An outburst of xenophobia in Kyrgyzstan culminated in a violent clash between Kyrgyz youth and Pakistani students. The fighting left dozens injured and has prompted hundreds of Pakistani students to leave the country.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the trouble began on the night of May 12, when a comparatively minor incident led to a melee. That evening, at a pizzeria in eastern Bishkek, a group of young Kyrgyz men reportedly demanded cigarettes from Pakistani customers. Following a verbal exchange, a Kyrgyz youth reportedly hit a Pakistani student, prompting all the foreigners to return hurriedly to their dormitory at the International University of Kyrgyzstan. Four Kyrgyz youths allegedly pursued the Pakistani nationals into the dorm and proceeded to cause mayhem.
According to the official account, the four Kyrgyz youths who entered the dorm stole an estimated $2,800 in cash as well as personal property of the residents. A brawl ensued when the Kyrgyz youths allegedly began harassing female dorm residents, and Pakistani students acted to defend them. One of the Kyrgyz youths suffered a vigorous beating while three others fled the scene.
A video of the incident went viral online and sparked outrage among some Kyrgyzstanis who perceived the May 12 incident as a “humiliation for their nation.” One week later, on the night of May 17, a mob of about 700 people approached the same dormitory, and, calling for justice, proceeded to beat any foreign student they could find.
In all, 41 foreign students sought medical help following the May 17 attack, 11 of whom were still in a Bishkek hospital as of May 20.
The day after the attack, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif voiced concern on Twitter about “the situation of Pakistani students in Bishkek” and instructed the country’s ambassador to provide assistance to the victims. Pakistani authorities also organized charter flights to ferry home any student who felt it would be unsafe to continue studying in Bishkek. As of May 20, 540 Pakistani students in Kyrgyzstan had opted to return home.
Kyrgyz authorities are trying to defuse tension and reassure the foreign students. The deputy head of the Kyrgyz Cabinet, Edil Baisalov, visited the dormitory on May 19, offering an apology and extending a security guarantee. “Your parents and relatives should know that there is no threat to you in Kyrgyzstan, and that authorities bear full responsibility for your well-being. The events of one night do not reflect the attitude of our people towards you,” Baisalov told students and teachers at the dorm.
President Sadyr Japarov announced that Pakistani students injured in the melee would not have to pay for medical care. He also blamed unnamed opposition forces for stoking the xenophobic outburst. Japarov vowed that any repetition of such violence would be crushed quickly.
The police “will switch to forceful dispersal methods from the first minutes,” and rowdies will be “severely punished” regardless of citizenship and nationality, Japarov stated. “Now the security forces are no longer as weak as before.”
Although the recent clashes involved foreign students, there are indications that resentments among Kyrgyz are building over the perception that foreigners from South Asia are displacing Kyrgyz workers in some sectors of the economy. While Kyrgyzstan is a major source of labor migrants who work in Russia, the Persian Gulf and elsewhere abroad, the Central Asian nation is also attracting labor migrants to work some of the most menial jobs.
“This is a new phenomenon. They are almost everywhere, these migrants. In taxi services, at car washes, as couriers in food delivery services. They are ready to work and live for $300,” Baisalov said in an interview with a regional news outlet. “Naturally, we expel those who violate the law and visa regime ourselves and without ceremony [...] We are interested, first of all, in creating jobs for our citizens.”
