[Marxism] Report: At Least Four Kyrgyz Policemen Beaten To Death In 'Tulip Revolution'

[davidquarter@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

On 20 Mar 2005 at 20:05, Rick Rozoff wrote:


http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-03/21/content_2723779.htm


Xinhua News Agency
March 21, 2005


Four policemen reported dead during opposition
protests in Kyrgyzstan


-The opposition rallied, blocked roads and occupied
several government buildings, demanding
[President]Akayev's resignation. Akayev has blamed the
opposition leaders for inciting a civil war.


ALMA-ATA (Tajikistan) - At least four policemen were
reported beaten to death Sunday in Kyrgyzstan during
opposition protests against the country's recent
parliamentary elections.

Thousands of opposition supporters, angered at what
they say rigged elections, stormed government
buildings in the southern Kyrgyz town of Jalal-Abad,
following protests Friday in nearby Osh.

A police source in Kyrgyz capital Bishkek said that
four policemen had been beaten to death in clashes
that broke out after police fired shots but failed to
stop the demonstrations.

The death toll could be as high as 10, the Interfax
news agency quoted police as saying. "For the moment
the exact number of the dead is not known, but it
could be as high as 10." But the Kyrgyz government
officials denied the figure.

Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev's supporters won a
landslide victory in the parliament elections held on
Feb. 27 with runoffs in many regions on March 13. The
opposition refused to accept the results and accused
the authorities of fraud in the election.

The opposition rallied, blocked roads and occupied
several government buildings, demanding Akayev's
resignation. Akayev has blamed the opposition leaders
for inciting a civil war.

Akayev has served the maximum two terms allowed by the
constitution and has pledged to step down before the
presidential election scheduled for October.





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