KGZ/CA news round-up
Not a peaceful day...
There's been another episode of unrest in Bishkek, with the electoral commission being stormed by supporters of Urmatbek Baryktabasov demanding he be permitted to register for the upcoming presidential elections. The BBC reports that police used tear gas to disperse the protestors and regain control of the building. KyrgyzInfo reports that many shops in central Bishkek have been shut due to fears of looting, and security guards with automatic weapons have been posted outside the Dordoi-Plaza shop.
Birge!, meanwhile, has sent out an e-bulletin entitled "The Second Storming of the White House" - full text below:
Митинг 17 июня. «Второй захват белого дома»
Митинг начался в 9-9.30ч. как говорят участники это должен был быть мирный митинг протеста против отклонения кандидатуры Барыктабасова. Митингующие ждали больше полутора часа, но власти не ответили на их требования. А требования были такие: зарегистрировать Барыктабасова как кандидата в президенты провести честные, прозрачные выборы. Никаких требований об отставке временного правительства не было. По словам одного из участника митинга в 10 часов несколько человек залезли на ворота и стали их раскачивать. Ворота упали и толпа хлынула в Белый дом. По словам Бектемирова Куваныбека митингующие дошли до 3 этажа и это был мирный митинг. По другой версии митингующие дошли до седьмого этажа, но главы правительства там не было. В здании остались только Ишенгуль Болджурова и Мирослав Ниязов. Все митингующие –люди из разных регионов, есть люди из Иссыккуля, Оша, Кемин и т.д. Большое количество людей пришло из села Барбулак, Тонского района Иссыккульской области. Это место где родился Барыктабасов.
Многие кричали что если новое правительство хочет тихой и спокойной жизни, то надо допустить до выборов Барыктабасова. В противном случае будет новая волна митингов.
Некоторые не скрывали что им было обещано по 100 – 200 сомов и обед за участие в митинге. Также по площади ездили машины и раскидывали бутылки минеральной воды для всех митингующих. Если это все было волей народа, и не было спланировано, откуда тогда раздача газет «Мекен» и минеральной воды и обедов. Также на площадь были привлечены школьники «за плату».
В 11:30 служба безопасности выгнали митингующих за пределы ограды белого дома без применения силы. В 12:10 митингующие опять пошли в атаку, послышалась серия выстрелов и правоохранительные органы стали разбрасывать шашки со слезоточивым газом.
На площади дежурило несколько машин медицинской помощи. По словам врачей травм не было.
НМД «Бирге!»
Elsewhere, the Eurasia Daily Monitor reports on the aftermath of events in Osh last week, when there were clashes involving supporters and opponents of Bayaman Erkinbayev.
There's also reports that deputy Kamchybek Dzholdoshbayev was attacked on 15 June near the Kara-Keche coal mine in Naryn Region, according to Interfax via Monstersandcritics.com.
2. Kyrgyzstan becomes a target country of drug trafficking.
3. The government to cut taxes.
4. NGOs call of the prime minister to resign temporarily.
5. Kyrgyzstan extradites Uzbek refugees to Uzbekistan.
6. Deaths after the Kyrgyz revolution.
1. FORMER PRIME MINISTER IS WANTED. Acting Prosecutor General Azimbek Beknazarov said at a parliamentary session on 6 June, "On May 30, the Prosecutor General's Office issued a warrant for the arrest of former Kyrgyz prime minister Nikolai Tanaev, who is suspected of abuse of office…. It appeared that Tanaev transferred 40 million soms about $1 million) from the governmental fund for employment assistance to his son's construction company" called Kyrgyzkurulush. In addition to it, "Tanaev told the Labor and Social Welfare Ministry to make monthly transfers to the company". Aleksey Tanaev, son of the former premier said in Bishkek on 7 June that Kyrgyzkurulush received 4.4 million soms, not 40 million, and it was planned retuning the money to the budget after the construction tenders were held. He said he was ready to cooperate with investigators. Interfax
2. KYRGYZSTAN BECOMES A TARGET COUNTRY OF DRUG TRAFFICKING. Adviser to the director of the Drug Control Agency Timur Isakov said at the conference "Into the Future Without Drugs" held in Bishkek on 8-9 June that the problem of drug trafficking is connected not only with Afghanistan, there are more and more users in Central Asia already and if there is no drugs from Afghanistan, poppy plants would appear anywhere in CIS immediately, including Kyrgyzstan. According to hi, the law enforcer seize not more than five percent of drugs smuggled via Kyrgyzstan and that one kilogram of Afghani opium costs $1,500 and one kg of heroin about $5,000 in Bishkek. Acting President Kurmanbek Bakiev told the conference, "Kyrgyzstan will observe and implement the 1988 UN Convention against the Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and other international pacts that it has signed," however, corruption makes null and void all the fight against drugs and Kyrgyzstan becomes a target country of drug trafficking. Kurmanbek Kubatbekov, director of the agency, said the conference was their answer to former president Askar Akayev who stated last May that Kyrgyzstan opened doors to drug trafficking after the March revolution. According to him, about 3,000 crimes connected with drugs are unveiled in the country yearly but about 80 percent of them are the cases on using small amount of drugs. It is not possible trying a person in Kyrgyzstan for drug addiction, he or she is considered a sick person and can keep by himself a small amount of drugs as a medicine. Kubatbekov said the criminal and administrative codes of the country must be amended. Interfax, AKIpress
3. THE GOVERNMENT TO CUT TAXES. The business forum entitled 'Kyrgyzstan Invites Investors' was held in Bishkek on 8-9 June. Interim President Kurmanbek Bakiev said at the forum on 8 June, "The government is planning to reduce the income tax from 20 to 10 percent and to reduce the rates of social fund payments…. The government intends to cancel VAT for imported equipment on July 1… We are planning to write off companies' debts that accumulated in the 1990s, to have a tax amnesty and legalize income as well as create favorable conditions for the development of businesses in small towns". Interfax, AKIpress
4. NGOS CALL OF THE PRIME MINISTER TO RESIGN TEMPORARILY. The Coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations "For Democracy and Civil Society" called on acting President Kurmanbek Bakiev on 9 June to suspend the performance of the duties of prime minister after being registered as presidential candidate. According to the coalition, "Bakiev may continue to perform the duties of acting president but not prime minister". "The Bakiev administration should absolutely abstain from any involvement in preparations for the elections and avoid any hint at using administrative leverage," it says. The board of the presidential administration held a meeting on 7 June on preparations to the presidential elections and the coalition criticized it on 8 June, saying the administration should not take part in the election process at all and the government and mostly the Central Election commission only should be engaged in it. The presidential press service announced on 10 June, Kurmanbek Bakiev would take a vacation as prime minister during the presidential election campaign but would keep the post of interim president. PSP, NGO Coalition, Interfax
5. KYRGYZSTAN EXTRADITES UZBEK REFUGEES TO UZBEKISTAN. The Coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations "For Democracy and Civil Society" said on 10 June that Kyrgyzstan handed over four Uzbek refugees to the Uzbek side on 9 June. "If this fact is confirmed, it will mean that a violation of national legislation and the republic's international obligations on the observation of refugees' rights has been committed," said president of the coalition Edil Baisalov. According to him, 16 people were transferred from the refugee camp to a detention facility of the National Security Service (NSS) in the Jalal-Abad Province."Of course we are appalled by the news," Carlos Zaccagnini, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR) head of mission in Kyrgyzstan, told Reuters on 10 June. He said the move was a breach of the 1951 Refugee Convention and Kyrgyz national law. "We have issued an urgent appeal to the Kyrgyz government today to cease all further deportations of Uzbek asylum seekers until a proper procedure has been carried out to see whether or not they are refugees," UNHCR spokeswoman Jennifer Pagonis told a news briefing in Geneva on 10 June. The UNHCR named the four sent back to Uzbekistan as Dilshod Hadjiev, Tavakal Hadjiev, Abdubais Hasan Shakirov and Muhammad Kadyrov. Zaccagnini said UNHCR had agreed on 9 June to the transfer of 16 asylum seekers - including the 12 former prisoners - from a camp near the southern Kyrgyz town of Jalal-Abad to a detention center run by the security services for interrogation and added UNHCR had agreed to the arrangement only on the understanding that it would have frequent access to them and that their rights as asylum seekers would be respected. On 10 June, UNHCR visited the 12 whom they found "very shocked but otherwise in good health", according to Pagonis. Amnesty International (AI) reported from London on 10 June that the UNHCR agreed to remove the 16 people to a detention centre on condition that its staff would have regular access to the men while they were in custody. However, the NSS denied UNHCR staff access to the men for 24 hours, by which time the four men had been forcibly returned to Uzbekistan. AI gave the names of the rest 12 people in custody: Ortikboy Akbarov, Abdushukur Alimov, Shomsiddin Atamatov, Abdurakhmon Bodirov, Odil Makhsadaliev, Musazhon Mirzaboev, Bakhtiar Mukhtarov, Tursun Nazarov, Nushonzhon Nechmatov, Burkhoniddin Nuritdinov, Farrukh Rashidov, and Yakub Toshboev. To receive the report by Amnesty International, please send a request to IdinovN@tiscali.cz. AP, Reuters, AFP, AI, Interfax, Itar-Tass, AKIpress, Kabar
6. DEATHS AFTER THE KYRGYZ REVOLUTION. Deputy of Parliament Jyrgalbek Surabaldiev was shot dead in the center of Bishkek on 10 June, at about 1 p.m. He received two bullet wounds in the head and two more in the body and died on the spot, his driver was also wounded seriously and was hospitalized. The parliament held an urgent session the same day and Chairman of the National Security Service Tashtemir Aitbaev said at it, it looked like a criminal case, not a political one. Minister of Internal Affairs Murat Sutalinov said two people shot at Surabaldiev and his driver from opposite sides when Surabaldiev went out from his office and getting in his car, his driver also opened fire back. The criminals left the site by a white Mercedes where the third person was. Surabaldiev headed a Kyrgyz judo association and organized the defense of the government building in March when the opposition rallied outside of it. He also supported the Forward Kyrgyzstan party led by the daughter of former president Askar Akayev and was elected to parliament with the party's backing. He was accused by the new authorities of coordinating pro-regime gangs to sabotage opposition protests in March. Several people died in Bishkek in different circumstances after the 24 March revolution. Three people died during the looting night from 24 to 25 March - one of them, A.Kulmatov, was shot to dead at the Venta Shop, a woman went down from the second floor of the Bereket shopping center, and the third person, a man, died from knifing. Taalai M., 30, who allegedly organized an attempt on the life of Secretary of the Security Council Misir Ashyrkulov on 6 September 2002, died in a mental hospital on 26 March. Prominent stuntman Usen Kudaibergenov, who organized people militia for getting things put in order in Bishkek after the looting of 24-25 March, was killed in his house in Bishkek on 10 April. Prominent journalist and human rights defender Leonid Rempel, who criticized the previous Kyrgyz leadership severely, died from heart attack on 2 May. Kabar, AKIpress, Interfax, Itar-Tass, AP, AFP, Reuters
There's been another episode of unrest in Bishkek, with the electoral commission being stormed by supporters of Urmatbek Baryktabasov demanding he be permitted to register for the upcoming presidential elections. The BBC reports that police used tear gas to disperse the protestors and regain control of the building. KyrgyzInfo reports that many shops in central Bishkek have been shut due to fears of looting, and security guards with automatic weapons have been posted outside the Dordoi-Plaza shop.
Birge!, meanwhile, has sent out an e-bulletin entitled "The Second Storming of the White House" - full text below:
Митинг 17 июня. «Второй захват белого дома»
Митинг начался в 9-9.30ч. как говорят участники это должен был быть мирный митинг протеста против отклонения кандидатуры Барыктабасова. Митингующие ждали больше полутора часа, но власти не ответили на их требования. А требования были такие: зарегистрировать Барыктабасова как кандидата в президенты провести честные, прозрачные выборы. Никаких требований об отставке временного правительства не было. По словам одного из участника митинга в 10 часов несколько человек залезли на ворота и стали их раскачивать. Ворота упали и толпа хлынула в Белый дом. По словам Бектемирова Куваныбека митингующие дошли до 3 этажа и это был мирный митинг. По другой версии митингующие дошли до седьмого этажа, но главы правительства там не было. В здании остались только Ишенгуль Болджурова и Мирослав Ниязов. Все митингующие –люди из разных регионов, есть люди из Иссыккуля, Оша, Кемин и т.д. Большое количество людей пришло из села Барбулак, Тонского района Иссыккульской области. Это место где родился Барыктабасов.
Многие кричали что если новое правительство хочет тихой и спокойной жизни, то надо допустить до выборов Барыктабасова. В противном случае будет новая волна митингов.
Некоторые не скрывали что им было обещано по 100 – 200 сомов и обед за участие в митинге. Также по площади ездили машины и раскидывали бутылки минеральной воды для всех митингующих. Если это все было волей народа, и не было спланировано, откуда тогда раздача газет «Мекен» и минеральной воды и обедов. Также на площадь были привлечены школьники «за плату».
В 11:30 служба безопасности выгнали митингующих за пределы ограды белого дома без применения силы. В 12:10 митингующие опять пошли в атаку, послышалась серия выстрелов и правоохранительные органы стали разбрасывать шашки со слезоточивым газом.
На площади дежурило несколько машин медицинской помощи. По словам врачей травм не было.
НМД «Бирге!»
Elsewhere, the Eurasia Daily Monitor reports on the aftermath of events in Osh last week, when there were clashes involving supporters and opponents of Bayaman Erkinbayev.
There's also reports that deputy Kamchybek Dzholdoshbayev was attacked on 15 June near the Kara-Keche coal mine in Naryn Region, according to Interfax via Monstersandcritics.com.
- The latest Kyrgyz News Weekly (June 5 - 12) is out (subscribe here). Main stories:
2. Kyrgyzstan becomes a target country of drug trafficking.
3. The government to cut taxes.
4. NGOs call of the prime minister to resign temporarily.
5. Kyrgyzstan extradites Uzbek refugees to Uzbekistan.
6. Deaths after the Kyrgyz revolution.
1. FORMER PRIME MINISTER IS WANTED. Acting Prosecutor General Azimbek Beknazarov said at a parliamentary session on 6 June, "On May 30, the Prosecutor General's Office issued a warrant for the arrest of former Kyrgyz prime minister Nikolai Tanaev, who is suspected of abuse of office…. It appeared that Tanaev transferred 40 million soms about $1 million) from the governmental fund for employment assistance to his son's construction company" called Kyrgyzkurulush. In addition to it, "Tanaev told the Labor and Social Welfare Ministry to make monthly transfers to the company". Aleksey Tanaev, son of the former premier said in Bishkek on 7 June that Kyrgyzkurulush received 4.4 million soms, not 40 million, and it was planned retuning the money to the budget after the construction tenders were held. He said he was ready to cooperate with investigators. Interfax
2. KYRGYZSTAN BECOMES A TARGET COUNTRY OF DRUG TRAFFICKING. Adviser to the director of the Drug Control Agency Timur Isakov said at the conference "Into the Future Without Drugs" held in Bishkek on 8-9 June that the problem of drug trafficking is connected not only with Afghanistan, there are more and more users in Central Asia already and if there is no drugs from Afghanistan, poppy plants would appear anywhere in CIS immediately, including Kyrgyzstan. According to hi, the law enforcer seize not more than five percent of drugs smuggled via Kyrgyzstan and that one kilogram of Afghani opium costs $1,500 and one kg of heroin about $5,000 in Bishkek. Acting President Kurmanbek Bakiev told the conference, "Kyrgyzstan will observe and implement the 1988 UN Convention against the Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and other international pacts that it has signed," however, corruption makes null and void all the fight against drugs and Kyrgyzstan becomes a target country of drug trafficking. Kurmanbek Kubatbekov, director of the agency, said the conference was their answer to former president Askar Akayev who stated last May that Kyrgyzstan opened doors to drug trafficking after the March revolution. According to him, about 3,000 crimes connected with drugs are unveiled in the country yearly but about 80 percent of them are the cases on using small amount of drugs. It is not possible trying a person in Kyrgyzstan for drug addiction, he or she is considered a sick person and can keep by himself a small amount of drugs as a medicine. Kubatbekov said the criminal and administrative codes of the country must be amended. Interfax, AKIpress
3. THE GOVERNMENT TO CUT TAXES. The business forum entitled 'Kyrgyzstan Invites Investors' was held in Bishkek on 8-9 June. Interim President Kurmanbek Bakiev said at the forum on 8 June, "The government is planning to reduce the income tax from 20 to 10 percent and to reduce the rates of social fund payments…. The government intends to cancel VAT for imported equipment on July 1… We are planning to write off companies' debts that accumulated in the 1990s, to have a tax amnesty and legalize income as well as create favorable conditions for the development of businesses in small towns". Interfax, AKIpress
4. NGOS CALL OF THE PRIME MINISTER TO RESIGN TEMPORARILY. The Coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations "For Democracy and Civil Society" called on acting President Kurmanbek Bakiev on 9 June to suspend the performance of the duties of prime minister after being registered as presidential candidate. According to the coalition, "Bakiev may continue to perform the duties of acting president but not prime minister". "The Bakiev administration should absolutely abstain from any involvement in preparations for the elections and avoid any hint at using administrative leverage," it says. The board of the presidential administration held a meeting on 7 June on preparations to the presidential elections and the coalition criticized it on 8 June, saying the administration should not take part in the election process at all and the government and mostly the Central Election commission only should be engaged in it. The presidential press service announced on 10 June, Kurmanbek Bakiev would take a vacation as prime minister during the presidential election campaign but would keep the post of interim president. PSP, NGO Coalition, Interfax
5. KYRGYZSTAN EXTRADITES UZBEK REFUGEES TO UZBEKISTAN. The Coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations "For Democracy and Civil Society" said on 10 June that Kyrgyzstan handed over four Uzbek refugees to the Uzbek side on 9 June. "If this fact is confirmed, it will mean that a violation of national legislation and the republic's international obligations on the observation of refugees' rights has been committed," said president of the coalition Edil Baisalov. According to him, 16 people were transferred from the refugee camp to a detention facility of the National Security Service (NSS) in the Jalal-Abad Province."Of course we are appalled by the news," Carlos Zaccagnini, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR) head of mission in Kyrgyzstan, told Reuters on 10 June. He said the move was a breach of the 1951 Refugee Convention and Kyrgyz national law. "We have issued an urgent appeal to the Kyrgyz government today to cease all further deportations of Uzbek asylum seekers until a proper procedure has been carried out to see whether or not they are refugees," UNHCR spokeswoman Jennifer Pagonis told a news briefing in Geneva on 10 June. The UNHCR named the four sent back to Uzbekistan as Dilshod Hadjiev, Tavakal Hadjiev, Abdubais Hasan Shakirov and Muhammad Kadyrov. Zaccagnini said UNHCR had agreed on 9 June to the transfer of 16 asylum seekers - including the 12 former prisoners - from a camp near the southern Kyrgyz town of Jalal-Abad to a detention center run by the security services for interrogation and added UNHCR had agreed to the arrangement only on the understanding that it would have frequent access to them and that their rights as asylum seekers would be respected. On 10 June, UNHCR visited the 12 whom they found "very shocked but otherwise in good health", according to Pagonis. Amnesty International (AI) reported from London on 10 June that the UNHCR agreed to remove the 16 people to a detention centre on condition that its staff would have regular access to the men while they were in custody. However, the NSS denied UNHCR staff access to the men for 24 hours, by which time the four men had been forcibly returned to Uzbekistan. AI gave the names of the rest 12 people in custody: Ortikboy Akbarov, Abdushukur Alimov, Shomsiddin Atamatov, Abdurakhmon Bodirov, Odil Makhsadaliev, Musazhon Mirzaboev, Bakhtiar Mukhtarov, Tursun Nazarov, Nushonzhon Nechmatov, Burkhoniddin Nuritdinov, Farrukh Rashidov, and Yakub Toshboev. To receive the report by Amnesty International, please send a request to IdinovN@tiscali.cz. AP, Reuters, AFP, AI, Interfax, Itar-Tass, AKIpress, Kabar
6. DEATHS AFTER THE KYRGYZ REVOLUTION. Deputy of Parliament Jyrgalbek Surabaldiev was shot dead in the center of Bishkek on 10 June, at about 1 p.m. He received two bullet wounds in the head and two more in the body and died on the spot, his driver was also wounded seriously and was hospitalized. The parliament held an urgent session the same day and Chairman of the National Security Service Tashtemir Aitbaev said at it, it looked like a criminal case, not a political one. Minister of Internal Affairs Murat Sutalinov said two people shot at Surabaldiev and his driver from opposite sides when Surabaldiev went out from his office and getting in his car, his driver also opened fire back. The criminals left the site by a white Mercedes where the third person was. Surabaldiev headed a Kyrgyz judo association and organized the defense of the government building in March when the opposition rallied outside of it. He also supported the Forward Kyrgyzstan party led by the daughter of former president Askar Akayev and was elected to parliament with the party's backing. He was accused by the new authorities of coordinating pro-regime gangs to sabotage opposition protests in March. Several people died in Bishkek in different circumstances after the 24 March revolution. Three people died during the looting night from 24 to 25 March - one of them, A.Kulmatov, was shot to dead at the Venta Shop, a woman went down from the second floor of the Bereket shopping center, and the third person, a man, died from knifing. Taalai M., 30, who allegedly organized an attempt on the life of Secretary of the Security Council Misir Ashyrkulov on 6 September 2002, died in a mental hospital on 26 March. Prominent stuntman Usen Kudaibergenov, who organized people militia for getting things put in order in Bishkek after the looting of 24-25 March, was killed in his house in Bishkek on 10 April. Prominent journalist and human rights defender Leonid Rempel, who criticized the previous Kyrgyz leadership severely, died from heart attack on 2 May. Kabar, AKIpress, Interfax, Itar-Tass, AP, AFP, Reuters
Also reported in the bulletin:
- On 6 June, about 100 people occupied offices of the companies Besh-Sary, Akulak and Sharboton, which develop the coalmine Kara-Keche in the Jumgal District of Naryn Province, saying they pollute environment and destroy roads. AKIpress
- On 7 June, Interim President Kurmanbek Bakiev signed a decree on appointing Chief Editor of the "Res Publica" weekly Zamira Sydykova Kyrgyz Ambassador to the USA. PSP
- On 7 June, the presidential press service announced the web site of the interim president was launched: www.i.o.presidenta.kg. PSP
- On 8 June, Ombudsman Tursunbai Bakir uulu said in an interview with Moscow-based "Nezavisimaya Gazeta" that there are many officials from the government of President Askar Akayev in the command of interim President Kurmanbek Bakiev now and many people annoy with the statements that results of the presidential election are predetermined after formation of the tandem Bakiev-Kulov. According to Bakir uulu, nobody could exclude that Bakiev could hold a referendum to change the constitution in his favor after the presidential election. To receive the text, please send a request to IdinovN@tiscali.cz. NG
- On 11 June, the government announced it received first 10,000 new passports and they begin to be given citizens in mid-June. About 350,000 people need the new passports urgently now. Kabar
posted by CXW @ 10:45 am
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