[THS] Kyrgyzstan Crisis Spreads as 100,000 Uzbeks Try to Flee

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http://www.truth-out.org/kyrgyzstan-crisis-spreads-100000-uzbeks-try-flee60460

Kyrgyzstan Crisis Spreads as 100,000 Uzbeks Try to Flee

Tuesday 15 June 2010

by: Kristen Chick  |  The Christian Science Monitor

As China and Turkey send in planes to retrieve their nationals from Kyrgyzstan, ethnic
Uzbeks are being told they can't flee despite deadly violence that has so far killed 171
and wounded nearly 1,800, according to the government, though the real numbers
are likely much higher.

Meanwhile, suspicions continue to grow that the ousted president has links to the
violence, with his son being arrested in England on Tuesday on charges that he is
instigating the unrest that has largely targeted ethnic Uzbeks in the cities of Osh and
Jalalabad.

Chinese state news agency Xinhua reports that a third Chinese plane arrived late
Tuesday to the southeastern city Osh. That same morning, two Chinese chartered
planes carrying 195 Chinese nationals who were evacuated from Kyrgyzstan.

Turkish news agency Hurriyet reports that a Turkish Airlines plane carrying 151 Turks
– mostly women and children from Kyrgyzstan’s southern city of Osh – landed in
Istanbul on Tuesday. The Turkish government reportedly plans to send another
plane to retrieve its nationals.

But ethnic Uzbeks, who have been targeted in the wave of violence, appear unable
to escape. Four days of ethnic fighting in southern Kyrgyzstan spread from Osh to
villages where Kyrgyz mobs were reportedly killing members of the Uzbek minority
and burning their houses, sending as many as 100,000 ethnic Uzbeks to the border
of Uzbekistan, seeking entry. Voice of America reports that Uzbekistan closed its
borders because it cannot accommodate more refugees, and will not admit more
refugees until it receives humanitarian assistance.

Some, however, managed to slip into Uzbekistan before the western neighbor sealed
its border. According to The New York Times, as much as 10 percent of Kyrgyzstan’s
Uzbek population may have fled to Uzbekistan. The United Nations relief agency said
it was preparing to send aid to Uzbekistan to help it care for the refugees.

Some media report that the clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and ethnic Uzbeks were
abating Tuesday, though others report that fighting was ongoing.

Aid continued to arrive in strife-torn Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday as the humanitarian crisis
continued to build.

The interim government continued sending cargo planes of food and emergency
supplies to Osh, Kyrgyzstan’s second-largest city, reports The New York Times. Much
of the city has been burned in the riots and residents were running out of food,
water, and medical supplies. The Times reports that residents ventured out of their
homes for the first time since the violence began, with some boarding buses to be
evacuated. The paper, citing a Red Cross official, reports that the death toll in Osh
alone could be as high as 700, with at least 3,000 wounded. Some are too afraid to
seek medical help.

The Associated Press reports that the UN has urged Kyrgyzstan to stick to its June 27
timeline for holding a constitutional referendum and parliamentary elections, despite
the situation in the south.

Bakiyev's son arrested in England

Kyrgyzstan’s interim government, which came to power after former President
Kurmanbek Bakiyev was ousted in bloody riots in April, has blamed Mr. Bakiyev for
orchestrating the violence, possibly to disrupt the referendum. The New York Times
reported that his son, Maksim Bakiyev, was arrested in England on Tuesday after the
interim government accused him of provoking violence to bring his father back to
power.

An analysis in Foreign Policy says that there's evidence to suggest that the former
president might be involved in the violence, although Kyrgyzstan has been prone to
ethnic fighting in the past:

"Kyrgyz military officials say that agents of Bakiyev dispatched well-trained mercenary
snipers to Osh and Jalalabad who shot indiscriminately at locals to spread chaos.
While it's not surprising that the new government would seek to pin the blame on its
predecessor, there is compelling evidence to suggest that the unrest may have been
carefully orchestrated. These include attempts by unidentified armed groups to seize
control of TV channels, universities, and local government buildings during the
fighting, unlikely targets for a mob driven purely by ethnic animosity."

A spokesman for the interim government, led by Roza Otunbayeva, told The Christian
Science Monitor that Bakiyev is behind the attacks. "These destructive forces have
political tasks. Roza Otunbayeva has already mentioned the fact that among the
organizers are members of Bakiyev's family."

The Monitor reported Monday that the violence will having consequences for the
entire region, negatively affecting stability.

And the Moscow Times says the episode will be a test for Russia. The interim Kyrgyz
government has appealed to Russia for help in controlling the violence, but Moscow
so far has refused, sending in 300 paratroopers Sunday only to protect its own
military facilities there.

The Times suggests that how the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization,
seen as Russia’s answer to NATO, responds to the crisis will be a test of the alliance,
whose members have recently been divided by some issues.