KYRGYZ OPPOSITION-LED DEMONSTRATION ENDS WITH A

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BISHKEK 000454 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/20/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL KG SUBJECT: KYRGYZ OPPOSITION-LED DEMONSTRATION ENDS WITH A BANG BISHKEK 00000454 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Amb. Marie L. Yovanovitch, Reason 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) Late in the evening on April 19, the anti-government demonstration in Bishkek came to a halt when Ministry of Interior (MVD) forces cleared the area around the Kyrgyz White House and Ala-Too square. The action followed an apparent attempt by a small group of protesters to storm the White House. Some protesters reportedly threw rocks and sticks at the police, and the police used tear gas and noise grenades to disperse the crowd, which numbered approximately ¶3000. Some shop windows were broken and streets blocked temporarily as the crowd retreated. The police removed the protesters' yurts and tents from the square. Fifteen police reportedly were injured, as were a small number of protesters, mostly from tear gas exposure. There were no reports of any fatalities. Much of the confrontation was broadcast on local television channels, including NBT. OPPOSITION NEWSPAPERS CONFISCATED -------------- ¶2. (SBU) At around 4:00 am local on April 20, Kyrgyz law enforcement and security officers, with an order from the Prosecutor General, entered the Media Support Center printing press office to stop the print runs of opposition newspapers Agym and Kyrgyz Rukhu. (NOTE: The Media Support Center was established by Freedom House with USG funding. END NOTE.) The officers took the plates, demanded that the electronic files for those newspapers be deleted, and confiscated the few copies that had already been printed. Agym, owned by opposition MP Melis Eshimkanov, has a usual run of 22,000 copies on Thursdays and 18,000 copies on Mondays; during the past three weeks, the press runs were between 50,000 and 70,000 copies. The officers left the printing press offices around 6:00 am, and they did not interfere with printing of other newspapers. RAID ON UNITED FRONT HEADQUARTERS -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Authorities also raided the headquarters of the United Front and Felix Kulov's Ar Namys political party, seizing documents and computers from both offices. Opposition MP Omurbek Tekebayev claimed that law enforcement officers attempted to enter his Ata Meken political party's office as well, without a warrant. Following the raids, the State Committee on National Security (GKNB) summoned all members of the United Front without government immunities for questioning, including former PM Kulov and MVD Minister Suvanaliyev. ACCUSATIONS FLY -------------- ¶4. (U) The United Front was quick to blame the government for its actions against the opposition, while PM Almaz Atambayev stated publicly that Kulov was to blame for inciting violent behavior. General Prosecutor Elmurza Satybaldiyev has since announced that two criminal cases have been opened against the organizers of the demonstration, to investigate claims of mass disorder, illegal detention of citizens, and "arbitrariness." PM SAYS PARLIAMENT TO PROCEED WITH NEW CONSTITUTION -------------- -------------- ¶5. (U) Following an emergency meeting at Parliament April 20, PM Atambayev told reporters that a new constitution would be BISHKEK 00000454 002.2 OF 002 passed legally and peacefully, and that he is planning to step down following its adoption. He also suggested that former PM Kulov could make an attempt at regaining his former position at that time. Atambayev noted that additional rallies would not be prohibited, adding that future demonstrations should not try to seize authority by force. COMMENT -------------- ¶6. (C) At this point, we are still gathering information about what actually happened on the square and at the White House on April 19. Opposition leaders tried to calm the crowd from the podium, and the police appeared to act with restraint. Each side is blaming the other for instigating the confrontation, and we may never know whether the small group of provocateurs were over-zealous protesters, plants from the government, or from somewhere else. ¶7. (C) Despite the uncertainties of what triggered last night's police intervention to clear the streets, the government raid on the Freedom House Printing Press and the seizing of certain pro-opposition newspapers is deeply troubling, as it indicates a deliberate effort to censor the media and stifle the voice of those critical of the government. OSCE Secretary General de Brichambaut arrived in Bishkek April 20 for meetings with senior Kyrgyz officials; the Ambassador has asked that he raise this issue in his meetings. The Ambassador raised the issue with Minister of Finance Japarov and Minister of Transportation Sulaimanov in a meeting today, and will raise these concerns in a series of official meetings on Monday, April 23. The Embassy has also drafted (and emailed to SCA for clearance) a public statement calling on the Kyrgyz government to respect the freedom of the press, which we believe should be issued on April 23. YOVANOVITCH