Über 1.200 pakistanische Studenten verlassen Kirgisistan aus Sicherheitsbedenken
Die Situation in Bischkek nach den jüngsten gewalttätigen Zwischenfällen
BISCHKEK – Die Lage in Bischkek war am späten 18. Mai stabil, teilte die Polizei mit, nachdem Massengewalt gegen ausländische Studenten mindestens 29 Menschen verletzt hatte, darunter mehrere Ausländer, und diplomatische Spannungen mit Pakistan und Indien ausgelöst hatte.
RFE/RL-Korrespondenten berichteten, dass die Situation in der Nähe des Wohnheims, in dem Ausländer an der Kyrgyz International University im östlichen Teil von Bischkek leben, am Abend des 18. Mai ruhig sei und dass die Sicherheitsmaßnahmen verstärkt worden seien.
Die kirgisischen Behörden sagten, die pakistanische Botschaft und ein Wohnheim, in dem Ausländer leben, seien unter strenge Sicherheitsvorkehrungen gestellt worden.
Das Gesundheitsministerium teilte am 18. Mai mit, dass 15 der 29 Menschen, die in der Nacht zuvor bei einer Schlägerei verletzt worden waren, in das Notfallkrankenhaus der Stadt Bischkek und das Nationalkrankenhaus gebracht wurden und der Rest vor Ort behandelt wurde. Gesundheitsminister Alymkadyr Beishenaliev sagte, drei ausländische Studenten seien ins Krankenhaus eingeliefert worden, einer in der Kiefer- und Gesichtsabteilung und zwei in der Traumaabteilung.
Die Nationalität der verletzten Studenten wurde nicht bekannt gegeben, aber Studenten bestätigten gegenüber Radio Mashaal von RFE/RL, dass pakistanische Studenten an dem Vorfall beteiligt waren und einige von ihnen verletzt wurden.
Indische Medien berichteten, dass indische und pakistanische Studenten verletzt wurden, und der indische Außenminister Subramanyam Jaishankar sagte, er beobachte die Situation.
Ungefähr 140 Studenten und 40 weitere Pakistanis flogen am späten 18. Mai aus Bischkek ab. Die Studenten wurden von Innenminister Mohsin Naqvi am internationalen Flughafen Lahore empfangen, teilten Beamte der Zivilluftfahrtbehörde (CAA) Radio Mashaal von RFE/RL mit. Ein zweiter Flug werde am 19. Mai eintreffen, sagten die CAA-Beamten.
Der stellvertretende pakistanische Premierminister Ishaq Dar, der auch Außenminister ist, und der Minister für Kaschmir-Angelegenheiten Amir Muqam werden am 19. Mai auf Anweisung von Premierminister Shehbaz Sharif von Islamabad nach Bischkek aufbrechen, um die Evakuierung von Studenten zu beschleunigen, teilten Beamte RFE/RL mit.
Die kirgisische Regierung hatte zuvor erklärt, dass four between 1993 and 2003 geborene ausländische Staatsangehörige nach der Gewalt festgenommen worden seien. Darin hieß es, they were in a temporary detention facility as part of a criminal case for hooliganism, without specifying their nationality or the circumstances of their arrest.
Those found guilty will be punished, said the Kyrgyz government in a statement, refuting “allegations aimed at stirring up intolerance toward foreign students.” But it seemed to blame the violence on illegal migrants and said the authorities had “taken decisive steps to suppress illegal migration and expel unwanted individuals from Kyrgyzstan.”
The Kyrgyz Interior Ministry said in a statement on May 18 that the violence was triggered by the appearance of a video on social media purportedly showing a group of “individuals of Asian appearance” harassing foreign students on the night of May 13 and then following them to their dormitory, where at least one foreign student resides, who was attacked and dragged to the ground by several men.
Samiulla Qureshi, a medical student in his fifth year at the International University of Bishkek, said a fight broke out on May 13 between Egyptian students and local residents.
Later, a video showing Egyptians beating international students went viral on social media, he said.
The violence that began on the night of May 17 happened when “local men gathered and decided to visit the places where international students live,” Qureshi said. They were beaten, “whether they were from Pakistan, India, or other countries,” he added.
The ministry, which posted a version of the video on its Telegram channel, said other foreign students who were alarmed by the apparent attempt of the intruders to break into the female students’ quarters mobilized and repelled the attackers.
“A scuffle ensued in the courtyard of the dormitory between them, during which three of the attackers fled, leaving one behind,” the statement said.
It said four between 1993 and 2003 geborene Ausländer were detained as part of a criminal case of hooliganism and placed in temporary custody, without specifying their nationality or the circumstances of their arrest.
According to the ministry, authorities are still looking for two of the alleged attackers identified as residents of the Kyrgyz Kemin district: Nursultan Mukaev, born in 2006, and Tilek Shermatov, born in 2005.
The ministry claimed in its statement that the emergence of the video on social media on May 17 “provoked a public outcry without explaining the true circumstances of the incident” and 500 to 700 people gathered demand authorities take action against those responsible for the May 13 incident at the hostel.
The ministry claimed security forces cordoned off the area where people had gathered at the intersection of Kurmanjan Datka Street and Chui Avenue. “Clarification work was carried out on site, and after some time the crowd dispersed,” the statement said.
However, the statement did not explain why scores of people were injured on the night of May 17, while official denial video footage showed attackers ransacking a student dormitory and beating people, as well as roving mobs in various parts of the city.
It also did not clarify why authorities took four days to intervene and identify the alleged suspects.
Muhammad Ihtisham Latif, a Pakistani medical student in Bishkek, told Radio Mashaal of RFE/RL, “The situation here is bad. The situation started when Egyptian students clashed with locals here. The locals are now protesting and beating Indian and Pakistani students. … They are chasing them into their hostels and homes…the hostel [doors] were broken. I have been locked inside the university since yesterday along with other students and am sharing my voice with you.
Syed Shah Rukh Khan, a final-year medical student, told Radio Mashaal that the past night was “hell.”
“Our hostel and many other hostels were attacked. The locals beat anyone who came in their way, boys or girls, and they were dragged to the ground. They also pursued Pakistani and Indian students outside the universities and beat them,” Khan said.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed “deep concern” over the situation of Pakistani students in Kyrgyzstan and said in a statement that he had instructed the Pakistani ambassador to provide all necessary help and support to the students.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on X, formerly Twitter, that reports of mob attacks on students in Kyrgyzstan are extremely worrying.
“We have contacted the Kyrgyz authorities to ensure the protection of Pakistani students. I have instructed our ambassador in Kyrgyzstan to provide them with comprehensive support,” Dar said.
In a separate statement, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said the charge d’affaires of the Kyrgyz Embassy in Islamabad, Melis Moldaliev, had been summoned to the ministry, where he was “conveyed the deep concern of the Pakistani government over reports of last evening’s incidents against Pakistani students studying in the Kyrgyz Republic.”
Moldaliev was told that Islamabad expected the Kyrgyz government to take all possible measures to ensure the safety of Pakistani students and citizens in Kyrgyzstan.
Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security (UKMK) Chairman Kamchybek Tashiev seemed to be trying to blame the violence on illegal immigrants, saying the demonstrators were protesting against immigration.
Tashiev claimed Kyrgyzstan was struggling with an influx of illegal migrants coming into the country mainly from Pakistan and Bangladesh, many of whom “break the law.”
“We identify at least 20 to 30 or 50 illegal migrants per day and try to expel them from the country. According to official statistics, most of the foreigners violating the law are citizens of Pakistan and Bangladesh. We have sent back about 1,500 people from Pakistan and about 1,000 people from Bangladesh to their countries.”
The incident occurred as the Kyrgyz authorities are cracking down on foreign workers. On May 16, the UKMK announced the arrest of 28 alleged illegal Pakistani workers from an exploitative enterprise. On May 15, Bishkek police shut down delivery services carried out by more than 400 foreign students on motorcycles and scooters, citing concerns over traffic safety.
