your village voice

Krygyzstan Keeps Uzbek Refugees

After the May massacre in Andijan, the Krygyzstan nation was flooded with refugees from Uzbekistan, fleeing from that brutal government in the hundreds (almost 500). In a magnanimous show of humanitarian relief, Foreign Minister Rosa Otunbayeva insisted that no refugees would be returned to Uzbekistan unless the situation changed. This, despite the Uzbekistan's government demanding repatriation of all citizens.

That generosity seems to have run out. According to the BBC, Kyrgyz prosecutor Azimbek Beknazarov has already sent back 4 Uzbeks and wants to deport 29 more. Though Otunbayeva has placed a halt on the repatriation, Beknazarov still believes there are at least 19 others that should be returned. He was extremely blunt with his opinion on the Andijan "revolt", saying:

They need to be punished, their place is in prison.

Unfortunately, he is talking about the innocent survivors of Andijan's Bloody Friday and not the bloody tyrant Islam Karimov whose despicable actions drove these refugees into Krygyzstan. One wonders the legitimacy of any prisoners held by such a government.

One also wonders about the silent reaction from the rest of the industrialized world, most notably the US State Department.

If only Uzbekistan was Iraq ...

posted by the prisoner @ 11:23:00 AM