2024 Bishkek riots

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2024 Bishkek riots
Location Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
DateMay 17–18, 2024
TargetForeigners, especially ones from SWANA and South Asia
Attack type
Mob attack
Deaths4
InjuredAt least 29 [1]
PerpetratorsKyrgyz nationalist mobs
Motive Xenophobia

The 2024 Bishkek riots were attacks on foreigners by ethnic Kyrgyz mobs in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The clashes lasted from May 17th to the 18th, with four reported deaths.

Contents

Foreign governments with citizens in the country took a deep concern, with the Pakistani government successfully evacuating 3000+ Pakistani students. [2]

Background

Kyrgyzstan is a common destination for medical students, given its cheap costs of education and internationally recognized medical degrees. It had more than 60 thousand foreign students in 2021, including 14,500 Indian students and 10,000 Pakistani students. [3]

Trigger

The trigger of the clashes was a brawl between four or five young local citizens and Egyptian students in a dormitory on May 13th at about 02:00. [4] [5] Kyrgyzstani young men demanded cigarettes, which Egyptians refused. [6] An existing video footage depicts Egyptian students attacking Kyrgyzstani men. [7] The Kyrgyz police arrested three [8] or four [7] Egyptian citizens and placed them in the temporary detention center of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate in Bishkek over suspicion of hooliganism. [9] After the original problem was resolved, the video was published on May 17th, [5] spread across social media channels and the issue escalated. Later, it sparked retaliation by Kyrgyz mobs against foreigners in the country. Initially, over 100 Kyrgyz gathered "to take revenge on the foreigners who beat up residents." [10]

Main events

The Kyrgyz mobs began targeting anyone with a similar appearance to the Arabs they had fought. Pakistanis became the most targeted, and Indians and Bangladeshi were attacked too. [10] [11] The attacks were initially in universities, although they later spread to the streets, with Kyrgyz mobs attacking anyone perceived as foreign, whether they were male or female. Foreigners were instructed not to leave their homes and to close their curtains and to hide as the Kyrgyz mobs were severely beating people without any exceptions. The Kyrgyz mobs began going on a manhunt around the city for foreigners. 500–700 more Kyrgyz youth aged between 18 and 25 gathered in the city center. [12]

After midnight, police recorded a video of the detained Egyptians, in which they apologized to the Kyrgyz people, expressed regret for what had happened, pledged that this will not happen again, and affirmed their determination to respect Kyrgyz law. [4]

Four Pakistani students were reported killed, according to a news network from Srinagar, India. [13] However, Pakistan and Krygyzstan both reported that no Pakistani students were killed.

On Kyrgyz social media, rioters sent messages calling on locals to come out and attack foreigners. Streets were extremely dangerous as hundreds of Kyrgyz rioters were mercilessly beating any foreigner they saw. [14]

Mobs surrounded universities, workplaces, houses, and hostels where Pakistanis, Indians, and Bangladeshis were located, and dragged them out to beat. They also chanted racist slogans. [15] Local streets were closed by authorities, although it did not have much effect. [16]

By May 18, the violence had died down and the authorities declared the riot over. One-hundred-eighty Pakistanis, including 140 students, left Kyrgyzstan. [17]

Reactions and response

Egyptian government

On May 22nd, the Egyptian embassy in Kazakhstan stated that the issue of Egyptian students in Kyrgyzstan is solved. [6] All detained students were released.

Pakistani government

The Pakistani government was commended for its quick response to ensure the safety of Pakistani students. The Kyrgyz government ensured provision of foolproof security to Pakistani students. Standard medical services were provided to the injured students. The government announced plans to operate special flights to bring back Pakistanis from Bishkek. A committee was also constituted to investigate the matter. [18]

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar announced that three special planes will bring back a total of 540 Pakistani students from Bishkek. [19]

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, a major opposition party, Sindh’s region President Haleem Adil Sheikh criticized the government's response and said that the government did nothing but issue statements. Shaikh called for immediate start of emergency flight operations and opening of a Green Corridor to ensure safe return of Pakistani nationals. [20]

Both the Indian and Pakistani embassies in Bishkek recommended that their nationals in Bishkek should stay indoors. [21]

Kyrgyz government

On 22 May the Kyrgyz Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that ten people, six Kyrgyz nationals and four foreigners, had been detained in connection with the violent riots. According to the ministry, nine investigations were launched into hooliganism, robbery, mass disorder, and inciting ethnic hatred. [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyrgyzstan</span> Country in Central Asia

Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia, lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the capital and largest city. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and China to the east and southeast. Ethnic Kyrgyz make up the majority of the country's over 7 million people, followed by significant minorities of Uzbeks and Russians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Osh</span> City in southern Kyrgyzstan

Osh is the second-largest city in Kyrgyzstan, located in the Fergana Valley in the south of the country. It is often referred to as the "capital of the south". It is the oldest city in the country and has served as the administrative center of Osh Region since 1939. The city has an ethnically mixed population of 322,164 in 2021, comprising Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, Ukrainians, Koreans, and other smaller ethnic groups.

The Tulip Revolution, also known as the First Kyrgyz Revolution, led to then-President Askar Akayev's fall from power. The revolution began after parliamentary elections on 27 February and 13 March 2005. The revolutionaries alleged corruption and authoritarianism by Akayev, his family and supporters. Akayev fled to Kazakhstan and then to Russia. On 4 April 2005, at the Kyrgyz embassy in Moscow, Akayev signed his resignation statement in the presence of a Kyrgyz parliamentary delegation. The resignation was ratified by the Kyrgyz interim parliament on 11 April 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">President of Kyrgyzstan</span> Head of state and head of government of Kyrgyzstan

The president of Kyrgyzstan, officially the president of the Kyrgyz Republic, is the head of state and head of government of the Kyrgyz Republic. The president directs the executive branch of the national government, is the commander-in-chief of the Kyrgyz military and also heads the National Security Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roza Otunbayeva</span> Kyrgyz politician (born 1950)

Roza Isakovna Otunbayeva is a Kyrgyz diplomat and politician who served as the President of Kyrgyzstan from 7 April 2010 until 1 December 2011, becoming the first female Central Asian head of state. She was sworn in on 3 July 2010, after acting as interim leader following the 2010 April Revolution, which led to the ousting of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. She previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and as head of the parliamentary caucus for the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan. She is also known for the persecution of human rights activist Azimzhan Askarov and the failed policy that led to the clashes of June 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White House, Bishkek</span> Presidential office building in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

The White House is the presidential office building in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The White House was the site of riots during both the 2005 Tulip Revolution and the 2010 Kyrgyzstani riots. During the 2010 riots a fire broke out and damaged portions of the building and destroyed the hard copies of many government records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human rights in Kyrgyzstan</span>

Human rights in Kyrgyzstan improved after the ouster of President Askar Akayev in the 2005 Tulip Revolution and the installment of a more democratic government under Roza Otunbayeva. While the country is performing well compared to other states in Central Asia, many human rights violations still take place. While LGBT rights have been declining in recent years, freedom of press has been improving.

1990 Osh riots were an ethnic conflict between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks that took place in June 1990 in the cities of Osh and Uzgen, part of the Kirghiz SSR. The immediate cause of the riots was a dispute between an Uzbek nationalist group Adolat and a Kyrgyz nationalist group Osh Aymaghi over the land of a former collective farm. While official estimates of the death toll range from over 300 to more than 600, unofficial figures range up to more than 1,000. The riots have been seen as a forerunner to the 2010 ethnic clashes in the same region.

Chinese people in Kyrgyzstan have been growing in numbers since the late 1980s. 2008 police statistics showed 60,000 Chinese nationals living in the country. However, the 2009 census showed just 1,813 people who declared themselves to be of Chinese ethnicity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">India–Kyrgyzstan relations</span> Bilateral relations

India–Kyrgyzstan relations or the Indo–Kyrgyz relations are the bilateral relations between the Republic of India and the Kyrgyz Republic. Since the independence of Kyrgyzstan on 31 August 1991, India was among the first to establish diplomatic relations in 1992; the resident Mission of India was set up in 1994.

There is a population of Uyghurs in Kyrgyzstan, who mostly came to the country in three separate migrations throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. According to official statistics, they make up about 0.9% of the national population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Kyrgyz Revolution</span> Revolution that overthrew President Kurmanbek Bakiyev

The 2010 Kyrgyz Revolution, also known as the Second Kyrgyz Revolution, the Melon Revolution, the April Events or officially as the People's April Revolution, began in April 2010 with the ousting of Kyrgyz president Kurmanbek Bakiyev in the capital Bishkek. It was followed by increased ethnic tension involving Kyrgyz people and Uzbeks in the south of the country, which escalated in June 2010. The violence ultimately led to the consolidation of a new parliamentary system in Kyrgyzstan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 South Kyrgyzstan ethnic clashes</span> Kyrgyz–Uzbek clashes after President Kurmanbek Bakiyevs ouster

The 2010 South Kyrgyzstan ethnic clashes were clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in southern Kyrgyzstan, primarily in the cities of Osh and Jalal-Abad, in the aftermath of the ouster of former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev on 7 April. It is part of the larger Kyrgyz Revolution of 2010. Violence that started between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks on 19 May in Jalal-Abad escalated on 10 June in Osh.

Melis Myrzakmatov was the mayor of Osh, Kyrgyzstan's second largest city, from 26 January 2009 until 5 December 2013. Myrzakmatov is known for being a radical nationalist leader and openly bearing an ethnic Kyrgyz-first policy. He is also widely believed to be involved in organized crime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ata-Zhurt</span> Political party in Kyrgyzstan

Ata-Zhurt or Ata-Jurt is a political party in Kyrgyzstan. Its political base is in the south of the country, but the party is headquartered in its capital Bishkek. In 2014, it merged with the Respublika party to create Respublika–Ata Zhurt, but the two parties ended up splitting again four months before the parliamentary elections of 2020, in which Ata-Zhurt instead formed a joint list with Mekenim Kyrgyzstan. After the results of that vote were annulled, Ata-Zhurt contested the 2021 elections independently and came in first with 19% of the vote. The party is led by Kamchybek Tashiyev, and has previously supported the ousted former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azimzhan Askarov</span> Kyrgyz activist and journalist (1951–2020)

Azimzhan Askarov was a Kyrgyzstani political activist who founded the group Vozduh in 2002 to investigate police brutality. Of ethnic Uzbek descent, during the 2010 South Kyrgyzstan ethnic clashes, which primarily targeted people of the Uzbek nationality, Askarov worked to document the violence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Kyrgyz Revolution</span> Protests against the October 2020 parliamentary election

The 2020 Kyrgyz Revolution, also known as the Third Kyrgyz Revolution, began on 5 October 2020, in response to the previous day's parliamentary election that was perceived by protestors as unfair, with allegations of electoral fraud. The results of the election were annulled on 6 October 2020. On 12 October 2020, President Jeenbekov announced a state of emergency in the capital city of Bishkek, which was approved by Parliament the following day. Jeenbekov resigned on 15 October 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan clashes</span> 2021–2022 conflict between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

A three-day border conflict between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan began on 28 April 2021. The clashes stemmed from a long-running dispute over a water supply facility near the village of Kök-Tash. Tajik media raised some concern over military drills in Batken prior to the conflict.

This is a list of individuals and events related to Kyrgyzstan in 2024.

References

  1. ↑ "First batch of students arrives as govt moves in to rescue Pakistanis in Bishkek". 18 May 2024. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  2. ↑ Salim, Yusra (26 May 2024). "Panic in Bishkek". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  3. ↑ "Mob violence in Kyrgyzstan a threat to Indian, Pakistani students? What we know so far". Firstpost. 18 May 2024. Archived from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  4. 1 2 "غاغة ضد المهاجرين في قرغيزستان واحتجاز 3 طلاب مصريين". جريدة البشاير (in Arabic). 18 May 2024. Archived from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Хронология событий приведшие к волнению в городе Бишкек". mvd.gov.kg. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
  6. 1 2 "Issue of Egyptian students in Kyrgyzstan solved: Egypt's Foreign Ministry". EgyptToday. 24 May 2024. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
  7. 1 2 Asia, Times of Central (20 May 2024). "An Uneasy Calm After Unrest in Bishkek - The Times Of Central Asia" . Retrieved 24 December 2024.
  8. ↑ "What happened in Kyrgyzstan capital Bishkek?". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
  9. ↑ "Egypt working to release detained students in Kyrgyzstan violence: Foreign ministry - Foreign Affairs - Egypt". Ahram Online. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
  10. 1 2 "Ambassador says five Pakistani students injured in Kyrgyzstan mob violence". Arab News. Archived from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  11. ↑ "Pakistanis in Kyrgyzstan's Bishkek asked to stay indoors amid mob riots targeting international students". 18 May 2024. Archived from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  12. ↑ "4 Arrested, Dozens Injured as Mob Violence Targets Foreigners in Bishkek". Archived from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  13. ↑ "Kyrgyzstan: Four Pakistani students killed in violent attack; India urges students to stay indoor". Free Press Kashmir. 19 May 2024.
  14. ↑ "Locals spreading hate messages on TikTok: Indian students in Kyrgyzstan". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  15. ↑ "'A Living Hell': Pakistani Students Describe Harrowing Bishkek Mob Violence". Archived from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  16. ↑ "Thousands of Pakistani students attacked by locals in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan". humenglish.com. 17 May 2024. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  17. ↑ Service, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz. "Bishkek University Reportedly Calm After Mob Violence That Injured At Least 29". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  18. ↑ "Bishkek incident: Govt's swift response for safety of Pakistani students lauded". Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  19. ↑ "Three special planes to bring back 540 Pakistanis from Bishkek tonight: Ishaq Dar". Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  20. ↑ "Bishkek: PTI leader assails govt for its 'action'". 20 May 2024. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  21. ↑ "Kyrgyzstan Violence: India, Pakistan Issue Emergency Helplines For Students Amid Reports of Riots In Kyrgyzstan | What We Know". Outlook India. 18 May 2024. Archived from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  22. ↑ 6 Kyrgyz, 4 Foreign Nationals Detained Over Mob Attacks In Bishkek That Triggered Exodus (RFE/RL)
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