2010 Kyrgyzstan Revolution

2010 Kyrgyzstan riots
Bishkek Talas Naryn Tokmok class=notpageimage| Locations of the main disturbances within Kyrgyzstan during April 2010
Location	Kyrgyzstan
Date	April 3, 2010 - ongoing
Deaths	40

The 2010 Kyrgyzstan riots are a series of ongoing uprisings across the country of Kyrgyzstan in 2010. The riots allegedly stem from growing anger against the government and President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, and follow the government's closure of several media outlets. Protesters took control of a government office in Talas on April 6, and on April 7 clashes between protesters and police in the capital Bishkek turned violent. At least 40 deaths and 400 injuries have been confirmed. Overnight it was reported that President Bakiyev had fled the capital in his private jet south to Osh, and that opposition leaders were forming a new government led by former foreign minister Roza Otunbayeva.

Origins

Long-term frustration has been building in Kyrgyzstan over the perceived corruption and cronyism in the Bakiyev administration, as well as the country's poor economic situation and a recent rise in utility rates.

In the days leading up to the riots a number of news outlets were shut down, following reports that were considered "damaging" to the president and his son, Maxim Bakiyev, who heads the new national Central Agency for Development, Investment, and Innovation. An arrest warrant was issued in early March by an Italian court for Eugene Gourevitch, an American who was accused of defrauding Telecom Italia. Gourevitch was at the time the managing director of a consulting agency that advised Kyrgyzstan's Development Fund, which in turn is managed by the Central Agency run by Maxim. The government soon began closing independent news outlets that reported on Gourevitch affair. Two newspapers were shut down on March 18. Radio Azattyk, the Kyrgyz-language service of RFE/RL, went off the air shortly afterward. The opposition newspaper Forum was shut on March 31, and the independent website Stan.tv had its equipment removed on April 1.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Kyrgyzstan on April 3, and protesters gathered outside the UN's headquarters in the capital of Bishkek to inform Ban of the media situation. A small group of protesters then moved to the center of town, but were stopped by police.

April 6

On April 6 in the western city of Talas approximately 1,000 protesters stormed the government headquarters and briefly took government workers hostage. Government forces retook the building in the early evening, only to be quickly forced out again by protesters. Two prominent opposition leaders, Omurbek Tekebayev and Almazbek Atambayev, were arrested by the government.

April 7

File:Bishkek White House.JPG

The presidential White House in downtown Bishkek

On the morning of April 7 a small group of protesters were arrested outside the headquarters of the Social Democratic Party in Bishkek. Hundreds of protesters then gathered and soon overwhelmed the police, taking control of two armored vehicles and automatic weapons. The protest group, now numbering between three to five thousand, then moved towards the center of town, where gunfire could be heard throughout the day.

Protesters in Bishkek filled Ala-Too Square and surrounded the White House, the office of Kyrgyzstan's president. Police began using tear gas, rubber bullets, and stun grenades to disperse protesters. In an attempt to gain entrance to the presidential office, demonstrators drove two trucks into the gates of the White House, at which point it was reported that police started using live ammunition. Witnesses reported that both protesters and riot police were wounded during the clashes, and at least forty-one protesters have been killed. A state of emergency has been declared, as well as a curfew from 10 pm to 6 am.

Later that day opposition leaders and demonstrators stormed the parliament building, led by the opposition leader Omurbek Tekebayev who had been arrested the day before but was subsequently released. The headquarters for KTR, Kyrgyzstan's main television broadcaster, was also taken over by protesters. After being off the air for part of the day, KTR resumed transmission Wednesday evening featuring members of the opposition as well as human rights representatives. By late Wednesday opposition leaders had announced the formation of a new government, and soon after reports came in that President Bakiyev has left Bishkek and flown to Osh in southern Kyrgyzstan. There were no reported demonstrations in Osh.

In addition to Bishkek and Talas, rallies and protests were reported in other parts of the country including Naryn, Tokmok, and the Issyk-Kul region. There were also reports that the government of the Issyk-Kul region had been taken over by members of opposition parties. There was an information blackout throughout much of the country, as TV stations went off the air and both phones and internet became unreliable.

There are conflicting reports about the fate of Kyrgyz Interior Minister Moldomusa Kongantiyev. Some reports say he is being held hostage by opposition protesters in Talas, while other reports say he has been killed. The Kyrgyz Interior Ministry denied reports of his death, calling them "fictitious". There were also reports saying he was badly battered but had survived. A reporter from Russia's Fergana Information Agency, said he had witnessed protesters brutally beating the minister.

Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev reportedly fled the capital by plane. His current wherabouts are unknown, but he is presumed to have flown to either one of Kyrgyzstan's neighboring countries, or to the city of Osh, where most of his supporters live. The parliament was overrun by protestors and dissolved, and the entire Kyrgyz government stepped down. Opposition leaders announced on a broadcast that they had formed a new provisional government headed by Roza Otunbayeva.

International response

• United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for restraint on Tuesday, and through a spokesperson said "while freedom of assembly is an essential element of any democratic society, the rule of law must be respected." On Wednesday he said he was "shocked" by the violence, and his spokesperson said the Secretary General "urgently appeals for dialogue and calm to avoid further bloodshed."

• China - Foreign Ministry spokesman Jiang Yu said that China was "deeply concerned" by the situation and hoped that calm would be restored as soon as possible in the interests of regional peace and stability.

• Iran - Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Ramin Mehmanparast, said Iran "wants the immediate restoration of domestic stability," and the prevention of the spread of insecurity to such a sensitive region of Central Asia.

• Russia - Andrei Nesterenko, the spokesman for the Russian foreign ministry, called for both sides to avoid violence, saying, "as we are interested in preserving political stability in a country that is friendly to us, we consider it important to resolve the issues raised by the current situation by legal means."

• United States - Officials at the U.S. embassy in Bishkek said it is "deeply concerned" about the events in Talas and urged both sides to "show respect for the rule of law" and to "engage in talks to resolve differences in a peaceful, orderly and legal manner." Following news of Bakiyev's departure from the capital, a State Department spokesman said the U.S. still considers Bakiyev's government to be in power since they could not confirm reports that the opposition had seized control. Just outside Bishkek is the Transit Center at Manas, a large logistics base crucial to U.S. efforts in the ongoing war in Afghanistan. Operations at the center were not affected by the violence.

See also

• Tulip Revolution

External links

• Twitter feed on events (#freekg)
• Interview with Edil Baisalov on events in Kyrgyzstan