Anti-govt protests rock Kyrgyzstan, 17 said dead

Source: Associated Press

Anti-govt protests rock Kyrgyzstan, 17 said dead

By PETER LEONARD (AP) – 21 minutes ago

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan — Anti-government unrest is rocking the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan and opposition politicians claim they are negotiating with the president and demanding he step down. Government officials cannot immediately be reached for comment.

The opposition has taken over state television and says that it is talking with President Kurmanbek Bakiyev (bak-EE-ev) and expects results soon.

Thousands of protesters furious over government corruption and a recent hike in power prices have stormed the main government building, set fire to the prosecutor's office and looted state TV headquarters. At least 17 people were killed and at least 180 wounded in clashes with police, the government said.

The eruption of violence has shattered the relative stability of this mountainous former Soviet nation, which houses a U.S. military base that is a key supply center in the fight against the Taliban in nearby Afghanistan.

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Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iY7jSEWaqNHm0CVfJW_mPe1KLydQD9EU9TH80

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See also:

# REUTERS REPORTER: LARGE EXPLOSIONS ROCK KYRGYZ GOVT HQ; FORCES OPEN FIRE AT THOUSANDS OF PROTESTERS 4 minutes ago via web
BISHEK (BNO NEWS) -- Opposition leader says more than 100 people killed in Kyrgyzstan riots.

Source: mpoppel of BNONews (private Twitter feed)
http://twitter.com/mpoppel

Watch for updates: http://twitter.com/WireUpdate

Shit. K&R.

My puter is acting up and I can't look it myself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Kyrgyzstan_riots

..is getting swarmed by the wikignomes as data is trickling out.

Source: BBC News

The opposition in Kyrgyzstan says it is setting up a "people's government" after deadly clashes left dozens dead.

The opposition said Prime Minister Daniyar Usenov had agreed to resign but President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has yet to do so.

The whereabouts of President Bakiyev are not clear but reports say that he has flown out of the capital, Bishkek.

Protests at rising prices, corruption and the arrest of opposition leaders had erupted in three cities.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8608440.stm

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All in the space of 14 hours or so : http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4335026

Kyrgystan shares a border with China and we have a NATO base there and they are a former Soviet, so the Russians have a stake in this picture too.

I hope he's all right. :(

The opposition needs to shut down the military base and strangle the occupation.

Source: The Boston Globe

Widespread anti-government protests in Kyrgyzstan recently turned violent, with groups of opposition protesters attempting to storm some government buildings, and clashing with riot police. Tensions are high, as Kyrgyz authorities declared a national state of emergency, and are enforcing curfews in at least three cities.

Read more: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/04/crisis_in_kyrgyzstan.html

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38 Hi-Res photos. Kyrgyzstan is probably one of the most mismanaged countries in central Asia. The minister of the interior has been killed by protestors, and the President has fled the country.

This could be the start of a secular, democratic state. Unless i'm being too optimistic.

is nothing more than an old clan and tribal rivalry between its North and South parts. The so-called "tulip revolution" of 2005
was the South's rebellion against Northern domination. Predictably, the then winners proceeded to exploit and dominate the
losers to the point of the next violent rebellion, this time by the North. And so it will continue, until someone is smart enough
to just split the country in two and to give each gang its own fiefdom. Only when everyone is being robbed and raped by their
own spawn can peace and contentment finally commence.

Source: AFP

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AFP) – Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev flew out of Bishkek on Wednesday accompanied by several people aboard a small plane after riots in the capital, an employee at the main Bishkek airport told AFP.

The airport employee, who asked not to be named, did not disclose the destination of the plane but said it was an aircraft not capable of flying long-distances and would have to stop for refueling soon, possibly in a neighboring country.

The whereabouts of the 60-year-old Bakiyev had been a mystery throughout the day on Wednesday as government security forces clashed fiercely with his political opponents in Bishkek and elsewhere in the country.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100407/wl_afp/kyrgyzstanunrestbakiyevflee?igoogle=1