Kyrgyzstan police 'fire tear gas at Bishkek protesters'

Posted on Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Police in Kyrgyzstan have fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse protesters in Bishkek, reports say.

Several hundred anti-government protesters were said to have gathered outside the main opposition headquarters in the capital.

The unrest comes a day after thousands of people in the northwest city of Talas stormed regional government offices.

They were calling for the resignation of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev.

The protesters briefly took the local governor hostage while another 500 surrounded the local police headquarters.

Angry crowds attacked special forces police with rocks and petrol bombs. They reportedly set fire to portraits of president Bakiyev.

Opposition leaders have called for nationwide protests on Wednesday.

But the BBC's Rayhan Demytrie in Bishkek says the authorities have been trying to prevent people attending the demonstrations.

Several opposition leaders were arrested overnight and journalists attacked, adding to the tensions in the country, says our correspondent.

"The government is clearly trying to prevent further opposition rallies. But we will hold them anyway," opposition activist Toktoaim Umetaliyeva told Reuters.

Web blocked

The unrest comes amid rising tensions between the opposition and the government.

In recent weeks, the authorities have clamped down on independent media, and several internet news sources are still blocked in the country, our correspondent reports.

There has also been rising discontent with the role of President Bakiyev's son who was recently appointed as the head of an important government agency.

Five years ago, mass protests in Kyrgyzstan brought Mr Bakiyev to power.

He promised to fight corruption and promote democracy, but his critics say the country has become increasingly authoritarian under his rule, our correspondent says.

Last week UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited Bishkek and called on the government to do more to protect human rights.

On Tuesday, the UN said Mr Ban was "concerned" at events in Talas and urged all parties to show restraint.