Human Rights Watch makes accusation after hundreds of eyewitness accounts, photos and even videos from the satellite. Armoured army vehicles swept away the Uzbek barricades and left open the field for attack. The demand for an international inquiry.

 Bishkek (AsiaNews / HRW) – Some army forces facilitated the massacre of ethnic Uzbeks, when violence erupted in June 2010 in southern Kyrgyzstan, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has denounced in a report published this week.  The group also accuses the government of not having carried out detailed investigations on the responsibility for the violence. The report gathered more than 200 eyewitness accounts, statements of pro-rights and law enforcement groups, images and photographs taken by satellites, pictures and video footage.

HRW said the violence erupted on June 10 when a large group of ethnic Uzbeks gathered as a result of small clashes between the two ethnic groups. During the night there were several violent attacks and burning of houses of ethnic Kyrgyz in Osh and nearby villages. From early morning of June 11 until June 14 Kyrgyz attacked and burnt shops and houses in Uzbek districts of Osh, Jalalabad Bazar-Kurgan and other southern cities, in some cases levelling entire neighbourhoods. The official toll speaks of at least 371 deaths and thousands of homes destroyed, but many believe that the dead number more than 1000.

According to testimonies gathered by HRW, armoured military vehicles with camouflaged army men removed the barricades erected by ethnic Uzbeks, so that the mob was able to penetrate the Uzbek neighbourhoods. Other witnesses saw armed men following the armoured vehicles and firing against those who resisted, only to then step aside while a mob attacked and burned the houses. In other cases, there is evidence that the army disarmed the ethnic Uzbeks, while protecting the Kyrgyz assault.

This evidence contrasts with statements of authorities that ethnic Kyrgyz had stolen some armoured vehicles. Now HRW is calling on the Government to make more detailed investigations into those tragic days and the army’s role, which does not appear to have protected the neighbourhoods of ethnic Uzbeks from aggression.

The report also found numerous violations of law by the army, which in the days after the massacres insulted and beat residents, made illegal arrests and searches in areas of ethnic Uzbeks. In the village of Nariman security forces wounded 39 people, with 2 deaths. HRW reports at least 60 cases of torture against detainees, particularly ethnic Uzbeks, to obtain "confessions", with at least one prisoner who died.

Ole Solvang, co-author of the HRW report says that "It’s clear that the massive ethnic violence posed colossal challenges for Kyrgyz security forces. Yet we found that some of the security forces became part of the problem rather than the solution”.

"Now - Solvang continues - national and international inquiries need to find out just what the government forces did and   whether the authorities did everything they could to protect people. This is crucial both for justice and to learn lessons about how to respond to any new outbreaks”.

Meanwhile, HRW demands that " abuses against detainees immediately cease." " The June violence has left deep scars" - Solvang concludes - "For those scars to heal there needs to be justice for what happened and equal protection for all ethnic communities "

• KYRGYZSTAN
• Uzbekistan
• violence
• ethnic
• clashes
• army
• torture
• abuse
• HRW
• persecution
• minority
• inquiry