Kyrgyzstan & Uzbekistan: Moscow Brawl Linked to Lingering Hard Feelings over Osh Events
A brawl involving groups of Kyrgyz and Uzbek labor migrants in Moscow on May 20 resulted in the detention of 79 individuals. According to one news account, lingering hostility stemming from inter-ethnic rioting in southern Kyrgyzstan in 2010 spurred the confrontation in the Russian capital.
Police intervened quickly on May 20 after receiving reports that two groups of Central Asian men were menacing each other at about 6 pm. Two Kyrgyz men reportedly were hospitalized, one with a stab wound. There were no other reports of serious injuries in connection with the incident.
Most of those taken into custody were released after providing written statements. The website operated by the Dozhd television channel reported that the Moscow clash was effectively a continuation of the inter-ethnic violence that engulfed southern Kyrgyzstan almost two years ago. Hundreds of people, most of them Uzbeks, were killed amid the 2010 rioting. Thousands of Uzbeks were also displaced.
Violence involving groups of labor migrants in Russia is on the rise, according to some Russian media outlets. On May 18, for example, the newsru.com website reported that a brawl erupted during an amateur football match involving Tajik and Kyrgyz migrants in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk. Police said the melee involved over 50 individuals. Some reportedly are facing deportation after authorities determined they lacked proper work authorization in Russia.
Editor's Note: Evgeny Kuzmin is an editorial associate at EurasiaNet.
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