At least 77 people have died in clashes in the south of Kyrgyzstan, according to Al-Jazeera. It seems that thousands of ethnic Uzbeks, mostly women and children, are fleeing for safety to Uzbekistan. They claim that they have been attacked by militias and by the Kyrgyz military and police. The interim government is appealing to Russia and the world for help. They cannot keep their own population safe. Uzbekistan is allowing ethnic Uzbeks to cross the border.
I may have been naive to believe that ethnic clashes wouldn’t get so violent. Rather than think of this as ancient historical rivalries, these are a response to specific current tensions and a lack of a strong, centralized government. I hope there will be an intervention, even from Russia, to stop the completely senseless killings.
