Civil war is possible
There are 71 victims and 500 injured after a civil conflict that arose in Kyrgyzstan, as reported to Kyrgyz advocate Aziza Abdirasulova today in Yerevan.
"What's going on in Kyrgyzstan today is the effect of the government's policies in the past 2 years. Protection of human rights has sharply deteriorated in Kyrgyzstan. Democratic principles were being violated, the country's economy was in a downturn and the people's social conditions had gotten worse. Nobody knows whom the government has sold the country's communication and energy. I'm not even talking about freedom of speech-a number of independent papers and radio stations have been shut down, journalists are attacked and even killed and the jails are full of political prisoners," Mrs. Abdirasulova told "A1+" today.
Mrs. Abdirasulova is currently in Yerevan for the conference of the FIDH. Before coming to Yerevan, Mrs. Abdirasulova, as well as a number of advocates and NGO representatives met with president of Kyrgyzstan Kurmanbek Bakiyev and presented the current violations of human rights.
"Kyrgyzstan has turned into a closed country and the effect was April 6 and 7, which continue to this day," said the advocate. She also mentioned that the opposition had no intention of bloodshed.
"On April 7, our opposition only wanted to hold a peaceful rally to solve the current issues facing the country. The government found that it had enough resources to disperse the opposition's peaceful rally. On April 6, they arrested 14 opposition leaders. The people came out to the streets without a leader and the authorities shot at the unarmed people."
Mrs. Abdirrasulova considers Kurmanbek Bakiyev's resignation and handing the country's temporary governance to the government as the best way out of the current situation. "That is the best, yet least possible version. Bakiyev is from southern Kyrgyzstan and has fled there. If he doesn't resign and unites his supporters, a civil war between the north and south will be inevitable."
The provisional government of Kyrgyzstan is currently headed by oppositionist Rosa Otunbayeva who has temporarily appointed heads of armed forces.
Advocate Aziza Abdirasulova is preparing to leave for Kyrgyzstan on April 10 and her first task will be to meet with the relatives of the victims and advocates.
