May 21, 2005
UZBEK PROTESTERS SEEK REBEL'S RELEASE
Sourse: AFP
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Soldiers prevented protesters from crossing the border
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Up to 200 protesters have demonstrated in Uzbekistan's border town of Korasuv.
The protesters, mostly women, early on Saturday carried banners demanding freedom for rebel Bakhtiyor Rakhimov, who was detained by the authorities.
Two hundred soldiers and riot police prevented the protesters from reaching a bridge leading into Kyrgyzstan across the Sharikh Khansai river.
The demonstrators were blocked about 200m from the bridge.
Earlier on Saturday, security forces were reinforced after a protest by at least 1000 demonstrators demanding the release of Rakhimov and other detainees.
Uzbek forces on Saturday morning were still allowing residents of the Uzbek part of Korasuv to cross into the Kyrgyz part to go on errands at the market.
Rumours of arrest
Uzbek residents who had crossed into Kyrgyzstan reported rumours of arrests back in Uzbekistan.
"There are many rumours of arrests," said an Uzbek peasant on condition of anonymity.
"People are complaining they are fed up. We want more money and more work, and the authorities send us more soldiers and more police," he said.
About 1000 protesters had gathered on Friday in Korasuv to demand the release of detainees held by the authorities since they reclaimed control of the town from protesters earlier.
Demands
In addition to Rakhimov, demonstrators demanded the release of a prominent wrestler, Dilmorod Mamajanov, said a witness who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal.
The two were said to have been arrested during the security operation in Korasuv, which followed unrest in the Uzbek-Kyrgyz border area after the weekend's violence in the city of Andijan.
Most of the crowd had dispersed later on Friday after a senior local official had agreed to take the matter up with province level authorities in Andijan, the witness said.
The protest came after Korasuv authorities released 16 other prisoners on Wednesday and Thursday.
Uzbek President Islam Karimov has denied reports that Uzbek authorities largely lost control of Korasuv for several days in the wake of the violence in Andijan that is feared to have left many hundreds dead.
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