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Anti-Bakiev Protesters in Kyrgyzstan Plan Hunger Strike


NARYN, Kyrgyzstan -- Twelve residents of the city of Naryn in northern Kyrgyzstan say they plan to start a hunger strike on June 1 to demand that all associates of ousted former President Kurmanbek Bakiev be dismissed from official posts in the region, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

One of the protesters, Kanayim Berdibaeva, told RFE/RL that they had urged the local authorities to sack Bakiev's supporters, but that demand was ignored.

"There is no other way for us, and we will have to start the hunger strike," Berdibaeva said.

Bakiev was ousted after mass protests on April 7 and fled the country, initially for Kazakhstan before heading to Belarus at the invitation of Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

Bakiev and several of his relatives and former associates are wanted by Kyrgyzstan's interim government for alleged mass murder, abuse of power, corruption, and embezzlement.
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