DUSHANBE, August 7, 2015, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have agreed to institute criminal proceedings against instigators of the August 3-4 clashes between residents of border villages that left several people injured, an official source at the Isfara mayor’s office told Asia-Plus today.
According to him, a meeting of representatives of border services of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan took place in the Tajik village of Somoniyon on August 5-6.
Tajikistan was represented by Rajabali Pirakov, the deputy head of the Main Department of Border Guards under the State Committee for National Security, and Kyrgyzstan was represented by Iskander Mambetaliyev, the deputy head of Kyrgyzstan’s Border Service. Representatives of local authorities and law enforcement agencies of both countries reportedly also participated in the negotiations.
“The two sides discussed joint use of road and water resources located in the disputed border areas,” the source said, noting that officials also called for a clearer demarcation of borders between the two countries.
“Today, the sides will discuss issues related to land plots located in the disputed border areas,” the source added.
We will recall that according to sources in Tajikistan’s Isfara district, the incident along the border started on August 3 when residents of the Kyrgyz village of Kok-Tash blocked the flow of water to the Tajik village of Chorkuh, which caused protests by Tajiks. In response to this, residents of the Tajik village of Chorkuh blocked a road that Kyrgyz residents of Kok-Tash use to reach a cemetery where relatives are buried.
Some 200 people then gathered on both sides of the border on August 3 and threw stones at each other.
An official at the Isfara mayor’s office says the crowd increased to about 500 people on August 4 and residents again threw stones, injuring several people on both sides.
RFE/RL’s Tajik Service quoted officials in Tajikistan”s Isfara district as saying that six Tajik citizens were wounded by gunfire that rang out later on August 4. Two of the wounded Tajiks are in grave condition, the officials said.
