BISHKEK, May 15 (RIA Novosti's Yulia Orlova) - The Uzbek town of Kara-Suu was pacified Sunday morning without use of force. The town has been patrolled by police since morning, business as usual, local sources told RIA Novosti. Kara-Suu, the former Soviet town, is now divided between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Last night, many people fled the Uzbek part of the town or stayed indoors for fear of violence. According to local residents, Uzbek forces had encircled the town Saturday night, allegedly ready to storm it. Although Tashkent and Bishkek had officially closed the border after a recent uproar in the eastern Uzbek town of Andizhan, both states decided earlier today to lift the boundaries for traditional Sunday all-town bazaars.
Witnesses say Kyrgyz border guards do not bar Uzbek citizens from entering the Kyrgyz part of Kara-Suu but meticulously check their identifications, which takes 10 to 15 minutes each.
On Saturday, Kara-Suu protesters, without airing any political agenda, burned down several government buildings, including the prosecutor's office, a local police station, and the revenue service.
