Daniyar Mukashev, Permanent Representative of Kyrgyzstan to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva, met with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic reported.
According to the ministry, Daniyar Mukashev informed the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in detail about the armed conflict at the Kyrgyz-Tajik border that took place on April 28-30, 2021 and the current situation in the border regions of Kyrgyzstan.
He stressed that the illegal actions of the Tajik side led to the death of 36 citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic, the overwhelming majority of whom are civilians, including two children (5 and 12 years old), and 160 people were injured.
The representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic also said that as a result of the actions of the Tajik side, about 30,000 people were forced to leave their places of residence (according to the latest government data, more than 40,000 people were evacuated. — Note of 24.kg news agency); residential buildings, buildings of educational institutions, infrastructure facilities of the country were destroyed.
The actions of the Tajik side, committed in violation of universal international obligations, have led to numerous violations of the human rights of citizens of Kyrgyzstan, including the inalienable and fundamental right of every person — the right to life.
Daniyar Mukashev stressed that the Kyrgyz side has never advocated for solution of border issues by military means, which lead to numerous victims and violations of human rights, and always prioritizes peaceful settlement of disputes.
Michelle Bachelet expressed her sincere sympathy for the victims among the civilian population of Kyrgyzstan. She informed that the UNHCHR has been closely following the situation at the Kyrgyz-Tajik border from the very beginning.
The UN High Commissioner welcomed the efforts and actions of the Kyrgyz government to peacefully resolve the conflict and prevent further escalation of the conflict, and also assured the Kyrgyz side that OHCHR would closely monitor the situation at the border of the two states.
The border conflict began on April 28 in the area of Golovnoy water distribution point. Local residents, army units and heavy weapons were involved in it. The parties finally agreed on the armistice and withdrawal of troops only on the evening of May 1.
At least 189 Kyrgyzstanis sought medical help, 36 people died, including children. More than 40,000 people have been evacuated from the conflict zone. The Tajik side unofficially reported more than 150 wounded and about 16 dead.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that 120 houses and 84 social facilities had been destroyed in Kyrgyz border villages, including two schools, a village first-aid station, a kindergarten, a police station, four checkpoints, a medical center, a dental center, two pharmacies, a fire station, 27 gas filling stations, 34 retail outlets, five canteens and three banquet halls. Border outposts were also damaged. According to the Tajik side, more than 10 houses have been destroyed by fire in Khoja Alo border village.
The Prosecutor General’s Office of Kyrgyzstan assessed the actions of Tajikistan as military invasion and started pre-trial proceedings under the article «Crime against peace» of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic.
