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ANTI-UZBEK ACTIONS IN KYRGYZSTAN MAKE TASHKENT ILL AT EASE

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TASHKENT, May 20 (RIA Novosti, Abu-Ali Niyazmatov) - The Foreign Ministry of Uzbekistan has handed in a note to the authorities of Kyrgyzstan in connection with the actions going on in the adjacent state and aimed against the government of Uzbekistan.

"Study of the situation which has been going on in recent days in the districts of Kyrgyzstan adjacent to Uzbekistan shows that serious unrest and actions by unorganized religious groups are taking place," reads the ministerial communique.

"As noteworthy are sharp actions by a group of persons in the border districts aimed against the government of Uzbekistan. Extremist slogans and different appeals are being heard there," the communique goes on to read.

The Uzbek side notes that the authorities of Kyrgyzstan do not keep the situation in hand. Tashkent warns that further inaction may lead to the situation getting out of hand.

Simultaneously, Uzbekistan expresses readiness without delay and limitations to organize return for its nationals from among women, old people and children whom the May 13 events in Andizhan threw to the Kyrgyz territory.

All the others, that is males older than 16 years of age finding themselves in Kyrgyzstan, are to be thoroughly checked minding that 120 criminals illegally set free from the Andizhan prison are still being sought for.

In order to provide communication for population in the border districts, the Uzbek side is ready to organize the required number of border-crossing points with obligatory border control and customs inspection.

For its part, the new authorities of Kyrgyzstan promise to prevent a worsening of the situation on the border with Uzbekistan (nearly half of the population of the Osh district bordering on Uzbekistan are ethnic Uzbeks). First Vice-Premier of the Kyrgyz Republic Felix Kulov has said that Bishkek is thoroughly studying the information and the statements by the authorities of Uzbekistan.

He also said that the secret services and diplomatic agencies of Kyrgyzstan were checking the information supplied by the Uzbek side.

Just recently, head of the public relations bureau of the National Security Service of Uzbekistan Olimzhan Turakulov said that the border situation had been normalized.

In the early hours of Friday, the prison and several government buildings were seized by force in the Uzbek city of Andizhan. Later, troops were brought into the city, stormed and fully liberated the building of the administration of the Andizhan region.

On Saturday the mass unrest spilled over to the city of Kara-Su. Several buildings of state power bodies were burnt, including the prosecutor's office, the police office and the tax inspection. No political demands were advanced.

At a press conference on Tuesday, President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov said that, in all, 169 persons (one policeman died in the hospital later) died as a result of the unrest.

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