Uzbekistan border shut for refugees from Kyrgyzstan by Zuzana Zelenakova

In past few days, central Asia state of Kyrgyzstan has seen massive waves of ethnic riots and violence. At least 170 people were killed and southern cities of Osh and Jalalabad were seized by the rioters and turned into smoking battlefields. The unrest has targeted the ethnic minority of Uzbeks that make up 14 percent of population accounting for about 5.3 million. About 100,000 refugees from Kyrgyzstan found shelter in neighboring Uzbekistan, however, Uzbekistan authorities has now informed that it shuts its border for more despite the pleas from the UN and other humanitarian organizations not to do so. “Today we will stop accepting refugees from the Kyrgyz side bec! ause we have no place to accommodate them and no capacity to cope with them,” said Uzbekistan´s Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Aripov. “If we have the ability to help them and to treat them of course we will open the border again,“ he added. Russia stated earlier that it does not plan on interfering in this “internal conflict” otherwise than by sending humanitarian supplies. However, an emergency meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), a group in which former Soviet states are involved headed by Russia, decided to sent helicopters and lorries to help the Kyrgyz government put an end to the violence. “This is extremely dangerous for this region and it is necessary to do everything possible to put an end to such acts,” said Russian President Medvedev. Although Russia sent extra troops to reinforce its military base in Kyrgyzstan, it refused the interim president Roza Otunbayeva´s call for direct interv! ention. According to the Red Cross, about 80,000 refugees fled! to Uzbe kistan, thousands of those who were not quick enough to get through the border before it was closed are now gathered at the border.

related story (sgx17572): http://www.france24.com/en/20100614-uzbekistan-closes-border...

by Zuzana Zelenakova for Cantell TV (http://cantell.tv)

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