[Mb-civic] CBC News - 500 DIED IN UZBEKISTAN FIGHTING, DOCTOR SAYS

Sun May 15 16:20:46 PDT 2005

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500 DIED IN UZBEKISTAN FIGHTING, DOCTOR SAYS
WebPosted Sun May 15 14:39:57 2005

Andijan, Uzbekistan---As many as 500 people died in Friday's fighting in
the central Asian country of Uzbekistan, an unconfirmed report says.

A doctor on Sunday told the Associated Press that about 500 bodies had
been taken to a school in the city of Andijan, where the fighting had
broken out between protesters and government soldiers.

The doctor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said as many as 2,000
people were wounded.

Some people were trying to escape arrest by fleeing to nearby Kyrgyzstan
on Sunday. Reports from Andijan said gunfire broke out several times
during the day and soldiers with armoured vehicles were occupying the
main streets.

On Saturday, authorities said the army had ousted the armed men who took
over a government building after freeing about 600 prisoners from a jail.

 FROM MAY 14, 2005: Unrest continues in Uzbekistan The unrest began
 with protests about the trials of 23 businessmen accused of religious
 extremism through membership in a group that wants to create an
 Islamic state.

On Sunday, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told BBC Radio that
"there has been a clear abuse of human rights, a lack of democracy and a
lack of openness."

The U.S. has a base in Uzbekistan used to fight terrorists in
Afghanistan.