BBC (March 24): Protesters oust Kyrgyz government

[Jack Rabbit]

Dated Thursday March 24 15:07 GMT (7:07 am PST)

Protesters oust Kyrgyz government

The opposition in Kyrgyzstan says it has taken control of the capital, Bishkek, after overrunning the president's palace.

Protesters confronted supporters of President Askar Akayev before flooding into government offices.

A prominent Kyrgyz opposition leader, Felix Kulov, made a televised appeal for calm after being freed from jail.

Demonstrations were stepped up after recent parliamentary elections, which the opposition said were rigged.

Read more.

[Jack Rabbit]

1. BBC Country Profile: Kyrgyzstan

From the BBC Online
Last Updated Wednesday March 23

Country profile: Kyrgyzstan

A small, mountainous, rural country, Kyrgyzstan became independent with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

However, more than a decade later it has yet to achieve its stated aim of creating a fully-functioning market economy and a self-confident democracy.

Kyrgyzstan is a multi-ethnic state comprising Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Russians, Ukrainians and Germans, and a small number of Uighur, Dungan (Chinese Muslims) and Koreans.



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[Jack Rabbit]

2. BBC Analysis (from Monday): Why Kyrgyzstan matters

From the BBC Online
Dated Monday March 21

Analysis: Why Kyrgyzstan matters
By Leonid Ragozin
BBCRussian.com

The outside world has been watching events unfolding in Kyrgyzstan with a mixture of excitement and fear.

Excitement because this could be the beginning of another "velvet revolution" in a former Soviet country.

Fear because in such a poor and volatile region as Central Asia, it may not be as non-violent or democratic as those in Ukraine or Georgia.

Whatever happens, the outcome will be significant because Kyrgyzstan is close to Afghanistan - an area with a history of inter-ethnic conflicts lying on one of the world's drug trafficking routes.

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[eek]

3. Can we get some of them thar Eastern European

experts over here to run some Ousting Workshops?

Clearly, we need professional help.