Kyrgyz Security Council head flies to Moscow for aid talks.

16/6 Tass 107

BISHKEK, June 16 (Itar-Tass) - Secretary of the Security Council of
Kyrgyzstan Alik Orozov on instruction of the transition period President
Roza Otunbayeva, departed for Moscow on Wednesday, the press service of
the Kyrgyz interim government told Itar-Tass.
"It is planned to discuss during meetings with the leadership of the
Russian Federation issues related to the acceleration of the delivery of
humanitarian relief supplies to Kyrgyzstan by the Collective Security
Treaty Organisation (CSTO)," the press service said. "The agreement on the
aid was reached at the recent extraordinary meeting of the Security
Council secretaries of CSTO member countries," it noted.
Besides, Orozov plans to meet in Moscow with RF Security Council
Secretary Nikolai Patrushev and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
On Tuesday, Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry (EMERCOM) said is
was sending three planes with relief supplies to Kyrgyzstan. "It is
planned that three Ilyushin Il-76 transport planes will fly from the
Ramenskoye airfield to Bishkek on Wednesday, June 16," a Ministry official
told Itar-Tass. "The planes are bringing 15,000 blankets, 30,000 tonnes of
sugar, and 54,000 and 15,000 tonnes of canned meat and fish, respectively.
In all, Russia is sending 130 tonnes of humanitarian aid," the official
said.
On June 12, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, in a telephone
conversation with Minister of Public Health and Social Development Tatyana
Golikova and Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered to
provide humanitarian assistance to Kyrgyzstan. Medvedev's spokeswoman
Natalya Timakova said the head of state had also instructed to help
Kyrgyzstan evacuate injured people and supply medicines and other relief
supplies.
Riots broke out in the southern regional centre of Osh overnight to
June 11. The next day, they spread to the neighbouring Jalal-Abad region.
The Kyrgyz authorities announced a state of emergency in the trouble areas
and imposed a curfew.
Tensions eased somewhat after the truce talks between the leaders of
the Kyrgyz and Uzbek communities. The authorities accused the brothers and
relatives of ousted Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev of masterminding
the mass disturbances. Bakiyev said the interim government bears
responsibility for the riots.
To stabilize the situation, the Kyrgyz authorities sent army and
police units to the Osh and Jalal-Abad regions, as well as the units
comprising police veterans and volunteers. The military were allowed to
use weapons in case of threat to their lives of the lives of civilians.
Kyrgyzstan announced partial mobilization, enlisting army reservists from
the south in the first place.
Latest reports said 179 people have been killed in the conflict in the
south of the country, and over 1,800 injured.
Otunbayeva acknowledged that the republic was unable to normalize the
situation on its own, and asked the Russian president for assistance.
Overnight to June 13, a Russian Emergency Situations Ministry plane
evacuated to Moscow for treatment six persons injured during the Osh
riots, including one child.
The 2010 south Kyrgyzstan riots are ongoing clashes between ethnic
Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in southern Kyrgyzstan, primarily in the cities of Osh
and Jalal-Abad, in the aftermath of the ouster of former President
Kurmanbek Bakiyev. Escalating from protests that began as early as April,
violence broke out on 9 June in Osh with the majority Kyrgyz rioting
through the streets attacking minority Uzbeks and burning property.
Several reasons for the start of the riots have been speculated upon.
The outbreak may have been caused by rumours of the rape and murder of
several Uzbek students in a dormitory at Osh State University. Another
reason that has been raised is the alleged killing of ethnic Kyrgyz by
ethnic Uzbeks at a disco on June 10. Another reason may have been a fight
between ethnic Uzbeks and ethnic Kyrgyz began near the town mosque.
Earlier on 10 June, the day the violence began, it was reported that
ethnic Kyrgyz traders had not visited the market and had not opened trade
in their marketplaces in Osh.
Between 9 June and 10 June 2010, rioting in the city of Osh between
ethnic Kyrgyz and the minority Uzbek population resulted in at least 46
people dead and 637 injured, many seriously. Gunfire was reported
throughout the day in the southern cities and a state of emergency was
declared, resulting in the deployment of military units to restore law and
order.
On 12 June, Kyrgyzstan's interim government asked Russia to help quell
ethnic fighting, claiming the army and police had lost control. Moscow
said it cannot get involved at this stage because the crisis is an
internal affair of Kyrgyzstan. Thousands of ethnic Uzbeks are trying to
cross into Uzbekistan. One child was crushed to death at the border.
Violence also was reported in Jalal-Abad where an Uzbek university
was burned, a police station attacked and several military weapons and an
armoured vehicle stolen by rioters. Uzbek refugees claim that people are
being shot at from armoured personnel carriers, making way for armed gangs
of ethnic Kyrgyz.
June 12 and 13, the International Committee of the Red Cross expressed
its deep concern about the worsening humanitarian situation and called on
the Kyrgyz authorities to do everything in their power to protect their
citizens, restore order and ensure respect for the rule of law.
Unofficial sources report "thousands" killed, several thousands
wounded and tens of thousands of refugees. These figures are higher than
official data as authorities count only those who died in hospitals.
According to sources from the ethnic Uzbek community, at least 700 ethnic
Uzbeks were killed in Jalal-Abad, where clashes were less intense than in
Osh. Non-state media report at least 2,000 killed.
-0-ezh/gor


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