and sow the seeds of discord among our people, especially between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz," acting President Roza Otunbayeva told reporters in the capital Bishkek. "We hope that common sense will prevail and that we shall be able to prevent a conflict." But in what could be a sign of growing instability, Otunbayeva's government later said she would act as president until the end of 2011, after which she will be replaced.
Otunbayeva's government declared a state of emergency in Jalalabad and the adjoining Suzak district until June 1, and imposed a nightly curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Once the curfew took effect on Wednesday evening, the streets of Jalalabad were empty and the situation became calm and stable, local interim government official Zamir Sabirov told Reuters by telephone. Kyrgyz protesters had gathered before to demand the arrest of local Uzbek leader Kadyrzhan Batyrov, who they said had called for the creation of an autonomous Uzbek district in Kyrgyzstan, and they pelted the University of the Peoples' Friendship with stones. A Reuters witness heard shots fired from inside the university and about 2,000 ethnic Uzbeks came out and shouted to the crowd of Kyrgyz: "We shall never give up our Despite the state of emergency, neighbouring Kazakhstan¡¯s Foreign Ministry said it would reopen its border with Kyrgyzstan on May 20. It had been closed when turmoil broke out in April. The border with Uzbekistan remains sealed. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |