Osh burning. Click on the image to see more photographs.

Call it whatever you want, but I name it a massacre of Uzbeks in Osh and Jalalabad (Kyrgyzstan), which is, at the moment, still going on and the Interim government headed by Rosa Otunbaeva cannot do anything to prevent it. I knew of disaffection, I knew of tension, but I never knew there was so much hatred against Uzbeks in the South of Kyrgyzstan. I am not blaming all Kyrgyz for this. I am blaming the incapable Interim government, and those people, who provoked masses, and especially those stupid Uzbeks and Kyrgyz, who are buying it.

More photos here and here.

Grave reports continue coming from friends in Osh and Jalalabad. Videos and photos of killed Uzbeks, burning houses, restaurants and shops that belonged to Uzbeks started appearing in internet. Thousands of Uzbeks are seeking shelter in Uzbekistan. Today, the Uzbek authorities finally agreed to accept Uzbek refugees. Uzbeks in the South have lost their trust to the interim government and are hoping for Russia’s help, but Russia is not being active.

The emergency situation introduced in several cities in the South including Osh and Jalalabad is not helping. Many police and army institutions were attacked, and great numbers of weapons are now on people’s hands. People say that attacking groups wear police and army uniforms. Therefore, many have lost their trust in law enforcement institutions.

The Interim government is blaming everything on the Bakievs that the latter are intending to disrupt the referendum scheduled for 27th of June, 2010.

People write "Kyrgyz" on their cars to avoid attacks of angry mobs

The death toll is much much higher than the official figures, as people are still finding dead corpses around Osh, and many were burnt down in their houses in mahallas (Uzbek neighborhoods). While I was writing this, I got several gruesome calls from friends in Jalalabad that some groups seized buildings belonging to army and police. Tonight, Jalalabad will suffer its worst night ever! My heart is with them!

I am calling all international organizations to help Kyrgyzstan in this crisis. Today, we are suffering the results of previous governments mistakes, who ignored the issue of inter-ethnic tension, and who let the whole generation to be brought up with ethnic hatred. Please, we need your help like never before!

Friends, readers, please, send out this message to the world! Help Kyrgyzstan’s nation to overcome this crisis!

Background info: Kyrgyzstan is located in the heart of Central Asia. It hosts military bases of two great powers – Russia and US, and therefore, plays a significant role in region’s stability. Kyrgyzstan used to be known as “island of democracy in Central Asia”, and witnessed two popular uprisings in five years that led to change of the government. The country is geographically divided into two – the North and the South. While the North is mostly populated by ethnic Kyrgyz, the South has a great minority of ethnic Uzbeks. Some figures say there are about 1000000 Uzbeks living in Kyrgyzstan. Inter-ethnic clashes between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz already happened in early 90s of the past century leaving more than hundreds of people dead.

More info about today’s crisis is here, here, here, and here.

Here are videos of gruesome events (some maybe shocking):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aDlnIdkjM4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-_kmwF1bK8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBHMjZrbwYM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy4oMD_Gl08
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvWbhhAhMeE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt2bWKiZU58
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiT3tMoP-gw