Petrol bomb mobs seize Kyrgyzstan's second city

Opposition protesters, using clubs and petrol bombs, seized Kyrgyzstan's second city, Osh, Monday as increasingly violent unrest swept the south of the country aimed at forcing President Askar Akayev to step down.

Central Asian Kyrgyzstan has become the latest former Soviet republic - after Ukraine and Georgia - to be rocked by anti-government protests in the wake of elections judged as flawed by international observers.
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``The most important thing right now is to let people calm down, assess what has happened and then start negotiations with them about their demands,'' said Abdil Segizbayev on Kyrgyz television, though few in riot-hit towns appeared to be listening.
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Opposition activists had taken control of the nearby town of Jalal-Abad overnight after violent clashes with police. Four officers were reportedly beaten to death as about 15,000 demonstrators burnt down much of the police headquarters, freed 70 detained protesters and occupied the governor's office.

The central police station was a smoldering ruin Monday and there were no police or officials to be seen. The airport was closed and piles of rocks had been placed on the runway to stop the government flying in troops. The opposition was also occupying government buildings in four other cities and towns, said Interior Ministry spokesman Nurdin Jangarayev.

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/std/World/GC22Wd01.html

time to step in and have an election. Diebold always on the job. democracy on the march.

I know. I wonder if the Bushit is going to be singing about the wonders of democracy if an anti-American, pro-Muslim government takes over. Ain't democracy great?

A young woman from my UU church is over there now as a Peace Corps volunteer in a town close to Jalal-Abad. I hope she is OK. At least it doesn't sound as if there is very much anti-American flavor to these protests.