Central Asia: Dirty Cops Still Run Wild

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July 23, 2010:  The unrest continues in southern Kyrgyzstan, as the government proves incapable of mustering sufficient reliable police to cope with the rebellious police and army units down there. Many of the police and troops down there have promised to behave, but are only going through the motions. The south was regarded as the core of support for ousted president Kurmanbek Bakiyev, and his backers there fear prosecution and retribution. Plus some of them are just out of control, and taking it out on ethnic Uzbeks. Russia, and other regional states, have agreed to send some police advisors for use down south, but it's unclear how long it will take to organize this force.

Government investigators have counted 312 people killed during several days of violence down south in early June. About half died from gunshot wounds, indicating that police and soldiers were involved.

The UN got some investigators into the south, where they heard the same stories that have been coming out of the area for over a month. That is, police and troops either cooperated with Bakiyev supporters in attacking Uzbeks, or simply did nothing to stop the violence.

Over a quarter of the 300,000 Uzbeks who fled their homes in the south, have still not returned. This is because pro- Bakiyev thugs are still out and about, looting and attacking Uzbeks.

July 21, 2010:  Down south, police arrested Akhmat Bakiyev, a brother of the deposed president. Akhmat Bakiyev admitted that he had been involved in organizing the violence in the south. The former presidents other brother, Zhanybek Bakiyev, is still at large. Zhanybek was in charge of the secret police for his brother, while Akhmat was the unofficial ruler down south. Former president Kurmanbek Bakiyev has taken refuge in Belarus (which is run by an equally corrupt bunch of thugs).

July 18, 2010:  European nations have agreed to send 52 unarmed police observers to southern Kyrgyzstan. The exact arrival date has not yet been determined.

 

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