Angry protesters in Kyrgyzstan seize government office amid rising tensions

Kyrgyz protesters seize government office

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan — Hundreds of protesters angry over rising heat and power prices stormed a government building Tuesday and clashed with troops after trying to seize a regional governor in the impoverished former Soviet nation of Kyrgyzstan.

A series of nationwide rallies is planned for Wednesday and analysts said they believe the unrest could spread. The goverment warned of “severe” repercussions and the main opposition party said U.S. and Russian diplomats should call on the government to refrain from violence.

Crowds assembled in the town of Talas early Tuesday to protest the utility tariff increases and to call for the resignation of regional governor Bolotbek Beishenbekov, town residents told The Associated Press by telephone.

More than a thousand people surrounded the regional government office and some stormed the building, opposition politicians and local activists said. Large crowds assembled at other spots around the town, witnesses said.

The protesters encircled Beishenbekov who was outside the building, planning to take him hostage, but he was freed by elite army troops, said Shamil Murat, an activist with the rights group For Democracy and Civil Society.

Witnesses said another 500 people had gathered at the local police station in Talas. Protesters said security forces used tear gas and fired gunshots into air to disperse the crowd.

A correspondent for the local affiliate of U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Talas said one person was shot with a rubber bullet fired from inside the police precinct.

The Interior Ministry said a drunken mob had entered the regional government office and later left, and police were taking measures to ensure stability and public safety.

Prime Minister Daniyar Usenov vowed to take a firm line against the people behind the troubles in Talas.

“I urge the organizers of these actions to desist from what they are doing. For those that do not listen, measures will be severe,” Usenov said.

The mountainous country of 5 million hosts a U.S. air base that supports military operations in neighboring Afghanistan and serves as an important transit point for coalition troops and supplies.

Since coming to power on a wave of street protests in 2005, President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has ensured a measure of stability, but many observers say he has done so at the expense of democratic standards.

Over the past two years, Kyrgyz authorities have clamped down on free media, and opposition activists say they have routinely been subjected to physical intimidation and targeted by politically motivated criminal investigations. Anti-government forces have been in disarray until recently, but widespread anger over soaring utility bills has galvanized the fractious opposition.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday repeatedly criticized Kyrgyzstan for human rights problems, a strong rebuke to the country once regarded as former Soviet Central Asia’s “island of democracy.”

Ban’s chiding came on the second day of a trip through the five countries of the region, a journey aimed at drawing attention to the strategic importance of the troubled region that borders Russia, Afghanistan, China and Iran.

Kyrgyz opposition parties have organized several protests across the country and are planning another mass rally Wednesday in the capital, Bishkek.

“This was clearly not a local skirmish — it was a premeditated action, which could happen again tomorrow,” said Kyrgyz political analyst Mars Sariyev. “The events (in Talas) could take place in Bishkek. The opposition is determined and we can expect the situation to be tense.”

Omurbek Tekebayev, the leader of Ata-Meken, the main opposition party, said the protests in Talas were provoked by the arrest of one of the party’s officials. Officials deny the arrest took place.

Police were forced to release the official after several thousand supporters hit the streets, he said.

“When they saw that that local authorities are failing to fulfill their duties, the protesters decided to take control of the situation,” Tekebayev told The Associated Press.

Tekebayev said opposition forces in Talas have set up their own security patrol to maintain order and avoid riots.

“I want to stress that people are not trying to replace or overthrow state power. People are taking power into their own hands,” he said.