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Ethnic Uzbeks gather near
the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border in southern Kyrgyzstan, on Saturday, June 12,
2010, to seek refuge in Uzbekistan from mobs of Kyrgyz men attacking
the minority Uzbek community
(Photo: Associated
Press) |
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OSH (Kyrgyzstan):
Mobs of rioters slaughtered Uzbeks and burned their homes and
businesses in Kyrgyzstan's worst ethnic violence in decades, sending
thousands members of the ethnic minority fleeing the country in
attacks that appeared aimed at undermining the Central Asian
nation's interim government.
As the country's interim government struggled to stem the worst
ethnic violence since the collapse of the Soviet Union, up to 80,000
ethnic Uzbeks - mostly women and children - were reported to have
crossed the border into neighbouring Uzbekistan.
Most were being housed in hastily-set up camps along the border.
On Sunday Kyrgyz authorities sent five planes of soldiers from the
capital Bishkek to Jalal'abad, where the worst of the fighting
appeared to be centred.
The defence ministry also mobilised all army reservists age 18 to 50
to quell the fighting between ethnic Uzbeks and Kyrgyz which has
raged for more than three days.
More than 100 people were killed in southern Kyrgyzstan and more
than 1,200 wounded in days of attacks, according to government
estimates on Sunday. However, doctors and rights workers have warned
the real number of casualties may be much higher because ethnic
Uzbeks were too afraid to seek hospital treatment.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said its delegates
witnessed about 100 bodies being buried in just one cemetery, and
noted that the official toll is unlikely to include bodies still
lying in the streets.
Fires set by rioters raged across Osh, the second-largest city in
Kyrgyzstan, as triumphant crowds of ethnic-majority Kyrgyz men took
control. Police or military troops were nowhere to be seen in the
city of 250,000, where food was scarce after widespread looting and
the few Uzbeks still left barricaded themselves in their
neighborhoods.
The rampages spread quickly to Jalal-Abad, another major southern
city 45 miles (70 kilometers) from Osh, and its neighboring
villages, as mobs methodically set Uzbek houses, stores and cafes on
fire. Rioters seized an armored vehicle and automatic weapons at a
local military unit and attacked police stations around the region
trying to get more firearms.
Some refugees were fired on as they fled to Uzbekistan. They were
mostly elderly people, women and children, with younger men staying
behind to defend their property.
'Russia
sends troops'
Russia sent hundreds of paratroopers to Kyrgyzstan on Sunday to
protect its military facilities in the north, the Russian Interfax
news agency reported.
"The mission of the force that has landed is to reinforce the
defence of Russian military facilities and ensure security of
Russian military servicemen and their families," a Russian military
source was quoted as saying.
The interim government has sought Russia's help to quell the
violence, but the Russian government has declined the request to
send military assistance.
The south of the ex-Soviet republic
used to be the stronghold of the deposed president.
The country is currently led by a coalition of rival politicians
that coalesced earlier this year in opposition to Bakiyev, who was
deposed after anti-government protests resulted in deadly clashes.
Interim authorities had planned to hold a referendum to approve a
new constitution on June 27, but the likelihood of that vote taking
place looks increasingly slim.
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