From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Fri Aug 04 2000 - 11:03:17 EDT
Local people clash with Uzbek border guards on Uzbek-Kyrgyzborder
Text of report by the Kyrgyz news agency Kabar on 2nd August
Dzhalal-Abad [southwestern Kyrgyzstan], 2nd August: There has been a
conflict between local inhabitants and Uzbek border guards near the village
of Ayry-Tam, in Ala-Buka District of [Kyrgyz southwest] Dzhalal-Abad
Region, bordering on the village of Qum Qorghon in Kasansay District of
Uzbekistan's [eastern] Namangan Region.
The Shakaftar river serves as the border between the two countries in this
area and each bank has its own market place. There is a cattle market on
the Kyrgyz side while on the other is a market for food and industrial
goods. Inhabitants of the two sides have been using these market places
freely for a long time. The conflict broke out at midday on 28th July when
Uzbek border guards were examining the passports and belongings of two
women from Kyrgyzstan on the bridge. The check was performed in a rude
manner and caused shouts of indignation, which attracted a crowd of people
from both sides. Surrounded by people who started to throw stones at them,
the border guards fired assault rifles in the air several times and fled to
Uzbek territory.
The head of the internal affairs department of the [Dzhalal-Abad] Region,
Maj-Gen S. Dubanayev, said that about 400 local inhabitants had gathered at
the military check point and one man had received a shoulder injury. He and
a girl with a head injury were rushed to Ala-Buka District hospital.
Representatives of the two sides and of bodies of the local administration,
internal affairs and prosecutor's office carried out an investigation at
the scene.
In conversation with the governor of Dzhalal-Abad Region, K. [Kubanychbek]
Dzhumaliyev, the head of Namangan Region admitted that the border guards
had been at fault and announced that five soldiers had been detained and
that the military prosecutor's office had instituted criminal proceedings
against them.
At the moment commissions are working at the scene to eliminate the causes
of the conflict. The situation is calm and a friendship holiday will be
held on the border between the two states at the end of the week.
Source: Kabar news agency, Bishkek, in Russian 0953 gmt 02 Aug 00
BBC Mon CAU 030800/** va/ma
|
