Monday March 21, 2005-- Safar 10, 1426 A.H. ISSN 1563-9479 |

| Important Notice: Jang Group of Newspapers web site can be accessed only by using http://www.jang.com.pk and http://www.jang-group.com About 10,000 pro-democracy protesters riot in Kyrgyzstan BISHKEK: Police fired shots in clashes on Sunday with opposition supporters demanding the resignation of Kyrgyzstan’s president but failed to stop them gaining control of key government buildings in the south of the country. At least 10,000 pro-democracy protesters stormed a police station and forced workers to flee a governor’s office in Kyrgyzstan on Sunday, a government spokesman said, in the biggest demonstration since allegedly fraudulent elections last month. Police fled to the roof of their station, firing shots into the air to deter the stone-throwing protesters in the southern city of Jalal-Abad, regional government spokesman Orazaly Karasartov said. She said smoke could be seen rising from the police station and that protesters broke windows. Local civic activist Cholpon Ergesheva said 20,000 people were taking part in the protests in Jalal-Abad. Several people were believed to be injured, though it was not clear how many. The riot was the latest in a string of nationwide protests sparked by the Feb 27 parliamentary elections in which President Askar Akayev’s allies fared overwhelmingly well. Critics claim the vote and a subsequent runoff election were marred by widespread abuses. Europe and the United States said the polls were seriously flawed, a charge denied by the government. Sunday’s riot came a day after police forcibly evicted demonstrators from the governor’s office in Jalal-Abad and another government building in the city of Osh. More than a dozen people, including three police officers, were injured and more than 200demonstrators were arrested, police and civic activists said. Protesters were still occupying five other state buildings in southern and western districts. "The authorities’ decision to use force against people won’t bring any good. It will only provoke anger,’’ said Kurmanbek Bakiyev, leader of the opposition People’s Movement of Kyrgyzstan, after the forced evictions. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe issued a statement on Sunday, urging the government and the opposition to refrain from using force and to begin a dialogue.
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