The Hindu : International : Karimov says riots orchestrated by Islamists to topple regime

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 15, 2005

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International

Karimov says riots orchestrated by Islamists to topple regime

Vladimir Radyuhin

Andijan calm, dozens of bodies lying strewn on streets

MOSCOW: An Islamist extremist group was behind the riots staged in Uzbekistan's eastern city of Andijan on Thursday and Friday, the country's President Islam Karimov said on Saturday after troops dispersed the rebels and restored control over Andijan.

Mr. Karimov told a press conference after returning from Andijan to the capital Tashkent that the unrest had been planned by Islamist militants linked with the banned Hizb ut-Tahrir movement, who wanted to replay the Kyrgyz scenario of overthrowing the Government in March.

Identical scenario

"The scenario was identical, they wanted to repeat the coup in Kyrgyzstan," Mr. Karimov said. "However, their plan has fallen through."

The Uzbek leader said the leaders of the uprising had placed calls to Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan. He personally negotiated with them and said they had demanded the release of Hizb ut-Tahrir leaders from Uzbek prisons.

"The political demands made by the criminals have never been and will never be acceptable to us," Mr. Karimov said.

According to Mr. Karimov, the Islamists had counted on the weakness of the Central Government and on the support of the population, but failed to see the difference between the situation in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

Andijan was reported generally quiet on Saturday after troops stormed a local administration building seized by rebels on Friday night. Eye-witnesses saw dozens of bodies lying in streets. Local doctors said clinics were crowded by wounded people.

Mr. Karimov confirmed the death of nine police and army officers when rebels attacked a traffic police post and an army barracks on Thursday night before freeing hundreds of prisoners from a local jail.

Mr. Karimov called Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Saturday to discuss the situation in Uzbekistan.

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