Svobodna Dnevnik

[Hadash]

El Correo Internacional

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Kyrzbekistan: Protests turns violent in the state of Yartushia
By: Milena Brovina
Published: March 19, 1583


Hooligans facing the state riot police in the town of Urë.

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A controversial but apparently banal tax law passed by the Assembly of the state of Yartushia, a state on the eastern region in the Democratic Republic of Kyrzbekistan has sparked protests demanding such tax legislation to repealed. Yesterday, protests turned violent in several cities, including Bashkimqytet, Ersyrë, Seroksta, Ochlyk, and Kurkychlek. In other towns, such as Tabul and Chycheny, protests were small or peaceful, but at night the headquarters of the Kyrzbek National Party and the Akhadic Society in those towns were attacked with incendiary bombs. Fortunately, there were not victims in any of the fire attacks, a spokesperson of the state government declared.

The legislation which increased considerably the taxes for some products, such as alcohol, tobacco, sea food products and even "immoral clothing" have caused controversy and it was denounced by several political parties of the opposition as "complete nonsense". Two weaks ago, several organizations of consumers called for movilizations against the law, but nobody could have predicted that things would turn that chaotic so fast. Since 1582, the eastern state of Yartushia is governed by Elbras Almasur, from the Akhadic Kyrzbek National Party which is ruling the state under a coalition government with the Conservative Reform Coalition, another conservative political party. Both political parties have an absolute majority in the state assembly, so it was predicted that protests were likely to have a very milited impact. Before the 1582 state elections, the state had been governed by the ruling Socialist People's Party.

While only a few hundreds of protestors showed the first days, the protests started to increase when the Union of Independent Smallholders and Peasants, which gathers several hundred thousands co-op workers and peasants decided to join the protests. The law also imposed an increase of taxes and denied subsidies to companies which commercialize products mixing egg and milk, an Akhadic ordenance which is rarely followed by most secular and non-denominational Akhadic believers. The Union of Independent Smallholders and Peasants have declared that such tax will cost millions to local producers, with products such as popular pastries who are consumed along the country and exported to nearby countries becoming non-competitive and unaffordable in the market. Representatives from the Arberian minority, which comprises about 16% in the state, but making the majority of the population in some southern towns such as Bashkimqytet and Ersyrë, have also denounced that the tax law is a violation of secular legislation and the constitution.

Violence sparked first in Seroksta and Bashkimqytet. Protesters throw stones to the police, and looted some buildings, such as those belonging to the state government, headquarters of the Kyrbek National Party or associated linked to the Akhadic Society and its charity organizations. In Seroksta, the rioters managed to force state guards to surrender the state tax authority building, and set fire to the building. At 19:41, a more resolute force of 300 state guards arrived to the place. However this only make things worse, and many neighborhoods in Seroksta suffered important damages, with protestors rioting, vandalazing, burning trash cans, and eventually storming police stations. Similar scenes were seen in Bashkimqytet and other towns in the next hours. At dawn, there were more than 200 wonded people and 100 arrested protesters. Some of the rioters were identified as renowned hooligans of the AS Enlenesh and FC Bashkimqytet football clubs. The state commissar of internal affairs denounced that some arrested were local members of the youth associations linked to the Socialist People's Party, but a spokesperson of the party rejected such accussations.

This morning, the Kyrzbek Revolutionary Guard was mobilized to protect federal governments. However, federal forces remained relatively passive regarding the violence, claming non-interferance with the law enforcing authorities of the state of Yartushia and lack of personell in the area. President Aygöl Zamambekuz had reportedly a three hour telephone conversation with Governor Elbrus Almasur, and Zamambekuz called the population to stop violence and solve their grievances with the local authority through peaceful protests. However, violence continued and even got worse in the following hours.

Chairman of the People's Council Damir Kazbekur offered Yartushia authorities a declaration of the state of emergency to restore order, including with a deployment of the Kyrzbekistani Armed Forces if necessary. However, this was rejected by Governor Elbrus Almasur, as such declaration of the state of emergency could allow the federal government to take control of the state police and temporarily suspend officials of the state of Yartushia appointed by the Governor and his government. A spokesperson of the Kyrzbek National Party accussed the state leadership of the Socialist People's Party to promoting violence through their early indifference toward the riots.

The Kuzhe of Taboul dennounced the violence and declared that obey the law is a religious duty, but without much result.