Kyrgyz violence: Kyrgyzstan struggles to quell ethnic massacres

[Jefferson23]

Kyrgyzstan has been unable to control the Kyrgyz violence, which has now killed more than 100 and wounded more than 1,000, though the death toll is likely to climb higher.

By Kristen Chick, Correspondent / June 13, 2010

Ethnic fighting in southern Kyrgyzstan continued for a fourth day Sunday, spreading to villages where Kyrgyz mobs were reportedly killing members of the Uzbek minority and burning their houses.


Despite declaring a state of emergency and ordering troops to shoot rioters, the interim government has been unable to control the Kyrgyz violence, which has now killed more than 100 and wounded more than 1,000, though the death toll is likely to climb higher. Interim President Roza Otunbayeva has blamed ousted president Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who fled the country amid violent riots in April, for instigating the violence.

The government declared an around-the-clock curfew in southern Kyrgyzstan Sunday in an attempt to quell the violence, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. It also called up military reservists under the age of 50.

But the move did not appear to be working.

The Associated Press reports that Kyrgyz mobs killed 30 Uzbeks Sunday in the village of Suzak near Jalal-Abad, while at least one other Uzbek village was attacked, with casualties unclear. Uzbeks also ambushed and took hostage about 100 Kyrgyz men on a road near Jalal-Abad, and a mob of hundreds of Uzbek men rioted in a nearby village.

remainder: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/terrorism-security/2010/0613/Kyrgyz-violence-Kyrgyzstan-struggles-to-quell-ethnic-massacres

[Go2Peace]

1. What brought this all about was fundamentalist Islamicists

The tensions started when the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (UMI) has been inciting violence and attempted to take over the government in southern Kyrgzstan.

But you won't generally read that in most western press. It will be parsed as an "ethnic" fight.