The OSCE is set to send first officers of its police group to the southern Kyrgyzstan by mid-August. They will back Osh and Jalalabad law enforcement bodies. The OSCE policemen will be advisers helping stabilize the situation in the country’s south. The interim government has more than once asked for such an assistance. But the region’s residents are against: not all of them understand the mission of OSCE Police Advisory Group.

Kyrgyzstan has a new fever attack – unauthorized meetings in Osh protesting against OSCE Police Advisory Group deployment in Kyrgyzstan. Around 200 people with posters “No to OSCE police in Kyrgyzstan”, “We need no foreign forces” and suchlike came to the oblast administration building. They were apparently loth to look for trouble and the cops did not disperse the crowd, although meetings are forbidden in the state of emergency. The police were silent even when the protesters headed for the Osh office of the OSCE, where they failed to conduct a long action. Later they returned to their previous site.

They declared it was their first demonstration in a series of many others and they were set to insist on their demands until the interim government revokes its decision to deploy OSCE police forces in the south. They addressed Rosa Otunbayeva, threatened to storm Osh airport terminal and even its runway. They will be waiting for the reply till July 29th.

Permanent meetings having started in Osh spread to Bishkek, where near the parliament the protesters fired a dummy of an OSCE policeman. Youth activists with blue bands round their sleeves together with the civil alliance “For the rule of law” protest against the decision of the interim government. At the same time the civil alliance says they “are highly appreciative of the OSCE activities and would like it to help the republic in elaboration and fulfillment of comprehensive state programs for improvement of interethnic relations”.

The bulk of the republic’s population is tired of meetings and is asking the authorities for elementary public order, even with assistance from international forces.

Saida Mirjalalova

Bishkek