Violence in Southern Kyrgyzstan: Updates from the Field

Tolekan Ismailova of WLP’s partner in Kyrgyzstan, Human Rights Center "Citizens against Corruption" (CAC) is currently in the conflict zone in southern Kyrgyzstan with a group of human rights defenders, journalists, and Ombudsman representatives visiting local communities, providing humanitarian aid, and working to mediate ethnic tensions.

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Monday, June 21, 2010

Nariman Village, Osh
Tolekan Ismailova joins other human rights defenders and correspondents in the region to convey an urgent message from Nariman, Osh demanding to end violence against the civilian population in conflict areas in the south of Kyrgyzstan.

According to human rights defenders, today at 4:00 am the military launched an operation in Nariman, a Uzbek village in Osh. As a helicopter circled above the village, people were in a state of panic and trying to escape as they left their homes. During these attempts at escape, one villager was murdered, and many were beaten and arrested under the pretext of lack of identifying documents.

Human rights defenders at the moment are on the scene and providing eyewitness accounts, reporting that some residents have been killed. Urgent help is needed.

Human rights activists reported on these events to the commandant of the city of Osh, and today will also report to Rosa Otunbayeva, leader of the Kyrgyz interim government.

Human rights defenders urgently demand an end to the violence and the implementation of tougher measures against criminals who are also fueling conflicts in the region.

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Friday, June 18, 2010

On June 13-14, after announcing in the mass media that the situation had stabilized in the south of Kyrgyzstan, many returned to the streets, to work, and then… disappeared. Mothers have gone to authorities pleading for help in locating their children, however local authorities have taken no measures to assist them.

The situation is tense and people have started to take hostages, and to take revenge upon each other. This shows that situation is far from stable, and we urge the international community and international organizations to bring third-party peacekeeping forces from outside the region. Otherwise, the climate of revenge will only further escalate the conflict.

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June 16-17, 2010

Rape and abuse of children
Citizens and eyewitnesses from closed areas and mahalasa (rural communities) in the south have shared information about the abuse of 16-17 year old girls and 10-12 year old boys. We were made aware of about twelve (12) cases of rape of girls under 17 years old. We also obtained information about six (6) victims of violence in the mahala "Fergana-Nookat,” located near the neighborhood of Cheremushka. Human rights defenders have agreed to place them in the shelter “Ak zhurok” and have provided mattresses and bed linens. We learned of five (5) cases of violence against boys aged 10-12 years, but a shelter for them has not yet been located.

Some victims reported that they were raped by soldiers. For example, a teenage girl was raped in the presence of her mother and three younger sisters and brothers. Victims of violence who are in closed mahalas and in gathering places at the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border are not able to receive medical and psychological assistance.

Also, human rights activists have reported that all the victims, including refugees and residents of closed mahalas, suffer from severe psychological distress as a result of the ethnic aggression they are experiencing. Accordingly, the ethnicity of the physicians and psychologists offering assistance must be taken into account.

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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Calls for humanitarian aid
Past disturbances in the southern regions of Kyrgyzstan have left numerous victims, and brought a great deal of pain and suffering to civilians. As a result of this disorder, many children were left without parents, parents without children. Civilians suffered deep psychological stress. Women and children are left on the street, without food, without shelter, without protection, without their families.

At the moment, all victims, especially women and children need urgent assistance both moral and psychological. Many women and children urgently need medical assistance, taking into consideration the serious obstacles created by the current, conflict-ridden environment. Transportation is not available yet in the cities, people are afraid to go out on the streets, and they hiding in the most horrific, anti-sanitary conditions.

According to CAC’s local partners, serious problems are impairing the timely delivery and provision of humanitarian assistance to the needy and victims of the violence, including:

• Limited transport in the cities and fuel supplies (until now, only military transport is available in the cities);

• Inability to procure accurate information on the locations of people most in need of assistance; and
• Uneven or poorly planned distribution of humanitarian aid.

All these factors gave rise to additional barriers and increased stress in an already complex situation in the region. There is a particular need for food and clothing, psychological support and counseling, and medical services and supplies.