Daily Mail Online - The former Soviet state of Kyrgyzstan is embroiled in a bloody revolution after troops loyal to authoritarian President Kurmanbek Bakiyev opened fire on his own people.
At the end of a violent day, opposition forces claimed their mass protests had succeeded in bring negotiations on the exit of unpopular leader and, according to some unconfirmed reports, that they had begun to assume power for running the country.
There were reports tonight President Bakiyev had fled the capital following the protests, after his house was ransacked by protesters who left the property carrying polythene packages containing articles of clothing, bedclothes and tableware. >> SEE PICS and more about>>>
The Kyrgyzstan Health Ministry confirmed 40 people were killed and a further 400 injured as the Kyrgyz people sought to topple the man who used to be their hero when he staged the Tulip Revolution in 2005.
However, unconfirmed reports put the fatality figure at 100.
Kyrgyz protesters waving the national flag ride on a truck in Bishkek following the protests
Participants of the opposition rally help a wounded man in Bishkek
A Kyrgyz protester kicks out at captured police officers at the opposition headquarters in Bishkek
The massacre in the main square left the injured with gunshot wounds to their heads and stomachs.
Some were moaning and asking for help. 'They are killing us,' said one wounded man on the ward.
A hike in electricity and gas prices, coupled with endemic corruption and nepotism, turned the people against the president.
An airport official in Bishkek told Agence France Presse the president had left his riot-torn capital Bishkek in a small plane capable only of reaching a neighbouring country.
A plain clothes policeman kicks an anti-government protester as he lays on the street in Bishkek
Meanwhile, opposition leaders in the state claimed they have formed a new acting government.
The announcement was made today on a state television channel that opposition members stormed and seized in the capital of Bishkek.
Temir Sariyev, an opposition party leader, told The Associated Press that a coalition of politicians had agreed on a new prime minister as well as a new interior minister and new security chief.
Marching towards revolution: A protester waves the national flag outside the main government building in Bishkek today
A police car burns outside the main government building in Bishkek today as Kyrgyzstan lurched towards revolution tonight
Kyrgyz opposition leader Roza Otunbayeva - dubbed the Thatcher of Kyrgyzstan - called on Thursday for President Kurmanbek Bakiyev to resign and said she planned to run an interim government for six months to draft a new constitution for the Central Asian state.'We have a caretaker government now in place, and I am the head of it,' Otunbayeva told Reuters by telephone.
'It will remain in place for half a year, during which we will draft the constitution and create conditions for free and fair (presidential) elections.'
Last night both the White House and the Kremlin were urging calm amid Western fears that Moscow could seek to exploit the political crisis in capital Bishkek to gain more sway in a country that borders China but also acts as a crucial base and staging post for U.S. military supplies to Afghanistan.
Riot police try to protect themselves as protesters attack in Bishkek today
Riot police retreat as participants of Kyrgyz opposition rally throw stones at them
Kyrgyzstan's President Kurmanbek Bakiyev is said to have now fled the country
One group of protesters seized an armoured personnel carrier from the military and entered the main square waving red and yellow Kyrgyz flags.
Akylbek Yeukebayev, a doctor at a Bishkek hospital, said: 'There are dozens of dead bodies, all with gunshot wounds.'
Another official added: 'Most are young people under the age of 30.'
Witnesses saw police in Kyrgyzstan shoot dead at least 12 people and wound another dozen after opening fire on thousands of angry protesters who tried to seize the main government building.
'They are breaking all the windows, whistling and running everywhere,' said one witness.
Kyrgyz Prime Minister Daniyar Usenov sought to maintain an image of calm even as key government offices were stormed.
But his spokesman revealed the extent of the crisis, declaring: 'We daren't even look out of the window.' Bakiyev was also said to be in his office, but was not seen in public.
Late last night Kyrgyz opposition leader Temir Sariyev said was demanding face to face talks with Bakiyev to demand his resignation. 'We're going to the government's headquarters,' he declared.
'The power is fully in the hands of the people,' claimed former speaker of the parliament, Omurbek Tekebayev, on state television. There was no way of immediately verifying his claim.
Tekebayev claimed a commandant had been appointed for Bishkek, a retired police colonel Turat Madalbekov, top keep order in the city.
Smoke shrouds the crowds in the main square of Bishkek tonight as the city declared a state of emergency
Angry protesters march through the streets of Bishkek
A Kyrgyz opposition supporter walks with a gum near the main government building
But the powerful Kyrgyz security services denied the seizure of its building by armed opposition supporters. 'There was an attempt to seize the building of the National Security Service but it failed,' said an official. Several vehicles were burnt not far from the building, he said.
The parliament building was also damaged and some political prisoners were reported to have been freed from detention before they joined the protesters on the barricades.
Protesters seized government buildings in three other towns.
In one town, Talas, Kyrgyz First Deputy Prime Minister Aklybek Japarov and Interior Minister Moldomusa Kongantiyev were badly beaten. Kongantiyev was forced to shout: 'Down with Bakiyev!', two witnesses said.
Armed opposition protesters fire automatic weapons through the gates of the main government building in Bishkek
Protesters hurl stones and other missiles at police loyal to the president
Protesters run past a damaged car during clashes with riot police
It was clear large supplies of guns were in the hands of the protesters and there was looting of shops in Bishkek. The Central Asian republic has been gripped by political unrest since early March and the latest unrest in Talas is of concern to the U.S., which uses a military air base in Kyrgyzstan to support its operations in Afghanistan.
The U.S. said it was 'deeply concerned about reports of civil disturbances.'
Moscow urged calm, and called on the authorities to stop shooting at protesters.
Protesters attempt to take a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) from a riot policeman
A blood stain spreads on the ground as victims of the clashes struggle to get up outside the presidential building in Bishkek today
Meanwhile, Russian premier Vladimir Putin strongly denied he or the Kremlin was behind the bid to topple Bakiyev, amid suspicions Moscow wants more sway over a country that hosts both US and Russian military bases on its mountainous territory.
'Neither Russia nor your humble servant nor Russian officials have anything to do with these events,' he said, accusing Bakiyev of nepotism.
Last week U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited Bishkek and called on the government to do more to protect human rights.
The United Nations said Ban was concerned at events in Talas and urged all parties to show restraint.
Activists said they feared a broader crackdown would ensue as a result of the disturbances in Talas, located in a picturesque valley on the border with Kazakhstan.
Some residents said Internet access had been blocked in many households.
Post a Comment
Thank you for your valuable comments and opinion. Please have your comment on this post below.