{"id":161829,"date":"2010-04-06T20:28:43","date_gmt":"2010-04-06T20:28:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/new.moldova.org\/2010\/04\/06\/kyrgyz-police-storm-occupied-government-building-seized-by-protesters-in-talas-207932-eng\/"},"modified":"2010-04-06T20:28:43","modified_gmt":"2010-04-06T20:28:43","slug":"kyrgyz-police-storm-occupied-government-building-seized-by-protesters-in-talas-207932-eng","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moldova.org\/en\/kyrgyz-police-storm-occupied-government-building-seized-by-protesters-in-talas-207932-eng\/","title":{"rendered":"Kyrgyz police storm occupied government building seized by protesters in Talas"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

Police in the Kyrgyz city of Talas are reported to have stormed a government building seized by protesters.<\/p>\n

The move came after the group of protesters forced its way into the regional government’s office in the northwestern city earlier in the day and claimed to have taken the local governor hostage.<\/p>\n

Interior Minister Moldomusa Kongantiev said the governor, Beishen Bolotbekov, had been freed in the operation.<\/p>\n

The dramatic developments came amid rising tensions between the opposition and the government of President Kurmanbek Bakiev, which they accuse of cracking down on independent media and fostering corruption.<\/p>\n

Opposition parties have organized several protests across the country in recent weeks and are planning fresh protests for April 7.<\/p>\n

Spontaneous Gathering<\/p>\n

The day’s events began with the reported detention of opposition leader Bolot Sherniazov, who had gone to the provincial administration building to obtain official permission for a rally planned for April 7.<\/p>\n

Some reports said Sherniazov was detained briefly then released, though officials denied he was ever held.<\/p>\n

Whatever the case, the reports of Sherniazov’s detention brought people to both the city’s administration building and police station.<\/p>\n

With several thousand estimated to have gathered at the government office, some then led an attempt to take over the administration building.<\/p>\n

RFE\/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reports that police did nothing to stop the group entering and then occupying the building.<\/p>\n

The crowd announced they had selected their own replacements as interim governor and deputy governor. "We have elected our leader," protester Janat Karabotoev told RFE\/RL’s Kyrgyz Service.<\/p>\n

"We will hold the first session [of the people’s] congress tomorrow," she added. "Our main demand is to get rid of the family-run system of governance. We are not afraid of anything. Nobody was frightened. The people’s mood is just perfect. About 3,000 people are gathered there."<\/p>\n

Governor Hostage?<\/p>\n

The reports of the building’s seizure brought the first official denial, with the Interior Ministry saying the building had not been occupied, but that a group of several dozen people, "including many in a state of intoxication," had entered and later left.<\/p>\n

However, events quickly proved many protesters had gained entry and were staying inside the building — as Prime Minister Daniyar Usenov later acknowledged.<\/p>\n

At an evening press conference convened to address the situation in Talas, Usenov said the situation was "stable" and denied a claim by opposition representatives — Sherniazov and Koisun Kurmanalieva — that Governor Beishen Bolotbekov was being held hostage inside the administration building.<\/p>\n

But Usenov acknowledged there were still people around the administration building and the police station there, and said 100 police reinforcements were being sent to the city.<\/p>\n

Usenov also warned that rallies planned for April 7 were illegal and warned people to stay away from them.<\/p>\n

Rally Illegal<\/p>\n

Prosecutor-General Nurlan Tursunkulov, speaking at the same press conference, said a criminal case had already been launched against protesters responsible for the "mass disorder" in Talas. He said it was aimed at what he called a violent seizure of power and change of the constitutional order.<\/p>\n

Asanbek Baytikov, the deputy chairman of the parliament’s Committee for Defense and Rule of Law, said the protesters went too far and would answer to the law.<\/p>\n

"If there are any violations of the law, then those involved in it will be brought to justice. It is unacceptable to do illegal things," Baytikov said, adding that the governor must be appointed, not elected.<\/p>\n

As night fell in Talas, Bolotbekov was reportedly still in the administration building. Some reports said he was being held hostage, others merely that he was on the fourth floor of the building and was unwilling to try to make his way through the protesters on the first three floors.<\/p>\n

Dissatisfaction with Bakiev and his government has been growing for months.<\/p>\n

Bakiev came to power after the People’s, or "Tulip" Revolution in March 2005 that ousted longtime President Askar Akaev, who many felt was turning the Kyrgyz government into a family business.<\/p>\n

Opposition groups today are making the same claim about Bakiev, who has appointed his brothers to state positions and his 32-year-old son Maksim to head the state agency for economic development.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reading Time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>Police in the Kyrgyz city of Talas are reported to have stormed a government building seized by protesters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":161828,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-161829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"content_social_share":"Reading Time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

Police in the Kyrgyz city of Talas are reported to have stormed a government building seized by protesters.<\/p>\n

The move came after the group of protesters forced its way into the regional government’s office in the northwestern city earlier in the day and claimed to have taken the local governor hostage.<\/p>\n

Interior Minister Moldomusa Kongantiev said the governor, Beishen Bolotbekov, had been freed in the operation.<\/p>\n

The dramatic developments came amid rising tensions between the opposition and the government of President Kurmanbek Bakiev, which they accuse of cracking down on independent media and fostering corruption.<\/p>\n

Opposition parties have organized several protests across the country in recent weeks and are planning fresh protests for April 7.<\/p>\n

Spontaneous Gathering<\/p>\n

The day’s events began with the reported detention of opposition leader Bolot Sherniazov, who had gone to the provincial administration building to obtain official permission for a rally planned for April 7.<\/p>\n

Some reports said Sherniazov was detained briefly then released, though officials denied he was ever held.<\/p>\n

Whatever the case, the reports of Sherniazov’s detention brought people to both the city’s administration building and police station.<\/p>\n

With several thousand estimated to have gathered at the government office, some then led an attempt to take over the administration building.<\/p>\n

RFE\/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reports that police did nothing to stop the group entering and then occupying the building.<\/p>\n

The crowd announced they had selected their own replacements as interim governor and deputy governor. "We have elected our leader," protester Janat Karabotoev told RFE\/RL’s Kyrgyz Service.<\/p>\n

"We will hold the first session [of the people’s] congress tomorrow," she added. "Our main demand is to get rid of the family-run system of governance. We are not afraid of anything. Nobody was frightened. The people’s mood is just perfect. About 3,000 people are gathered there."<\/p>\n

Governor Hostage?<\/p>\n

The reports of the building’s seizure brought the first official denial, with the Interior Ministry saying the building had not been occupied, but that a group of several dozen people, "including many in a state of intoxication," had entered and later left.<\/p>\n

However, events quickly proved many protesters had gained entry and were staying inside the building — as Prime Minister Daniyar Usenov later acknowledged.<\/p>\n

At an evening press conference convened to address the situation in Talas, Usenov said the situation was "stable" and denied a claim by opposition representatives — Sherniazov and Koisun Kurmanalieva — that Governor Beishen Bolotbekov was being held hostage inside the administration building.<\/p>\n

But Usenov acknowledged there were still people around the administration building and the police station there, and said 100 police reinforcements were being sent to the city.<\/p>\n

Usenov also warned that rallies planned for April 7 were illegal and warned people to stay away from them.<\/p>\n

Rally Illegal<\/p>\n

Prosecutor-General Nurlan Tursunkulov, speaking at the same press conference, said a criminal case had already been launched against protesters responsible for the "mass disorder" in Talas. He said it was aimed at what he called a violent seizure of power and change of the constitutional order.<\/p>\n

Asanbek Baytikov, the deputy chairman of the parliament’s Committee for Defense and Rule of Law, said the protesters went too far and would answer to the law.<\/p>\n

"If there are any violations of the law, then those involved in it will be brought to justice. It is unacceptable to do illegal things," Baytikov said, adding that the governor must be appointed, not elected.<\/p>\n

As night fell in Talas, Bolotbekov was reportedly still in the administration building. Some reports said he was being held hostage, others merely that he was on the fourth floor of the building and was unwilling to try to make his way through the protesters on the first three floors.<\/p>\n

Dissatisfaction with Bakiev and his government has been growing for months.<\/p>\n

Bakiev came to power after the People’s, or "Tulip" Revolution in March 2005 that ousted longtime President Askar Akaev, who many felt was turning the Kyrgyz government into a family business.<\/p>\n

Opposition groups today are making the same claim about Bakiev, who has appointed his brothers to state positions and his 32-year-old son Maksim to head the state agency for economic development.<\/p>\n\n

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