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Photo-exhibition on events in Xinxang was disrupted, two organizers were arrested by police

21.08.2009

An attempt of two leaders of Kazakhstan youth organizations to report about creation of Committee of Kazakh-Uigur friendship and solidarity ended symbolically.


 


An announcement about appearance of the new public initiative was expected during the opening of photo exhibition, denoted to July blood event in Xinxang autonomous in China. 


By organizers’ intention on the measure had to be presented for about 400 hundred photos which were planned by the “Arman” public association and Kazakhstan alliance of Uigur youth and which were presented by independent journalists and eye-witness of the event in Xinxang. To this effect was chosen Almaty press-centre “Kalamger”.


 


On the eve at night we had a rung and were told that management of “Kalamger” refuses in premises. – reported Abdrashit Turdiev, a chairman of Kazakhstan alliance of Uigur youth. – We had not enough time to warn all invited people and it was understandable that in the morning we came there. We left onward to tell that action is carried to the other day and in the other place.


 


In the morning in the 20th of August near the building of the press-room police members were waiting for organizers of the exhibition, also were employees “in civilian”, members from the city department and public prosecutor’s office – whole for about twenty people.


 


As far as in that place already were gathered journalists and invited people, young people were nothing to do as had to conduct the improvised mini-briefing for mass media straight at the door of press-centre.


 


Amongst gathered people turned out to be much interested in photography. An authority regarded the photo demonstration with briefing for press as the unauthorized mass-meeting and ordered police bodies to arrest the organizers.


 


In total, Ermek Narynbaev, leader of the “Arman” and Abdrashit Turdiyev were taken and delivered to the police administration of Medeu city district. Truly, before the arrest young leaders of two public associations had already report to mass media about creation of Committee of Kazakh-Uigur friendship and solidarity. After all their friendship “was consolidated” joint escorting to the police “crater”.


 


They made us to write an expository by force and said that will cause to the court later, – told A. Turdiyev after both of public activists were abandoned from the police administration . – But we don’t care we will conduct the exhibition later.


 


– It’s clear that it is not the initiative by “Kalamger”, most certainly they had a rung from Committee of national security or city department, – expected one of the eyewitness of missed exhibition, who asked not to name him.


 


We can note that press centre “Kalamger” turns out to be in similar scandal which is connected with attempts of Kazakhstan citizens to voice their attitudes to the events in China second time.


 


In April 2008 when all over the world conducted actions against undertaking summer Olympic Games in Beijing in connection with events in Tibet, Kazakhstan was single country which didn’t disturb Olympic flame. Only, Khasen Kojahmet, a public figure tried to give estimation to the actions of official Beijing in respect of Tibet scolded inhabitants by undertaking press-conferences in the same press-centre “Kalamger”. According to the words of H. Kojahmetov in case of that money was contributed beforehand an administrator of the press-centre said that “the press conference was cancelled by the National security committee city department”. To the question how the city department could forbid something to the private enterprise manager required to get out cruelly and beat him. After K. Kojahmet was caused by the guards of the “Kalamger” and they call the police.


 


An alliance of Uigur youth in Kazakhstan in the middle of the July spoke in organizer’s capacity of mourning ceremony to victims of Urumqi disturbances in “Drujba”(“Friendship”) settlement, verging to the Almaty, where mainly ethnic Uigur people live. Action had gathered for about three thousand people. Initially activists of the movement asked to undertake the picket line beside the China consulate in Almaty but it was prohibited. Then city authority and the public came to the compromise to undertake mourning ceremony on fringe of the Almaty.


 


Published in the site of “Voice of freedom in central Asia” (Vof.kg)


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