The Osh Kurultai of the Opposition will not take place on March 24.
Moreover, almost immediately after the start of the conflict with Uzbekistan, social media saw not only calls for a radical solution to the issue in the form of nationalist posts but also major provocations. In particular, a video message appeared in which a man of Asian appearance stated that the border issue in the Aksy district could only be resolved by force and called for people to come there. The residents of Osh and nearby villages reported the provocation to the police themselves.
- Residents of the Kara-Tash rural district of the Nookat region have been detained: N.M., born in 1986 (unemployed, father of two children, not previously convicted) and M.K., born in 1986, who filmed the video, - reported the press service of the Main Internal Affairs Directorate of the Kyrgyz Republic for the city of Osh and Osh region. - According to one of the detainees, while discussing the situation at the border with a friend, they filmed the video and decided to post the message on the World Wide Web. However, he insists that they did not intend to go to the Aksy district.
Both provocateurs have now been released on a travel restriction. A criminal case has been initiated against them under Article 234 ("Hooliganism") of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic. The card of national interests was attempted to be played the day before and at a rally in the city of Kerben in the Aksy district, where opposition leaders were present. With their tacit approval, some attendees pushed ideas among their fellow citizens about the need to block the channels through which water flows to neighboring Uzbekistan, ban the import of vegetables and fruits from Uzbekistan, or even completely cease business contacts with the neighboring republic. In this context, an audio recording of a conversation that allegedly took place between several opposition leaders has emerged online: the head of the National Opposition Movement Kubanychbek Kadyrbekov, former head of the Jalal-Abad regional state administration Bektur Asanov, and Duulatbek Turdunaliev. The three men discuss plans for mass riots across all regions of Kyrgyzstan: from Talas to Bishkek. Their goal is to seize power in the republic, overthrow the president, and force the current government to resign, and for this, they already have fees prepared for mercenaries, weapons, vehicles, and hired "cannon fodder." The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic issued a statement last Tuesday, March 22, expressing its readiness to verify the authenticity of the recording and determine whether the oppositionists are indeed preparing a coup.
Meanwhile, opponents of the president's course have decided to cancel the kurultai originally planned for March 24. The political movement "El Unu" ("Voice of the People," ed. note), which is organizing it, announced the postponement of the event due to the tense situation at the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border and potential provocations. Representatives of Kyrgyz clans and regions will gather to create a coordination council of the opposition as soon as the situation stabilizes. However, aside from the rallies, there is another cause for concern. Elections to the city council are scheduled for March 27 in Osh. To ensure order and safety for local residents during the rally and elections, about 3,000 police officers have been sent to the region. Additionally, around 2,000 volunteers will help maintain public order.
