BISHKEK – Protesters have gathered in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, to demand the release of politicians and activists accused of planning riots over the government’s border demarcation deal with neighboring Uzbekistan.
The Kylym Chamy rights group said 21 people had been detained on October 23 over their opposition to the draft agreement that Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are expected to sign to resolve all land disputes between the two countries.
According to the deal, Kyrgyzstan will hand over the territory of the Kempir-Abad water reservoir, covering 4,485 hectares, to Uzbekistan in exchange for over 19,000 hectares elsewhere.
Protesters in Bishkek on October 24 carried banners saying "Kempir-Abad Belongs In Kyrgyzstan" and "Free All of the Jailed Politicians and Bloggers."
The Interior Ministry said on October 23 that it was carrying out an investigation into alleged preparations for an organized mass riot. The police haven't given the exact number of detainees.
Kylym Chamy said that the people detained across several towns and cities include a military general, a former member of the constitutional court, a former public prosecutor, journalists, and activists. Their homes were searched by police, it said.
The reservoir, which was built in 1983, is located in the fertile Ferghana Valley and represents a vital regional water source. Uzbekistan, whose population of 35 million is five times larger than that of Kyrgyzstan, uses the majority of the water.
The two Central Asian countries share a border of more than 1,300 kilometers.
Many Kyrgyz civil activists, opposition politicians, and residents living close to the dam are against the deal.
They say Uzbekistan could continue using the dam's water, but the reservoir's land should remain within Kyrgyzstan's border.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and his allies claim the deal benefits Kyrgyzstan and that Kyrgyz farmers will still have access to the water.
Kyrgyz politician Ravshan Jeenbekov announced on October 22 that he and others opposed to the deal had created a committee to protect Kempir-Abad.
That same day, Japarov called opponents of the deal "provocateurs" who are misleading the public.
He claimed that 99 percent of the population supports the agreement. Japarov said he knows who is behind the rallies and processions.