2010 Kyrgyzstan crisis
Encyclopedia
The 2010 Kyrgyz revolution began in April 2010 with the ousting
of Kyrgyz
president
Kurmanbek Bakiyev
in the capital Bishkek
. It was followed by increased ethnic tension involving the Kyrgyz and Uzbeks
in the south of the country, which escalated
in June 2010. The violence ultimately led to the consolidation of a new parliamentary system in Kyrgyzstan, and according to many international observers the first truly free elections to be held in the country, and in greater Central Asia.
The killings of Uzbeks in the riots have been called "genocide
" and "ethnic cleansing
" by the UN and international media. The Uzbek
minority was targeted by assailants of the Kyrgyz ethnicity, as evidenced by survivors and field reports of the media. Approximately 100,000 Uzbeks and Tajiks – mainly women, elder people and children fleeing the violence – found refuge in Uzbekistan
and some 400,000 became internally displaced. Victims interviewed by media and aid workers testify to mass killing, gang rape and torture
. Then-head of the Interim government Roza Otunbayeva
indicated that the death toll is tenfold higher than was previously reported, which brings the number of the dead to 2,000 people.
by opposition leaders protested against government corruption and increased living expenses. The protests turned violent and spread nationwide. On 7 April 2010, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev imposed a state of emergency. Police and special services arrested many opposition leaders. In response protesters took control over the internal security headquarters (former KGB
headquarters) and a state TV channel in the capital, Bishkek. Reports by Kyrgyzstan government officials indicated that 88 people were killed and 458 hospitalized in bloody clashes with police in the capital. Bakiyev resigned on April 15 and left the country for Belarus.
in Batken Province
sparked protests in the town. The protesters prevented an official from entering her office on April 19.
In Bishkek, upwards of a thousand stone-throwing men rioted in Bishkek suburbs to try to seize land from ethnic Russians
and Meskhetian Turks on April 19. As a result at least five people were killed and thirty more injured. On April 19, a crowd of youths tried to seize land in Mayevka
and clashed with the local residents. In the ensuing riot, several houses were looted and set on fire, while gunfire was exchanged between the villagers. Many residents were forced to flee the village. Otunbayeva said the government would be "resolute in cracking down on looting, mayhem and arson and mete out severe punishment for those breaching the law." She had reportedly given orders for security officers to use "deadly force" on rioters that threatened her fledgling government's grip on power.
On 22 April 2010, it was announced that a constitutional referendum
, in order to reduce presidential powers and "strengthen democracy," would be held on 27 June 2010; a general elections would then follow on 10 October 2010.
On 13 May 2010, numerous government buildings were stormed by supporters of the ex-president in Jalal-Abad, Batken and Osh, forcing the interim governor of Jalal-Abad to flee. On May 14 conflicting reports emerged of deaths of pro-Bakiev supporters after a conflict with interim government forces in Jalal-Abad, with pro-Bakiev groups reporting 8 dead, whilst the Kyrgyz Health Ministry reporting 65 injured, 15 of them critically with one of the critically injured dying the next day.
On 19 May 2010, pro-Bakiev supporters clashed with supporters of local Uzbek
leader Kadyzhan Batyrov in the southern city of Jalal-Abad, accusing him of allowing his followers to use guns on pro-Bakiev protestors on May 13. Fighting intensified near the University of Peoples' Friendship resulting in the death of at least two people and 16 further injuries. Later that day Roza Otunbayeva
became the temporary president of Kyrgyzstan.
On the 31st May, Uzbekistan moved troops to its border with Kyrgyzstan due to increasing border tensions as clashes between two villages on opposite sides of the border occurred and villagers rampaged destroying roads and water pipes. Uzbek assault troops and armoured vehicles arrived on the border to prevent further clashes.
with ethnic Kyrgyz rioting, attacking minority Uzbeks
and lighting their property ablaze. By the 12th the violence had spread to the city of Jalal-Abad
. To date the violence has resulted in the deaths of 97 people, injured over a thousand and displaced nearly 75,000 people.
2010 Kyrgyzstani uprising
The 2010 Kyrgyzstani revolution was a series of riots and demonstrations across Kyrgyzstan in April 2010 that led ultimately to the ousting of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. The uprising stemmed from growing anger against Bakiyev's administration, rising energy prices, and the sluggish economy, and...
of Kyrgyz
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
president
President of Kyrgyzstan
The President of Kyrgyzstan is the head of state and the highest official of Kyrgyzstan. The President, according to the constitution, "is the symbol of the unity of people and state power, and is the guarantor of the Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic, and of an individual and citizen." The...
Kurmanbek Bakiyev
Kurmanbek Bakiyev
Kurmanbek Saliyevich Bakiyev is a politician who served as the second President of Kyrgyzstan, from 2005 to 2010...
in the capital Bishkek
Bishkek
Bishkek , formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and the largest city of Kyrgyzstan.Bishkek is also the administrative centre of Chuy Province which surrounds the city, even though the city itself is not part of the province but rather a province-level unit of Kyrgyzstan.The name is thought to...
. It was followed by increased ethnic tension involving the Kyrgyz and Uzbeks
Uzbeks
The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China...
in the south of the country, which escalated
2010 South Kyrgyzstan riots
The 2010 South Kyrgyzstan riots were 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 on April 7. It is part of the larger 2010 Kyrgyzstan crisis. Violence that...
in June 2010. The violence ultimately led to the consolidation of a new parliamentary system in Kyrgyzstan, and according to many international observers the first truly free elections to be held in the country, and in greater Central Asia.
The killings of Uzbeks in the riots have been called "genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
" and "ethnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing is a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic orreligious group from certain geographic areas....
" by the UN and international media. The Uzbek
Uzbeks
The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China...
minority was targeted by assailants of the Kyrgyz ethnicity, as evidenced by survivors and field reports of the media. Approximately 100,000 Uzbeks and Tajiks – mainly women, elder people and children fleeing the violence – found refuge in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
and some 400,000 became internally displaced. Victims interviewed by media and aid workers testify to mass killing, gang rape and torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
. Then-head of the Interim government Roza Otunbayeva
Roza Otunbayeva
Roza Isakovna Otunbayeva is a Kyrgyz diplomat and politican who served as the President of Kyrgyzstan from 7 April 2010 until 1 December 2011. She was sworn in on July 3, 2010, after acting as interim leader following the 2010 April revolution which led to the ousting of then President Kurmanbek...
indicated that the death toll is tenfold higher than was previously reported, which brings the number of the dead to 2,000 people.
Uprising in Bishkek
On 6 April 2010, a demonstration in TalasTalas, Kyrgyzstan
Talas is a small town in northwestern Kyrgyzstan, located in the Talas River valley between two imposing mountain ranges. Its geographical location is and its population is 32,538 . It is the administrative headquarters of Talas province. The town was founded by East Slavic settlers in 1877...
by opposition leaders protested against government corruption and increased living expenses. The protests turned violent and spread nationwide. On 7 April 2010, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev imposed a state of emergency. Police and special services arrested many opposition leaders. In response protesters took control over the internal security headquarters (former KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
headquarters) and a state TV channel in the capital, Bishkek. Reports by Kyrgyzstan government officials indicated that 88 people were killed and 458 hospitalized in bloody clashes with police in the capital. Bakiyev resigned on April 15 and left the country for Belarus.
April–May events
By April 18, Bakiyev supporters seized a regional government office in the south of the country, after appointing their own governor, Paizullabek Rahmanov. Some 1,000 people gathered in the southwestern town's main square on April 19, denouncing the interim government and chanting pro-Bakiyev slogans. Some of them gave out flyers calling for the former president's return to the country. Different rallies also took place on that day in neighboring Osh and Batken provinces. In addition, the interim government's appointment of a new mayor of Kyzyl-KiyaKyzyl-Kiya
Kyzyl-Kiya is a city in the Batken Oblast, in southwestern Kyrgyzstan. It is situated on the southern edge of the Fergana Valley, 32 km southeast of Fergana, and 65 km southwest of Osh. The town is one of the oldest centers of the coal mining industry in Kyrgyzstan.Coordinates: ....
in Batken Province
Batken Province
Batken Province is a province of Kyrgyzstan. Its capital is Batken. It is bounded on the east by Osh Province, on the south, west and north by Tajikistan and on the northeast by Uzbekistan. The northern part of the province is part of the flat, agricultural Ferghana Valley...
sparked protests in the town. The protesters prevented an official from entering her office on April 19.
In Bishkek, upwards of a thousand stone-throwing men rioted in Bishkek suburbs to try to seize land from ethnic Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
and Meskhetian Turks on April 19. As a result at least five people were killed and thirty more injured. On April 19, a crowd of youths tried to seize land in Mayevka
Mayevka
Mayevka is a village in the Alamudun District in Chuy Province of Kyrgyzstan....
and clashed with the local residents. In the ensuing riot, several houses were looted and set on fire, while gunfire was exchanged between the villagers. Many residents were forced to flee the village. Otunbayeva said the government would be "resolute in cracking down on looting, mayhem and arson and mete out severe punishment for those breaching the law." She had reportedly given orders for security officers to use "deadly force" on rioters that threatened her fledgling government's grip on power.
On 22 April 2010, it was announced that a constitutional referendum
Kyrgyzstani constitutional referendum, 2010
A constitutional referendum was held in Kyrgyzstan on 2010 to reduce presidential powers and strengthen democracy in the wake of the 2010 Kyrgyzstani riots. Parliamentary elections followed on 2010.-Background:...
, in order to reduce presidential powers and "strengthen democracy," would be held on 27 June 2010; a general elections would then follow on 10 October 2010.
On 13 May 2010, numerous government buildings were stormed by supporters of the ex-president in Jalal-Abad, Batken and Osh, forcing the interim governor of Jalal-Abad to flee. On May 14 conflicting reports emerged of deaths of pro-Bakiev supporters after a conflict with interim government forces in Jalal-Abad, with pro-Bakiev groups reporting 8 dead, whilst the Kyrgyz Health Ministry reporting 65 injured, 15 of them critically with one of the critically injured dying the next day.
On 19 May 2010, pro-Bakiev supporters clashed with supporters of local Uzbek
Uzbeks
The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China...
leader Kadyzhan Batyrov in the southern city of Jalal-Abad, accusing him of allowing his followers to use guns on pro-Bakiev protestors on May 13. Fighting intensified near the University of Peoples' Friendship resulting in the death of at least two people and 16 further injuries. Later that day Roza Otunbayeva
Roza Otunbayeva
Roza Isakovna Otunbayeva is a Kyrgyz diplomat and politican who served as the President of Kyrgyzstan from 7 April 2010 until 1 December 2011. She was sworn in on July 3, 2010, after acting as interim leader following the 2010 April revolution which led to the ousting of then President Kurmanbek...
became the temporary president of Kyrgyzstan.
On the 31st May, Uzbekistan moved troops to its border with Kyrgyzstan due to increasing border tensions as clashes between two villages on opposite sides of the border occurred and villagers rampaged destroying roads and water pipes. Uzbek assault troops and armoured vehicles arrived on the border to prevent further clashes.
June pogroms and constitutional referendum
On June 9 violence erupted in the southern city of OshOsh
Osh is the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan, located in the Fergana Valley in the south of the country and often referred to as the "capital of the south". The city is at least 3,000 years old, and has served as the administrative center of Osh Province since 1939...
with ethnic Kyrgyz rioting, attacking minority Uzbeks
Uzbeks
The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China...
and lighting their property ablaze. By the 12th the violence had spread to the city of Jalal-Abad
Jalal-Abad
Jalalabat is the administrative and economic centre of Jalal-Abad Province in southwestern Kyrgyzstan, with a population of about 150,000...
. To date the violence has resulted in the deaths of 97 people, injured over a thousand and displaced nearly 75,000 people.
External links
- Humanitarian information coverage on ReliefWeb
- Exploring Regime Instability and Ethnic Violence in Kyrgyzstan by Eric McGlinchey (Asia Policy, July 2011)
- One Year After Ethnic Riots in Kyrgyzstan: What Has Changed?, Q&A with Eric McGlinchey (National Bureau of Asian ResearchNational Bureau of Asian ResearchThe National Bureau of Asian Research is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research institution based in Seattle, Washington, with a branch office in Washington, D.C. The organization’s mission is to inform and strengthen Asia-Pacific policy...
, June 2011) - At Least 117 People Killed in Kyrgyzstan; An Estimated 80,000 Uzbeks Have Fled - video report by Democracy Now!Democracy Now!Democracy Now! and its staff have received several journalism awards, including the Gracie Award from American Women in Radio & Television; the George Polk Award for its 1998 radio documentary Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria's Oil Dictatorship, on the Chevron Corporation and the deaths of...
- Calm Returns, Fear Remains, In Kyrgyzstan's South - Audio report by NPRNPRNPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
, June 18, 2010 - Crisis in Kyrgyzstan - slideshow by Life magazine