OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities urges OSCE States to assist Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, calls for independent commission to investigate
VIENNA, 17 June 2010 - Urgent international support is needed to help stabilize the situation in Kyrgyzstan and assist neighbouring Uzbekistan to take care of the tens of thousands of refugees who have fled across the border, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebaek told the 56 OSCE participating States at a session of the Permanent Council in Vienna today.
Vollebaek also called for an impartial investigation into the violence in southern Kyrgyzstan, and for the interim government to support efforts to document events.
"There can be no doubt that Kyrgyzstan still requires international assistance in order to stabilize the situation," said Vollebaek in his statement. "In addition to re-establishing law and order, which is a prerequisite for any long-term stability, there is a continuous need for humanitarian assistance. This also goes for the many people who have taken refuge in neighbouring Uzbekistan."
"I commend Uzbekistan's responsible behaviour, and I appeal to the Government of Uzbekistan to keep its borders open, and to the international community to generously come to the assistance of Uzbekistan in this most difficult situation as it tries to accommodate tens of thousands of refugees."
The High Commissioner said an international commission should investigate: "In order to move forward and re-establish trust between the inhabitants of Kyrgyzstan, there has to be a thorough investigation into what has been happening in the south of the country. This will require an independent, international Commission."
"Meanwhile, it is important to have free and open reporting and documentation of the violence. I would therefore strongly urge the Kyrgyz authorities to refrain from laying any hindrance in the way for journalists and members of civil society who are engaged in documenting the ongoing perpetrations."
On Monday, a special session of the Permanent Council, one of the OSCE's main decision-making bodies, was convened following the decision of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Kanat Saudabayev, based on the 12 June early warning issued by Vollebaek. The High Commissioner's mandate calls for such warnings if, in his judgment, tensions involving national minority issues have the potential to develop into conflict. The High Commissioner has invoked this article only once before.
The OSCE participating States adopted a statement taking note of the early warning issued by Vollebaek, calling for the rapid restoration of peace, public safety and the rule of law in Kyrgyzstan and offering to build on assistance to resolve the crisis.
In his statement Monday Vollebaek, who visited Kyrgyzstan in April and June to assess the situation in the country, called on the Kyrgyz provisional government to establish an institution responsible for communication with minority groups. He also recommended that a power-sharing agreement to include ethnic Uzbeks and representatives of other national minorities in all state institutions, including law enforcement agencies, judicial bodies and public administration at all levels be considered.