by IIFOR 29.09.2007, updated 16.12.2007

We have found a use of the anarchist economical-political map at a (no longer existing) webpage on internet, see Fig 2.. It is an attempt to put some economical-political organizations on the map. We don't agree to everything, but this could be discussed more. We have first put up the original map of the Anarchist International, see Fig 1. then the other.

 

Authoritarian degree % = 100 % - the libertarian degree % =

"

*) The stars indicate the position of the Norwegian economical-political system after the revolutionary change in 1994/95.

Fig. 1. Picture of the Anarchist Economical-Political Map

Fig. 2. An attempt to use the map on several economical-political organizations

***

A general comment to Fig 1. and Fig. 2.: Fig. 2 is basically, in the big picture, the same as Fig. 1 and is practically certain derived from Fig. 1, the original IIFOR and AI EP-map. However the explanations of the variables on the two main axis related to Fig. 2. represent an oversimplification and are quite imprecise, and are thus somewhat misleading. 1. The degree of socialism is in general (blue axis on Fig. 2.) not only dependent on "Economic Equality and Social Welfare", but also on economic freedom, etc., in short economic democray. 2. The degree of autonomy is in general (red axis on Fig. 2.) not only dependent on "The Extent of Political and Personal Freedom", but also political equality, etc., in short political/administrative democracy. A more detailed analysis with operational indicators, also statistical, for the variables 1. the degree of socialism, and 2. the degree of autonomy, are found in System theory - Chapter V.B.. Thus, the coordinates of the systems/organizations on the Fig. 2. map, are for several of them, somewhat wrong. In the following we will discuss and explain this more. (IIFOR)

Very Interesting friends & companions!!!! - But, where do you put the eco-anarchists? Cheers & Hugs! + Piedro (From CHILE, Southamerica)

Answer from IIFOR: Quoting the eco-anarchist manifesto: "There will be a) no real anarchism without ecology sufficiently integrated, just market orientated half-anarchism, and b) no real ecology without anarchism in a societal perspective, only authoritarian or pseudolibertarian half-environmentalism." Thus the eco-anarchist perspective should be accounted for in all forms of anarchism, and a green anarchist society may  be social-individualist anarchy, collectivist anarchy, individualist anarchy, or communist anarchy  (see map). However, as an economical-political tendency the eco-anarchists are probably typically found to the left in the sector of social-individualist anarchism, in the anarchist quadrant, on the AI's map. This means a bit to the left of the "democratic socialists" on the other map (Fig. 2.).

Many Thanks for Your response Friends - I'm very interested in the Eco-Anarchist Manifesto - Please take a look at the following Website of the Australian Eco-Anarchist Ted Trainer: TSW-index-site Yours, + Piedro (From Chile, Southamerica).

Answer from IIFOR: We agree that the Eco-Anarchist Manifesto, see EAM , is very important in these days of man-made global warming. However we think Ted Trainer is a bit too negative with respect to the benefits from development of new, environmentally friendly, technology. It is possible to have environmentally sustainable economic growth in the economy, if we do the right things.

***

Eu penso q no seu mapa político existem equívocoa a sanar: 1) não vejo como correto a divisão do anarquismo em correntes, que nunca se concretizaram - até a queda do muro de Berlim (quando o movimento libertário mundial foi invadido por ex-marxistas q nos trouxeram seus defeitos!); 2) ME PARECE CORRETO DEFINIR O @ COMO UMA CONCEPÇÃO DE SOCIALISMO QUE GARANTA A AUTONOMIA, MAS ME PARECE UM ABSURDO COLOCAR A SOCIAL-DEMOCRACIA NO MESMO QUADRANTE; 3) não existem anarquistas e socialistas libertários (!): se você é pela revolução com a destruição do Estado é anarquista e/ou socialista libertário,  q são sinônimos, não dois pensamentos diferentes. da mesma forma, desde Kropotkin, ou do início do século XX - com a formalização do sindicalismo revolucionário - o anarquismo se define como "COMUNISTA LIBERTÁRIO"! 4) TAMPOUCO VEJO LIBERTÁRIOS, OU ANARQUISTAS, EM MEIO AOS LIBERAIS - entre a autonomia e o capitalismo [que é inimigo de toda autonomia!]!
no mais, concordamos! SAÚDE E ANARCOSINDICALISMO - Renato Seixas

Answer from IIFOR: Thank you for the respons. We however cannot see that social-democrats are put in the quadrant of anarchism at the economical political map. The social democrats are put in the marxist quadrant of the maps of both fig.1 and fig. 2. We think that what is meant with the  expression "democratic socialists" on the map in fig. 2., in the social-individualist anarchist sector, is a form of libertarian socialism, real democracy, i.e.anarchism, not social democracy, or marxists. We agree that the organizations put in the anarchist quadrant of the fig. 2 map may be some what misleading. Say, in the original fig.1 map commune or communist anarchism is in the sector at the top of the map, and in general it represents the different anarchist tendencies in a much better way than the fig. 2 map. Furthermore "anarchists" are put on the top on the fig. 2 map. This is misleading. We think all tendencies within the anarchist quadrant (see fig. 1) are anarchist and represent anarchists of different kinds. The social-individualist sector of anarchism of the fig. 1 map, represents anarchism of a low degree. It is not communist anarchism, but still it is a form of anarchism.

THE 25 HIGHEST RANKING COUNTRIES ACCORDING TO LIBERTARIAN DEGREE ETC.
SYSTEM ANALYSIS

The estimates are approximately figures. © IIFOR/IJA ISSN 0800 – 0220 2007 and later. Anarchy = here social-individualist anarchism; Soc. dem. = social democrat marxism; Populist = here moderate parliamentarian democratic fascism; Cons. lib. = Conservative liberalism. See economic-political map at System theory and EP-map. Ranking of countries according to libertarian degree, estimates of the libertarian degree in general, and information on methodology, see Ranking and System theory - Chapter V.B.. According to ThesaurusLegend: approximately = (of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct. Thus: The estimates are approximately figures = The estimates are imprecise but fairly close to correct figures. By the way, the punk band Sex Pistols is right in their hypothesis that UK is fascist in the meaning of populist, a moderate parliamentarian democratic fascism, but not in meaning that UK has a totalitarian fascist system, with more than about 67% authoritarian degree, i.e. "the Sex Pistols punk perspective" in the meaning of 'allergic' to authority, typically for chaos-punks and their interpretation of the band's records, see Real democracy - Introduction. The Sex Pistols has declared that they are for musical anarchy, not political anarchy. They are probably neither chaos-punks, nor real anarchists... There are many broader analysis of countries' systems here at the Anarchy Debate, in issues of IJA, at the IAT-websites, and at the Norwegian Anarkidebatt, see (click on:) The official link-site of AI/IFA. We have used " , ", the European standard instead of American/UK standard, i.e. " . " as decimal separator. The term "ca" is an abbreviation for the latin circa, which means about or approximately.

***

The Bush-administration and neoconservatives are rather authoritarian, but I don't think they are fascists, as suggested at fig. 2. I think both these tendencies are liberalists, however quite authoritarian. What do IIFOR mean? Another question, where do you place mutualists on the maps? Best regards D. Dorn

Answer from IIFOR: Regarding mutualists, the updated followers of Proudhon, they may be placed a bit to the right and upwards of "democratic socialists" on fig. 2., i.e. they are typically placed in the upper part of the social-individualist sector of the anarchist quadrant of anarchism on fig. 1. We agree that the Bush-administration and neoconservatives are not fascists, but liberalists, located in the conservative sector of the liberalist quadrant of the fig. 1. map. Thus, the fig. 2 map is misleading in this case.

By "libertarians" on the fig. 2 map is meant right "libertarians", say, the so called Libertarian Party of USA and Ron Paul, located in the right liberalist sector of the fig. 1 map. The so called Libertarian Party of USA and Ron Paul are not libertarian in the ususal meaning of anarchist/anarchism = significant socialism and autonomy. The "Libertarian" Party and Ron Paul are not anarchist or close to at all, but most likely extremist liberalist.

In general most economic-political consepts in USA are twisted in economical plutarchist/capitalist, non-scientific, direction, e.g. 1. "anarcho"-capitalism = anarcho-plutarchy (economical), i.e. an oxymoron, and in practice hierarchy, and 2. the plutarchy-(so called)-Libertarian party and movement, also in practice hierarchy; NB! Remember plutarchy, as any x-archy, where x can be anything but not 'an', economical and/or political/adminstrative, is the opposite of freedom and real democracy.

USA on the economic-political map - strategy for the new progressive movement

New progressive movement. Ad the new progressive movement, with labor confederations, street protesters and other participants of the people in USA. The people here seen as a class as opposed to the superiors political/administrative and/or economically, the plutarchists. This movement should form a new progressive and social-individualist party, to challenge the Republicans (GOP) as well as the Democrats, both conservative plutarchist parties. The strategy for the new party should be the shortest way from the present situation to social-individualist anarchy on the economic-political map. This party could listen a bit to Noam Chomsky regarding US foreign policy, and should be based on human rights. The name of the new party could be 'The social-individualist progressive party' (SIPP), or something other covering these ideas and this policy. The new progressive movement should also operate with direct actions and never be ochlarchical, regardless of government and other provocations.

Once the well known anarchist Noam Chomsky was asked : "Would you describe the US as it is now as a fascist state?" Chomsky  answered: "Far from it. In many respects it is the most free country in the world." It is true that the USA is far from fascist, and rather free. USA is ranked as no 22 among the countries in the world according to libertarian degree. Thus it is among the 25 most libertarian countries in the world.

The US' system is not fascist, but liberalist, located in the conservative sector of the liberalist quadrant of the economic-political map, see System theory and EP-map, at about 57%-60% authoritarian degree, the point estimate for USA at ca 57,5%, i.e. a libertarian degree at ca 42,5%. Both domestic and international factors are considered, also USA's globalized corporations and support for totalitarian regimes.

The degree of capitalism in USA is estimated to ca 75,5%, i.e. very significant (the degree of socialism is only ca 24,5%). The gini-index is estimated to 40.8, i.e. significantly above 35.0. As a rule of the thumb a gini-index below 35.0 indicates socialism, while a gini-index equal to or above 35.0 indicates capitalism/economical plutarchy. Also several other indicators point to a high degree of capitalism, although a relatively high efficiency indicates an opposite tendency.

The degree of statism is estimated to ca 30,2%, and thus the degree of autonomy is ca 69,8%, i.e. very significant. This relatively high degree of autonomy is partly due to USA's strong regional and international position, partly due to the domestic situation, i.e. relatively low taxes and "small government", much NGOs, a functioning political/administrative democracy, also with primary elections, and tendencies of direct democracy in some states, etc.

However, these economical-political tendencies seen all in all are clearly authoritarian, but far from totalitarian, i.e. more than 67% authoritarian degree. These coordinates of the US system are average long term structural estimates, and today we see no tendencies of a significant change. Some people fear a development of the USA in fascist, ultra-authoritarian, direction, but the Anarchist International and IIFOR see no clear tendencies in this direction at the moment, although the people, seen as a class as opposed to the superiors in rank and /or income, should always be on the alert against fascist, ultra-authoritarian tendencies.

2008: The president election 2008 is a choice between neo-conservatives (Republicans) and conservatives (Democrats) and will probably not change the system in USA significantly. We have thus no expectations to the demagogue Barack Obama regarding significant change of the US system's coordinates. 2009: The president of USA, since 2009, Barack Obama, has limited influence, a powerful lobby of the military-industrial complex has most of the power, and the fundamental domestic and international aims of USA are not changed. We will probably see some marginal, mostly cosmetical changes, but no significant change of the system's coordinates on the economic-political map. As far as this issue of the new president, president Obama, having taken over and this continuing, the AI has always been saying that policies don't change much with personalities. Policies have national interests, and policies depend on an environment. The environment and national interests of the United States are the same. Obama has said USA shall lead, i.e. rule, the world. The anarchists strongly oppose this megalomaniac approach.

28.04.2009. The Obama-government's first big mistake. A YouTube video showed panicked New Yorkers scrambling as a Boeing 747 followed by a fighter plane flew frighteningly close to the lower Manhattan skyline. The Federal Aviation Administration said the aircraft, which functions as Air Force One when the president is aboard, was taking part in a classified, government-sanctioned photo shoot. Fran Townsend, who advised President George W. Bush for more than three years, called the move "crass insensitivity" in the wake of 9/11: "I'd call this felony stupidity." The half-hour flight triggered the evacuation of a number of office buildings in the city - Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he was "furious" he had not been warned. On Tuesday, Obama told reporters, "It was a mistake. It was something we found out about along with all of you. And it will not happen again." 08.05.2009. White House Military Office Director Louis Caldera has resigned amid controversy over a low-altitude flyover of New York. So Obama seems to put the blame on his subordinates. Obama should take the full responsibility himself.

15.05.2009. Anger at Obama Guantanamo ruling. Civil liberties groups and anarchists have reacted angrily to US President Barack Obama's decision to revive military trials for some Guantanamo Bay detainees. 18.11.2009. US President Barack Obama has for the first time admitted that the US will miss the January 2010 deadline he set for closing the Guantanamo Bay prison. Mr Obama made the admission in interviews with US TV networks during his tour of Asia. Also this time civil liberties groups and anarchists have reacted angrily. 15.12.2009 The Obama administration said it will move some Guantanamo Bay detainees to an Illinois prison, the Thomson Correctional Center, and hold US military commission trials there. Anarchists and others criticized Obama's plan as a.o.t. a security risk. This move seems to create more problems than it solves, anarchists say. 23.12.2009. Rebuffed by skeptical lawmakers when it sought finances to buy an Illinois prison, the Obama administration is unlikely to close the Guantánamo Bay prison until 2011 at the earliest. 05.01.2010. Obama says he remains committed to closing the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba, but not in January 2010 as promised.

10.11.2009. Anarchist comment to US President Barack Obama's response to last week's killings of 13 people at an army base in Texas, that of course the anarchists condemn.

Mr Obama's comments came in an address to a memorial service for the victims of the Fort Hood shootings, after he met relatives of those who died. Maj Nidal Malik Hasan, who was carrying out the massacre, was shot by police and remains in hospital. US intelligence authorities have said they knew Maj Hasan had been in contact with a cleric sympathetic to al-Qaeda.

Mr Obama said "It may be hard to comprehend the twisted logic that led to this tragedy, but this much we do know - no faith justifies these murderous and craven acts; no just and loving God looks upon them with favour," he continued. "And for what he has done, we know that the killer will be met with justice - in this world, and the next."

Anarchists at large are atheists, with a small dash of agnosticism, and thus believe about zero in "the next" world be it heaven, limbo or hell or something else, and we find it strange that Obama and his "we", "know" so much about "the next" world. How can Obama be certain that "the killer will be met with justice - in this world, and the next "? The anarchists at large are not among Obama's "we". He does not speak for us.

Anarchists are against capital punishment and other barbaric and authoritarian punishment "in this world" and believe about zero of punishment and justice in "the next", see Anarchism and Human Rights, Libertarian Human Rights. This is justice. Obama is a) for capital punishment and thus at odds with justice and should b) leave the practically certain lies about justice in "the next" world to a professional lier, and real beast, as the catholic pope. Obama's comments in this case confirm the megalomaniac tendency of  Obama's ideas. The anarchists don't trust Obama and we warn others about this dangerous authority, practically certain at odds with justice and reality. Obama may be worse than Bush... What will be the next???

14.01.2010. About the earthquake in Haiti. "This is one of those moments that calls out for American leadership," according to US President Barack Obama who has announced fresh help for Haiti. Help is of course OK and supported by the anarchists, but "American leadership", i.e. ruler of the world - NO - the Anarchist International declares.

25.04.2010. Obama is obsessed with ruling the world, and is thus clearly opposed to the anarchists' real-democratic approach. An Internet search for "Obama lead world" gave the following headlines: "Obama lead world nuke talks", "Obama pledges to lead world into nuclear-free future", "Obama promises to lead world on climate change", "Obama: US will lead world in building next-gen clean cars", "US President Barack Obama has announced plans to invest billions of dollars in new nuclear power stations, should Australia follow Obama's lead," "We must lead the world:  'The Obama doctrine'", "Obama to world: 'We're ready to lead again'", and many more!!!  "American leadership", i.e. ruler of the world - NO - the Anarchist International repeats.

12.08.2010. Gloomy picture for the people in the USA. More Americans fell into foreclosure in July as a sour job market kept them from making payments, and banks took over homes at a near record pace. Registered unemployment held at 9.5 percent in July but would have been higher if discouraged people had not left the workforce. The real unemployment may thus be much higher than 9.5 percent. Pessimism over the economy is rising and the grim mood could hurt both parties in the November 2 congressional elections, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released on Wednesday 11.08.2010. Almost two-thirds of Americans believe the economy will worsen before it gets better, up from 53 percent who felt that way in January, the poll found.

Nearly six in 10 of those surveyed said the country is headed in the wrong direction, a percentage that has held steady in NBC/WSJ polling throughout the year. More than half of respondents said they disapprove of the way President Barack Obama is handling the economy. The poll also found Americans were split on Obama's overall job performance, with 48 percent saying they disapprove and 47 saying they approve. Unfortunately Obama and USA don't follow the advice from the World Economic Council - WEC, and must face the music.

28.10.2010. Ad midterm elections 2010: Perhaps the Democrats tendencially is the most libertarian of the parties, i.e. the least authoritarian party alternative, after all. But in general, vote for the candidate you think will do the best job, i.e. be most libertarian and thus least authoritarian, regardless of party. However, the Anglophone Anarchist Federation, section USA, calls on a boycott of the Tea Party candidates at the midterm elections 2010. 03.11.2010. Republicans rode a tide of voter discontent to take control of the House of Representatives and expand their voice in the Senate in elections Tuesday.

29.11.2010. USA = Unenlightened plutarchy plus unenlightened diplomacy. US-type diplomatic language. WikiLeaks has published some reports of the Obama-regime's diplomatic efforts: As to diplomats' portrayals of world leaders, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is said to have been holding "wild parties" and is described as feckless, vain and ineffective and sharing a close relationship with the "alpha dog", Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. PM Putin is also called 'Batman' and President Medvedev 'Robin'. President Nicolas Sarkozy of France is said to be thin-skinned and authoritarian. The WikiLeaks documents also described Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi as erratic and in the near constant company of a Ukrainian nurse who was described as "a voluptuous blonde". The Afghan president Hamid Karzai is described as paranoid. Etc. etc.! "My, my... what a diplomatic language," says a spokesperson for the Anglophone Anarchist Federation to AIIS.

01.05.2011. Anarchism was strong on the agenda May Day - International Labor Day - in the USA, see International Workers of the World - May Day 2011.

02.05.2011 The terrorist boss Osama bin Laden is killed by US special forces in Pakistan - Anarchist comments. Also later updates, see (click on:) IJA 4 (31).

06.09.2011. Nazi-like US government ochlarchy. STD tests 'may have infected 2,500'. A US Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues has said some 5,500 Guatemalans were involved in "research" that took place between 1946 and 1948, with a view to applying the results on US troops stationed around the world. Of these [at least] 1,300 prisoners, psychiatric patients and sex workers were deliberately infected, without their knowledge, with syphilis, gonorrhoea or another sexually transmitted disease, chancroid, a.o.t. to study the effects of penicillin. Concentrations of bacteria were injected into the eyes, the central nervous system and male genitals. This was behaviour very similar to that of the scientists in Nazi Germany. It took place in the context in which the USA were judging the German doctors who had been experimenting with typhus and malaria on prisoners. The Nazis used Poles, Russians and Jews, while the Americans made almost the same use of Guatemalans.

Of the group of 1,300, only about 700 received some sort of treatment. According to documents the commission had studied, at least 83 of the 5,500 subjects had died by the end of 1953. US President Barack Obama set up the commission when academic research carried out on the experiments by US government scientists first came to light last year. US scientists knew they were violating ethical rules, the report found. There is also enough evidence to conclude there was collaboration between US and Guatemalan authorities at the time of the tests. Earlier this year, a group of Guatemalans who were involved in the study announced they were suing the US government over the affair. The extent of US medical experiments in Guatemala on STDs during the 1940s is greater than previously thought, health authorities have told the BBC. The number of infected people could be as high as 2,500, says the president of the Medical Association of Guatemala. This experiment can be added to the list of atrocities committed by the United States government along with the other nazi-like Tuskegee syphilis experiment and Project MKULTRA. More information at BBC: Guatamala STD tests 'may have infected 2,500'.

26.10.2011. New progressive movement. Ad the new progressive movement, with labor confederations, street protesters and other participants of the people in USA. The people here seen as a class as opposed to the superiors political/administrative and/or economically, the plutarchists. This movement should form a new progressive and social-individualist party, to challenge the Republicans (GOP) as well as the Democrats, both conservative plutarchist parties. The strategy for the new party should be the shortest way from the present situation to social-individualist anarchy on the economic-political map. This party could listen a bit to Noam Chomsky regarding US foreign policy, and should be based on human rights. The name of the new party could be 'The social-individualist progressive party' (SIPP), or something other covering these ideas and this policy. The new progressive movement should also operate with direct actions and never be ochlarchical, regardless of government and other provocations.

The extreme capitalism/economical plutarchy in USA makes violation of fundamental workers' rights
The 'American dream' is a nightmare for the people, seen as a class in contrast to the superiors in income and/or rank
 There is a $4 billion union-busting industry which aims at undermining trade union organizing

There is a poor record on worker protection, particularly in the areas of trade union rights and child labor, areas in which serious violations continue to take place. US law excludes large groups of workers from the right to organize. These include agricultural workers, many public sector workers, domestic workers, supervisors and independent contractors. Moreover, for most private sector workers forming labor federations is extremely difficult and anti-union pressure from employers is frequent. There is a huge union-busting industry which aims at undermining trade union organizing. Some 82 per cent of employers hire such companies that employ a wide range of anti-union tactics. Employers also force employees to listen to anti-union propaganda and threaten workers with company closures if they vote to form a labor federation. The US administration, rather than leading the way on protection of the rights of working people and on decent pay and conditions, has been intent on denying the freedom to join a union and bargain collectively to millions of American workers. This hurts America's working people and has a negative impact on workers' rights in other countries as well. Figures from the US Department of Labor show that the Bush Administration has been cutting back even further on labor law enforcement, now spending an average of only US$26 per employer, while spending on rigorous oversight of trade union activities amounts to an average of $2,500 per union/local union. This will probably not change much under the Obama Administration.

The Employee Free Choice Act, which would redress some of the imbalances workers are subject to, was blocked by Senate Republicans last year despite passing the House of Representatives and gaining majority support in the Senate. Moreover, the National Labor Relations Board took a number of decisions in 2007 which withdrew various workers' protections and weakened already ineffective remedies. Among these decisions was one that makes it harder for workers who are illegally fired to recover back pay and another to make it easier to discriminate against employees who are union representatives. Child labor is in many cases not effectively addressed in the US, particularly in agriculture and not least because of the hazardous conditions that children are exposed to. Many of the children are migrant farm workers, often Latino. Not enough urgency is being shown with the Children's Act for Responsible Employment (CARE) currently before the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections of the House of Representatives, which would bring standards for children working in agriculture in line with standards for other sectors.  Moreover, child labor inspections are falling. 

Concerning discrimination and remuneration it should be noted that women continue to earn less than men (80.8%), and that for most women of color this gap is even larger. Women earn less in every occupational category, even in occupations where they outnumber men.  Nurses and middle school teachers earn 10% less than their male colleagues even though over 80% of the employees are female. Forced labor remains a problem in the US, in particular with forced labor in agriculture for migrant workers, and manufacturing (garments) in US overseas territories, in particular the Northern Mariana Islands. Working conditions are severe, and recruitment practices often result in indentured servitude.

14.01.2010. Social dumping. Immigrant sheepherders endure harsh work, low pay. Alone and thousands of miles from home, the immigrant sheepherder roams some of the West's most desolate and frigid landscapes, tending a flock for as little as $600 a month without a day off on the horizon. Colorado Legal Services, a Denver-based nonprofit legal assistance network, visited sheepherders with temporary work visas in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming and found they sometimes toil more than 90 hours a week, can't leave the isolated sites where they work and are grossly underpaid by US standards. Rep. Daniel Kagan, a Democrat from Denver, said sheepherders often don't speak English, don't know where they are, and depend entirely on their employers for food, water and contact with the outside world. "It struck me as a situation rife with the possibility of abuse, and I was afraid that we were looking at a situation of indentured servitude, of near slavery, right here in Colorado, and that troubled me a lot," Kagan said. The struggling US sheep industry argues the immigrants - and the current pay scale - are crucial to its survival and that the jobs give foreign workers opportunities for a better life back home. That is how the US capitalism works.

29.09.2010. Unresolved problems with the right to organize and other fundamental rights. USA still has a poor record on workers' protection, particularly with regard to trade union rights and child labor, areas in which serious violations continue to take place. US law excludes large groups of workers from the right to organize. These include agricultural workers, many public sector workers, domestic workers, supervisors and independent contractors. Moreover, for most private sector workers forming trade unions is extremely difficult and anti-union pressure from employers is frequent. There is a $4 billion union-busting industry which aims at undermining trade union organizing. Some 82 per cent of employers hire such companies that employ a wide range of anti-union tactics. Employers often force employees to listen to anti-union propaganda and threaten workers with company closures if they vote to form a trade union. 

The rather limited "Employee Free Choice Act", which would redress a few of the imbalances workers are subject to, continues to be blocked by Senate Republicans despite passing the House of Representatives and gaining majority support in the Senate. Child labor is in many cases not effectively addressed in the US, particularly in agriculture and not least because of the hazardous conditions that children are exposed to. Many of the children are migrant farm workers, often Latino. The main labor confederation in USA, AFL-CIO, estimates that between 300,000 and 800,000 children are employed in agriculture under dangerous conditions. Moreover, the number of child labor inspections has been falling. Concerning gender discrimination, women continue to earn less than men (77.1%). While women represent 47.8% of total employment, only 29.0% of executive and senior level officials and managers are women. Furthermore women have no guarantee of paid family leave. Finally, forced labor remains a problem in the US, in particular with forced labor in agriculture for migrant workers. Sources: AIIS and ITUC.

1 in 6 went hungry in America in 2008

Forty-nine million people in American households — one in six — went hungry or had insufficient food at some point in 2008, the highest number since the government began tracking the problem in 1995. The biggest increases were among households with children and people who were hungry most often. The report, issued by the US Department of Agriculture, found that 17 million people in the US went hungry or did not eat regularly for a few days of each month over seven or eight months last year. That's a 45% increase from 12 million people in 2007. In 2008, 16.7 million children did not eat regularly at some point, up from 12.4 million in 2007. 17.11.2009.

The share of residents of USA in poverty climbed to 14.3 percent in 2009 and the increase is continuing

The percentage of Americans struggling below the poverty line in 2009 was the highest it has been in 15 years, the Census Bureau reported Thursday 16.09.2010, and interviews with poverty experts and aid groups said the increase appeared to be continuing this year. With the country in its worst economic depression and crisis since the Great Depression, four million additional Americans found themselves in poverty in 2009, with the total reaching 44 million, or one in seven residents. And the numbers could have climbed higher: One way embattled Americans have gotten by is sharing homes with siblings, parents or even nonrelatives, sometimes resulting in overused couches and frayed nerves but holding down the rise in the national poverty rate, according to the report. The share of residents in poverty climbed to 14.3 percent in 2009, the highest level recorded since 1994. The rise was steepest for children, with one in five affected, the bureau said. For a single adult in 2009, the poverty line was $10,830 in pretax cash income; for a family of four, $22,050.

13.09.2011. CNN reports: More Americans fell below the poverty line last year, according to US Census Bureau data. The nation's poverty rate rose to 15.1% in 2010, up from 14.3% in 2009 and to its highest level since 1993. Last year marked the third year in a row the rate increased. All told, 46.2 million people are considered in need. In addition, real median household income last year was $49,445, a 2.3% decline, the Census Bureau reported.

07.11.2011. AP reports: Revised govt formula shows new poverty high: 49.1M. The ranks of America's poor are greater than previously known, reaching a new level of 49.1 million - or 16 percent - due to rising medical costs and other expenses that make it harder for people to stay afloat, according to new census estimates. Based on the revised formula, the number of poor people exceeds the record 46.2 million, or 15.1 percent, that was officially reported in September. Economists and anti-poverty experts continue to differ widely on how best to calculate poverty. On Monday, the Census Bureau acknowledged that its new measure remains a "work in progress," with additional refinements needed to better determine commuting and housing costs.

USA has still not ratified United Nations' ILO Convention 98 on the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining

The United Nations' International Labour Organization, ILO's Convention 98 on the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining has still not been ratified by countries such as USA, Canada, China, India, Iran, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Thailand, and Vietnam. Thus, approximately half of the world's economically active population is not covered by this worker friendly Convention, with USA up front. ILO Convention 98 was established in 1949, and among many other countries the Anarchies of Norway, Switzerland and Iceland have ratified this convention.

Unenlightened plutarchy

The system in USA is what economic Nobel Prize winner and anarchist Ragnar Frisch called an "unenlightened plutarchy", see the basic ideas of Frisch. For the World Economic Council's program against unenlightened plutarchy for the USA, see the WEC resolutions. USA has a long road to go before it becomes an anarchy, socialist and autonomous. It will probably not happen while Obama is in charge.

---

Unenlightened plutarchy, plutarchy in general and plutocracy

In the American Webster's unabridged dictionary second edition the word plutarchy is mentioned, and also plutocracy. Plutarchy means rule by the rich or rule of money, a form of archy [by finance-lords and similar, enronism, etc.]. Plutarchy may be economical and/or political/administrative. Economical plutarchy is the same as capitalism. Capitalism has two main forms, liberalism and fascism, economical plutarchy is significant in both. The economical plutarchists are the capitalists, the relatively rich, superiors in income.

Plutocracy is a form of "cracy", as in democracy, the word plutocracy may 1. mean the same as plutarchy, 2. but also just mean management by the rich or related to money. In an anarchism vs other -isms context, to be precise, the concept plutarchy is in general used, not the more diffuse plutocracy. The term "unenlightened plutarchy", "uopplyst pengevelde", was used by Nobel prize winner in economics and social-individualist anarchist Ragnar Frisch about liberalism, the typical unenlightened plutarchy, but it may also be used about fascism. As a tendency in a bit curtailed form the unenlightened plutarchy may also be present in marxist, mainly social-democratic, systems, according to Frisch.

"Unenlightened" in this context just underlines that plutarchy is not in the interest of the people, seen as a class as opposed to the superiors in rank and/or income. Plutarchy is practically always "unenlightened", a bad form of system/management seen from the people's perspective. In practice "enlightened plutarchy" does not exist, although there may be more or less of the unenlightened tendency. In short, capitalism = significant economical plutarchy, i.e. rule by the rich - the rich are rulers, economical hierarchy and/or lack of economic freedom. Top heavy economic pyramid - in general lack of economic efficiency and fairness. An economic "top down" approach. The opposite of socialism. IIFOR

---

Failed States - Comment from IIFOR - Contributions from Noam Chomsky, etc.

To Henrik Thune

I have of course read your review as well as the book. You have not directly said Chomsky's book is marxist-leninism, but says he "sees red", and also that he is somewhat similar to the marxist-leninist Sigurd Allern. Chomsky's economic-political tendency is anarchism, not marxism of any kind. You should have mentioned this in your ariticle, not indicated he is red (marxism) and similar to marxist-leninism. Besides I don't think your  review is very representative for the book.

Best regards P. Johansen - Tuesday, June 24, 2008 10:10 AM

PS. Noam Chomsky is a dedicated anarchist - not liberal. Chomsky has written several works on anarchism - you should call a spade a spade Thune! The work Manufacturing Consent is not at all a neo-marxist analysis. It is clearly an anarchist analysis. You are insulting Chomsky and anarchists in general by calling this book and TV-program neo-marxist. - Tuesday, June 24, 2008 12.10 AM

Dear P. Johansen:

I read in your comments to Chomsky on my review of his book Failed states that I have described Chomsky or his work as marxist-leninism. That is a total misreading of my review, as you probably are well aware of, if you read the piece.

Best regards

Henrik T - Monday, June 23, 2008 9:07 PM

The expression "sees red" is something the paper decided to use. I also believe that self-description is a false criteria for any definition. That also goes for Chomsky and his political camp. Take for instance Manufacturing Consent with Herman. That is a classic neo-marxist analysis of the media. 

all the best  Henrik T - Tuesday, June 24, 2008 11:19 AM

PS1: One has to, I believe, differentiate between marxism as an analytical/theoretical view and marxism as a political/ideological position.

PS2: I did explicitly describe Chomsky as a (radical) liberal. That is my reading of him, anyway. My main problem with failed states is that is empirically tendentious. Many of his point would have been made much strong if the empirical work was more systematic and precise. In this regard I see a clear weakening in Chomsky's political writing.

cheers

Henrik  T - Tuesday, June 24, 2008 11:31 AM

----- Original Message -----
From: Noam Chomsky
To: IIFOR
Sent: Saturday, June 14, 2008 4:50 PM
Subject: Re: Failed States - Comment from IIFOR- Answer from Chomsky, etc

Thanks for the information. Sorry to hear about that.  I don't pay much attention to translations -- don't have time -- but I'll make a note about this. Update 6:45 PM: I didn't intend to react to this piece of nonsense, just as I don't respond to the screeching of the commissar class elsewhere. What I meant is that I'll make a note to myself to pay attention to Norwegian translations in the future, thanks to the information you sent, appreciated.

Noam Chomsky

To  Noam Chomsky

1. Yes, the publisher is the marxist-leninist (maoist) Oktober Forlag,  named after the october revolution in Russia, founded by the maoists (and stalinists) in the party AKP-ml, now the main part of the revolutionary marxist communist and leninist party Rødt (Red) (also including trotskyites). It was however later sold to Aschehoug because of economic problems, but has still mainly marxist-leninist authors and tendency. See http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forlaget_Oktober .

2. There is no reference to your anarchism, in the newspapers here, but as mentioned a parallel to the maoist marxist-leninist Sigurd Allern.

3. And you are quite correct that this article is a hysterical rant.

Best regards P. Johansen

---- Original Message -----
From: Noam Chomsky
To: IIFOR
Sent: Saturday, June 14, 2008 3:50 AM
Subject: Re: Failed States - Comment from IIFOR

Thanks for sending.  I could read enough of the article to see that it is a hysterical rant.  Are you saying that the book was published by a maoist marxist-leninist publisher?  That's news to me, and a surprise.

Noam Chomsky

----- Original Message -----
From: IIFOR
To: Noam Chomsky
Cc: Anarchists and syndicalists etc
Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 6:56 PM
Subject: Failed States - Comment from IIFOR

To Noam Chomsky

Your book "Failed States" is now published in Norwegian. I have some comments. It is referred in Morgenbladet by a researcher from the Norwegian Institute for Foreign Politics, Norsk utenrikspolitisk institutt (Nupi), which draws parallels to the maoist marxist-leninist Sigurd Allern, and it is published on the maoist marxist-leninist publishing house Forlaget Oktober. Bad company. Quoting:

Trekker sløret vekk og ser rødt. Noam Chomsky: En skrivende Michael Moore, en amerikansk Sigurd Allern.

Av Henrik Thune. Forsker ved Norsk utenrikspolitisk institutt (Nupi)

Det tydeligste, og jeg tror også det mest utfordrende, ved Noam Chomskys enorme forfatterskap som politisk aktivist og USA-refser, er hans totale insistering på at nesten alt det vi mener å vite om verden, ikke er virkelig, men et produkt av systematisk propaganda for å tilsløre helt banale maktinteresser.

Dette er også essensen av Chomskys siste utgivelse på norsk, Mislykkede stater . For eksempel: Den liberale avisen New York Times er ikke liberal, men et propagandainstrument som forleder amerikanere til å tro at USA er et liberalt og folkestyrt samfunn. Det frie økonomiske markedet er ikke fritt, men skalkeskjul for et økonomisk system der staten kanaliserer enorme ressurser til elitene og etablerte storselskaper. Og vestens utenrikspolitikk for menneskerettigheter og frihet er ikke forankret i etikk, men er retorikk for å usynliggjøre global dominans og maktmisbruk.

Elitemakt. Vi er alle ofre, mener Chomsky, for en høyttravende, amerikansk liberal samfunnsretorikk. Den kamuflerer realitetene, og fornekter kritikk. Eller som han sier det, inspirert av franskmannen Alexis de Tocquevilles møte med USA på 1800-tallet: «USA klarte 'å utrydde den indianske rasen […] uten å bryte et eneste grunnleggende moralsk prinsipp i verdens øyne'.»

På denne måten, må man si, er Chomsky en typisk representant for et velkjent samfunnssyn, og en ikke usedvanlig USA-kritisk posisjon: Flertallsstyret er en myte. Elitemakten beskyttes av tilsynelatende liberale institusjoner som media og akademia. Og all politikk og fremferd på den internasjonale scenen vil til syvende og sist dreie seg om «enkeltmoral»: «Alt til oss selv, og ingenting til andre.»

Ingen politisk teori. Forskjellen på Chomsky og mange av hans antatt nærmeste politiske sympatisører i Europa og Norge, er likevel påfallende. Chomsky er ikke spesielt ideologisk anlagt, nesten tvert om. Chomsky er empiriker. Det vil si, han er nærmest som en amerikansk skrankeadvokat. Han formulerer ikke tydelige læresetninger eller nye politiske teorier – ingen politiske programmer utenom helt allmennmenneskelige menneskerettighetsprinsipper. Isteden ønsker han å overbevise juryen (som er leserne hans) ved å løfte frem etablerte fakta, for så å forsøke å mane frem et nytt og annet perspektiv.

Det er akkurat dette som er det utfordrende og styrken ved Chomskys beste bøker om samtidspolitikk. For å si det knapt: Hos Chomsky handler alt om fakta og virkelighetsgjengivelse. At systemet er udemokratisk og elitestyrt, og at den eneste formen for meningsfull samfunnskritikk i USA er å møte propaganda med anti-propaganda.

Fiffig. Sånn sett er det mye hos Chomsky som kan minne om dokumentarfilmene til Michael Moore. Kanskje har vi å gjøre med en særegen form for amerikansk samfunnskritikk? En samfunnskritikk som har vinket farvel til det siste århundrets høyre/venstre-rivaliseringer i vestlig politisk historie, og isteden nesten utelukkende handler om å bedrive mediekritikk: Å tvinge sannheten frem overfor en befolkning som, i alle fall for Chomsky, er paralysert av en monoton medievirkelighet, ute av stand til å gjøre seg opp sine egne meninger.

Mislykkede stater har akkurat de kvalitetene og skavankene man kan forvente seg av et slikt politisk anti-propaganda-prosjekt. På en side er boken fiffig og smart. Innledningsvis tar Chomsky tak i et av de aller mest populære begrepene i amerikansk utenrikspolitikk de siste årene, såkalte «mislykkede stater», eller i Bushs definisjon, fiendtlige «røverstater». Deretter snur Chomsky perspektivet 180 grader rundt, og forsøker å vise hvordan disse definisjonene passer på USA vel så mye som på Nord-Korea eller Iran.

Retoriske triks. På en annen side er boken til tider nesten umulig å lese. Den er tett, full av sitater, opplistinger av tall og hendelser. Og i tråd med all den politiske retorikken Chomsky ønsker å avsløre, er boken også full av retoriske triks og selektiv bruk av fakta og sitater. Chomskys anti-propaganda minner innimellom stygt om propaganda i anti-propagandaens navn. Igjen finnes det paralleller til Michael Moore og hans dokumentar Fahrenheit 9/11 , eller til den australskfødte tv-journalisten John Pilgers mange kritiske filmer om amerikansk utenrikspolitikk. Hos dem alle er overbevisningskraften mer en funksjon av retoriske grep, enn etterrettelighet og kildekritikk.

Sigurd Allern. En parentes til slutt: Jeg skrev over at Chomsky representerer en særegen form for amerikansk samfunnskritikk, som har forkastet ideologi til fordel for mediekritikk. Men dette er kanskje ikke helt riktig. Man finner en lignende orientering også i Norge. Jeg tenker på rekken av tidligere venstrerevolusjonære med medieprofessor Sigurd Allern i spissen, som har erstattet fortidens revolusjonslære med medieanalyse og med rollen som læremestere for norske journaliststudenter. Kampen utkjempes ikke lenger i samfunnet, men om medienes virkelighetsgjengivelser.

Og her må man si at Allern et al har et taktisk fortrinn fremfor Chomsky. For riktignok er Chomsky en viktig skikkelse i deler av amerikansk offentlighet. Men noen direkte innflytelse og makt over de institusjonene som utdanner fremtidens mediefolk – og som dermed skal forvalte det den store italienske marxisten Antonio Gramsci kalte samfunnets «kulturelle hegemoni» – det har nok Chomsky ikke tilkjempet seg.

anmeldelse
Noam Chomsky
Mislykkede stater
Maktmisbruk og angrep på demokratiet
Oversatt av Morten Hansen.
354 sider. Forlaget Oktober. 2008 (original utgave 2006)

Anarchy is real democracy

There are only three real democracies in the world: Norway, Switzerland and Iceland. USA is not a real democracy, but a semi- or pseudo-democracy, but it is not totalitarian or a failed state, according to IIFOR's standards.

1. Anarchy and anarchism mean "system and management without ruler(s), i.e. co-operation without repression, tyranny and slavery".

Briefly defined anarchy and anarchism are coordination on equal footing, without superiors and subordinates, i.e. horizontal organization and co-operation without coercion. This means practically or ideally, i.e. ordinary vs perfect horizontal organization respectively. Thus, anarchy and anarchism mean real democracy, economical and political/administrative, in private and public sector.

Anarchies are systems with significantly small rank and income differences, plus efficiency, i.e. significantly horizontally organized.

2. Briefly defined State/authority/government in a broad societal meaning is systems with significantly large rank and/or income differences and/or inefficient, i.e. significantly vertically organized.

(This is opposed to Max Weber's definition. The crucial point is horizontal vs vertical organization, not whether there are one or several law and order agencies in a local area. More about Max Weber's outdated definitions of state and anarchy, and the modern definitions, see Concepts - Begreper.)

We are for anarchy and anarchism as defined in 1, and against State/authority/government as defined in 2.

A bit simplified: Society is private sector plus public sector, both significantly horizontally organized in anarchy.

* Real democracy means one vote per head, participatory, plus anarchist basic rights that secure that the majority cannot decide that the minority must slave for them one way or the other, or worse. Thus the case that the majority "two wolves" decide that the minority "lamb" should be dinner, or similar is avoided. The anarchist rights can be brought for the anarchist law and order system, in case of disputes.

In some cases, say, at which side on the road we should drive, right or left, simple majority > 50% is ok. In other cases general consent - a lot for, and no-one against, is necessary. In some cases 2/3 or 3/4 majority is ok.

As for private sector, based on markets, there is one dollar (or labor notes credit) one vote, and it is real democratic, anarchist, only if the income-distribution is significantly horizontally organized (and the economy is efficient). If the income-distribution is significally hierarchical it is economical plutarchy, not anarchy/ism

As for public sector, it will be organized according to *.

Countries that are not real democracies, i.e. anarchies, are States according to 2. i.e. semi- or pseudo-democracies, or even worse, totalitarian with more than 67% authoritarian degree, among them failed states. Since USA has an authoritarian degree of ca 57,5%, its is not totalitarian, with more than 67% authoritarian degree, and thus USA is not a failed state. See Fig.1, the table "THE 25 HIGHEST RANKING COUNTRIES ACCORDING TO LIBERTARIAN DEGREE...", and the note "USA on the economic-political map" above, and the note "ANARCHY VS ECONOMIC-POLITICAL CHAOS - FAILED STATES ARE STATES - ARCHIES - NOT ANARCHY" at Anarchist Press Tribunal - International Branch .

Best regards P. Johansen of IIFOR

PS. In September 2011 Noam Chomsky, the famous anarcho-syndicalist and anarchist, visited the University of Oslo, and it was a great success, as reported by Morgenbladet and AIUF/AU in a press release.

---

THE ANARCHIST INTERNATIONAL
www.anarchy.no

Anarchist policy is the main issues - marginals are for the Communists

1. In general persons, groups, collectives and actions 1. claiming to be, 2. using anarchist flags or symbols, 3. calling itself anarchist or 4. similar, must a) not only have a front against economical plutarchy/capitalism, but also a front against statism: in general front against x-archy, where x can be anything but not 'an', and especially and most important be and act against ochlarchy (mob rule broadly defined); see system theory and the introduction at anarchist links, and b) be actively for anarchy and the libertarian - freedom and real democracy and clearly opposed to all forms of marxism, fascism and liberalism, especially and most important be and act against marxism, see IWW why; to c) be acknowledged and recognized as anarchist/libertarian and be affiliated, associated and/or be members of The Anarchist International - AI/IFA and relevant sections. And 1. of course respect the general decisions of the International Anarchist Congresses updated, reported by The Anarchist International Information Service, and 2. try to contribute to further improvement of anarchist research and practice within the framework of the basic anarchist principles, see system theory, principles and practice and real democracy, and 3. in this connection it is important to avoid reinventing 'the wheel' again and again!

2. As many marxists are against capitalism as well as (according to marxist theory, the capitalist) state, rethoric against "capitalism and state" does not qualify to be anarchist. As many liberalists are against the state and government (wrongly confused with public sector) and for (liberalist interpreted) economic freedom (an important part of socialism from anarchist perspective and interpretation), rethoric against "state and for economic freedom" does not qualify to be anarchist. As several neonazi/fascist groups call themselves anarcho-nationalists or libertarian (freiheitliches), anarchist and libertarian rethoric does not qualify to be anarchist. Such persons, groups and actions are never located in the Anarchist Quadrant on the Economical Political Map and in reality, despite of their (quasi-) libertarian/anarchist rhetoric, and are thus not anarchist or libertarian.

3. Thus, to be acknowledged and recognized as anarchist/libertarian as well as to be affiliated, associated and/or be members of The Anarchist International - AI/IFA and relevant sections, wannabe anarchist persons, groups, collectives and actions must first prove to be anarchist in a reasonable way, see above, to get seriously into consideration. As a mimimum one must show a reasonable understanding of the Basic course of anarchism/anarchy and other -isms. But any person or group - anarchist or other, can of course be subscriber to the IJA/AI-newsletters, and thus in this way be connected to the anarchist network, join in actions, dialog and discussions, etc. according to anarchist conditions. But any person or group will 1. if claiming to be anarchist or similar, and 2. if significant breaking the anarchist Oslo Convention, get 3. a Brown Card and thus be expulsed from the anarchist movement publicly.

4. The general fight for more socialism and autonomy and thus increased libertarian degree [= 100% - the authoritarian degree] of the social, i.e. economical & political/administrative systems of whole countries, is the central issue of AI/IFA and its sections, not policy of marginals, sectarian marginalized groups and marginal policy.

5. 1. Sectarian marginalized groups and marginal policy are in general of little interesert to the anarchist movement, and are often connected to marxist -- especially communist -- ochlarchists and ochlarchy, the quite opposite of anarchist & anarchists, anarchy & anarchism and the libertarian. Remember also sectarian marginalized marxian -- especially communist -- groups, collectives and occupants/occupations and squatters, often sail under false anarchist flags when making chaos & ochlarchy including criminal activities, to (falsely) put the blame on the anarchist movement. By sectarian marginalized groups, also called marginals, we mean groups (and persons) considered to be at the outer limit, as of social and political acceptability, i.e. on the edge of society and in general extremists.

5. 2. Such groups usually have no significant 1. popular support & membership, and 2. influence on main stream policy and the general tendency and devolopment of society. The economical and political/administrative actions of the marginals are thus in general futile, and really a waste of time. Such political groups are in many ways quite similar to small and marginalized religious sects, fanatic and very active, but in general out of touch with reality and all in vain. Typical marginals are small sects of Communists, be it council, soviet, maoist, trotskyite, (Che) guevaraist, leninist, stalinist, lubbeist, titoist, "anarchist" or "libertarian", "anarcho-marxist" (oxymoron), "autonomous", platformist, pacifist, terrorist, anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist, vanguard, occupant, and similar, all in all significant statist and in general ochlarchist, included criminal.

5. 3. One such group is the marxist & communist Antifaschistische Aktion, AFA - a leftwing extremist organization founded in 1932 by the German Communist Party. AFA of today is newer and international, but similar brown & red shit with the old wrapping/name, and together with the marxist & communist "autonomous" Blitz-collective (with an AFA-group) in Oslo, are typical examples of such sectarian marginalized groups and "autonomous" collectives & occupants/occupations and squatters, that often sail under false anarchist flags when making chaos & ochlarchy including criminal activites, to (falsely) put the blame on the anarchist movement. It is of course important for the anarchists (the real ones) to reveal and unmask such dirty marxist commie-tricks, i.e. provocateurs. Some false 'anarchists' and provocateurs are also linked up, commented and denounced by anarchists at Some external links.

5. 4. Another typical example was at the anti-cuts march in London 26.03.2011. About 500,000 people attended the march and rally in central London against public spending cuts. The main march passed off peacefully. But marxist communist splinter groups attacked shops and banks, and a stand-off with police took place in Piccadilly. There were many arrests. As usual the extremist marxists, e.g. the trotskyite Socialist Workers Party (SWP), were sailing under false anarchist flags when acting criminal ochlarchist, to try falsely put the blame on anarchists. Ochlarchist youths acting as Lenin's useful idiots in such connections may also be mentioned, see Brown Card to Blitz/AFA & IS & RU and Preamble to IAT-APT.

5. 5. The same dirty marxist tricks are happening world wide, e.g. by members of the International Socialist Tendency, included SWP, Internasjonale Sosialister (IS) in Norway, similar in Germany, etc., see Brown Card to Blitz/AFA & IS & RU. The International Anarchist Tribunal - IAT-APT handed out Brown Cards according to the Oslo Convention to the extremist marxists, e.g. Socialist Workers Party (trotskyite), sailing under false anarchist flags when acting criminal ochlarchist, and these "anarchists" are thus expulsed from the anarchist movement. More information see Freedom Online. In general so called autonomous collectives and groups and many similar groups have got Brown Cards from the International Anarchist Tribunal - IAT-APT, see International Branch, especially the article of autonomous collectives and groups, and they are thus expulsed from the anarchist movement. Such groups and collectives also often try to infiltrate the real anarchist movement and as mentioned act as provocateurs.

6. Anarchy and anarchism, briefly defined, mean a societal system with relatively small rank and income differences, plus optimal order and efficiency: Significant influence on the decisions from the people, seen as a class in contrast to the superiors in rank and/or income, and upwards, i.e. real democracy, and not the other way around. Anarchism and anarchy are based on possession, in the meaning of owned, in a rightful, non-criminal, non-statist and non-capitalist way, and thus consistent with relatively small rank and income differences plus efficiency and optimal order. To put it short, property/capitalism/economical plutarchy is theft, and theft is property/capitalism/economical plutarchy, from anarchist point of view. Anarchists are of course against theft and ochlarchy in general.

7. The anarchism in the three anarchies of today, i.e. social-individualist anarchist countries and economic-political systems, Norway & The Swiss Confederation, see IJA 1 (37) and Iceland, see Anarchism in Iceland, is established via the usual way, a general struggle by the people for more socialism and autonomy, making a megatrend in libertarian direction in each country. The people here seen as a class as opposed to the superiors economically and/or political/administrative, i.e. in income and/or rank. Within this framework we shall of course not forget people who have it most difficult. The anarchist federations/sections in these countries represent junctions vis-a-vis these megatrends and popular struggles, as a part of the people. The aim is in general velvet revolution and revolutionary change, i.e. a significant change in a system's coordinates on the economic-political map and in reality -- in libertarian direction.

8. The anarchists' main strategy is direct action, and the anarchists should not create a sectarian political party, but within largers campaigns for less authoritarian-degree, the anarchists should participate in progressive popular movements, i.e. research and education, internet-networks, cooperatives, feminist, green/environmental, labor confederations, and direct actions with significant momementum, and give them as much as possible a libertarian approach. The anarchists should also introduce election boycotts against the most authoritarian parties, and support and also join the relatively most libertarian parties in a way that gives as much as possible libertarian political influence. Libertarian is the same as anarchist, anarchism and anarchy, i.e. socialism and autonomy, significant.

9. This is the way to do it, the normal anarchist way, the usual road to anarchy, i.e. significant freedom and real democracy, also in other countries. The aim is as mentioned in general velvet revolution and revolutionary change, i.e. a significant change in a system's coordinates on the economic-political map and in reality -- in libertarian direction. In rare and special cases armed revolution, supported by NATO, as in Libya 2011, is the correct strategy. Updated per 28.03.2011 this is however just an embryo-revolution, it may still be an abortion or end up in stalemate and a system similar to in Somalia. The system in Somalia seen in long term perspective is the most authoritarian in the world, with only about 20% libertarian degree, and thus the country most far from anarchy on planet Gaia.

10. Move away from sectarian marginalized groups and policy. The Anarchist International - AI/IFA and all its sections strongly urge anarchists that may be involved in sectarian marginalized groups and policy - world wide and local at congresses, meetings and actions - to stop wasting time and move away from such issues and concentrate on the main item: the general fight for more socialism and autonomy and thus increased libertarian degree [= 100% - the authoritarian degree] of the social, i.e. economical & political/administrative systems of whole countries, related to the people in general. The people here seen as a class as opposed to the superiors economically and/or political/administrative, i.e. in income and/or rank. Sectarian & marginalized groups and policy are a dead end. Anarchist policy is the main issues - marginals are for the Communists. The main issues are reflected in the main sections and actions of The Anarchist International - AI/IFA, see Anarchist Links. Join in the main issues!

Resolution, decided with general consent, by:
The International Anarchist Congress
The 11th Anarchist Biennial 27-28.11.2010
International Congress-Seminar on Anarchism
The AI/IFA network represents more than 50 000 anarchist world wide
To see the Website of the Congress - Click here!
Updated

---

THE ANARCHIST INTERNATIONAL
www.anarchy.no

Occupation, the hallmark of Hitler & Stalin i.e. kleptarchy & ochlarchy vs 1. anarchist expropriation and 2. the normal anarchist way

1. Introduction. This AI/IFA-resolution summarizes the main decisions regarding occupation, i.e. kleptarchy & ochlarchy vs 1. anarchist expropriation and 2. the normal anarchist way, adopted with general consent by the The International Anarchist Congress - The 11th Anarchist Biennial 27-28.11.2010 - International Congress-Seminar on Anarchism. Anarchist expropriation has been briefly discussed at several anarchist congresses, but although somewhat important from time to time historically, it is today considered a marginal and not significant issue. The normal anarchist way is related to possession, the opposite of property. Remember property is theft, and theft is property, capitalism/economical plutarchy and thus not anarchy and anarchism.

The general fight for more socialism and autonomy and thus increased libertarian degree [= 100% - the authoritarian degree] of the social, i.e. economical & political/administrative systems of whole countries, is the central issue of AI/IFA and its sections. Occupation is today and most likely in the future something related to sectarian marginalized groups, while anarchist and libertarian politics at large are related to the people in general. The people here seen as a class as opposed to the superiors economically and/or political/administrative, i.e. in income and/or rank. As opposed to occupation vs 1. the rare case of anarchist expropriation, we will also analyze 2. the normal libertarian way to establish an anarchist firm, housing, etc. and anarchy on societal level, i.e. for a country.

By sectarian marginalized groups, also called marginals, we mean groups (and persons) considered to be at the outer limit, as of social and political acceptability, i.e. on the edge of society and in general extremists, and thus not anarchists/libertarian. Such groups usually have no significant 1. popular support & membership, and 2. influence on main stream policy and the general tendency and devolopment of society. The economical and political/administrative actions of the marginals are thus in general futile, and really a waste of time. Such political groups are in many ways quite similar to small and marginalized religious sects, fanatic and very active, but in general out of touch with reality and all in vain. Typical marginals are small sects of Communists, be it council, soviet, maoist, trotskyite, (Che) guevaraist, leninist, stalinist, lubbeist, titoist, "anarchist" or "libertarian", "anarcho-marxist" (oxymoron), "autonomous", platformist, pacifist, terrorist, anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist, vanguard, occupant, and similar, all significant statist and in general ochlarchist, included criminal.

Sectarian marginalized groups and marginal policy are in general of little interesert to the anarchist movement, and are often connected to marxist -- especially communist -- ochlarchists and ochlarchy, the quite opposite of anarchist & anarchists, anarchy & anarchism and the libertarian. Remember sectarian marginalized marxian -- especially communist -- groups, collectives and occupants/occupations and squatters, often sail under false anarchist flags when making chaos & ochlarchy including criminal activities, to (falsely) put the blame on the anarchist movement.

One such group is the marxist & communist Antifaschistische Aktion, AFA - a leftwing extremist organization founded in 1932 by the German Communist Party. AFA of today is newer and international, but similar brown & red shit with the old wrapping/name, and together with the marxist & communist "autonomous" Blitz-collective (with an AFA-group) in Oslo, are typical examples of such sectarian marginalized groups and "autonomous" collectives & occupants/occupations and squatters, that often sail under false anarchist flags when making chaos & ochlarchy including criminal activites, to (falsely) put the blame on the anarchist movement. It is of course important for the anarchists (the real ones) to reveal and unmask such dirty marxist commie-tricks.

Another typical example was at the anti-cuts march in London 26.03.2011. About 500,000 people attended the march and rally in central London against public spending cuts. The main march passed off peacefully. But marxist communist splinter groups attacked shops and banks, and a stand-off with police took place in Piccadilly. There were many arrests. As usual the extremist marxists, e.g. the trotskyite Socialist Workers Party (SWP), were sailing under false anarchist flags when acting criminal ochlarchist, to try falsely put the blame on anarchists. Ochlarchist youths acting as Lenin's useful idiots in such connections may also be mentioned, see Brown Card to Blitz/AFA & IS & RU and Preamble to IAT-APT.

The same dirty marxist tricks are happening world wide, e.g. by members of the International Socialist Tendency, included SWP, Internasjonale Sosialister (IS) in Norway, similar in Germany, etc., see Brown Card to Blitz/AFA & IS & RU. The International Anarchist Tribunal - IAT-APT handed out Brown Cards according to the Oslo Convention to the extremist marxists, e.g. Socialist Workers Party (trotskyite), sailing under false anarchist flags when acting criminal ochlarchist, and these "anarchists" are thus expulsed from the anarchist movement. More information see Freedom Online. In general so called autonomous collectives and groups and many similar groups have got Brown Cards from the International Anarchist Tribunal - IAT-APT, see International Branch, especially the article of autonomous collectives and groups, and they are thus expulsed from the anarchist movement.

As most of the so called occupation movement, occupants and squatters as well as so called autonomous collectives and groups, are of this type, i.e. marxists & communists that often sail under false anarchist flags when making chaos & ochlarchy including criminal activities, to (falsely) put the blame on the anarchist movement, it is important to renounce, repudiate, distance ourselves and turn away from the occupation movement, occupants and squatters, and so called autonomous collectives and groups. Such groups and collectives also often try to infiltrate the real anarchist movement and act as provocateurs. Some false 'anarchists' and provocateurs are also linked up, commented and denounced by anarchists at Some external links.

2. Anarchist expropriation contra occupation. Occupation is typically the hallmark of Hitler and Stalin, extremist fascists & communists i.e. kleptarchy [rule by thieves] a form of ochlarchy, and an opposite of -- and thus not -- anarchy, anarchism, anarchist and libertarian. In general occupation is authoritarian and a hallmark of marxism, fascism and liberalism, and not libertarian, anarchist, anarchism and anarchy. Stalin's occupation of several countries in Eastern Europe and also occupation of independent farms, and Hitler's occupation of several countries during the Second World War, are typical examples of occupation.

Occupation is not to be confused with anarchist/libertarian expropriation, i.e. legitimate and legal, based on libertarian human rights including laws - social justice including optimal order and not ochlarchy. In this way anarchist/libertarian expropriation is similar to public legal expropriation in most countries. Furthermore anarchist/libertarian expropriation is not about taking the (un-) law in own hands (selvtekt), i.e. also kleptarchy, a form of ochlarchy. Robbers or thiefs calling their theft 'anarchist' or 'revolutionary' expropriation or occupation, are lying, and of course not anarchist, and such acts of ochlarchy are in general not accepted by anarchists. Such groups and persons will get Brown Cards from the International Anarchist Tribunal, and thus be expulsed from the anarchist movement, etc. This is the general case, but special cases related to a legitimate and legal self-defense clause, within the framework of libertarian human rights including laws - social justice including optimal order and not ochlarchy - may be an exception.

3. Examples of anarchist/libertarian expropriation vs occupation. The anarchist collectives in the Spanish revolution 1936-39 [see CNT's 100th Anniversary] were based on legitimate and legal anarchist expropriation, and was not occupation or an occupation-movement. The anarcho-syndicalists had a.o.t. the justice minister in the Spanish republican central administration, Garcia Olivier. In Argentina the labor cooperatives in recent years [see IJA 6 (31)] soon became legal and legitimate, i.e. de facto anarchist/libertarian expropriation and not occupation. Although both the Spanish and Argentinian collective and cooperative movements operated in a somewhat 'grey zone' regarding social justice & law initially, i.e. had an insignificant tendency of occupation, they soon became legal and legitimate and de facto anarchist/libertarian expropriations, the significant.

The special, not normal, circumstances, regarding these anarchist/libertarian expropriations may also be mentioned: At an IFA-reunion in Toulouse in 1984, where delegates of the Nordic IFA-secretariate and CNT/FAI were present, the main spokesperson of CNT/FAI said that the Spanish revolution was "forced upon us", i.e. by Franco's attack. It was not planned by CNT/FAI, but a desperate maneuver in an emergency situation. Also the Argentinian case started as a response to an emergency situation, this time severe economic crisis. Thus, most likely no such thing will happen under normal circumstances.

Some "youth collectives" represent similar cases, but far from all, e.g. many are marxist & communist and ochlarchist - and not anarchist. Ungdomshuset in Copenhagen may be seen as a similar case, supported by AFID, the Anarchist Federation of Denmark, somewhat based on a policy of anarchist/libertarian expropriation. First the tendency of Ungdomshuset was marxian & communist with ochlarchy, strongly denounced by AFID, but the anarchists contributed to a development in libertarian direction. Ungdomshuset now has a free contract with the municipality. However squatting is something else. This may very often be seen as similar to having a free lunch and let others pay the bill, i.e. slave for the squatter one way or the other. Squatting and the squatter movement are typically 1. communism with kleptarchy, or 2. communist kleptarchy (both 1. and 2. significant ochlarchy), i.e. in both cases 1. and 2. significant authoritarian, occupation, and thus not anarchy, anarchist & anarchism and libertarian.

Occupants as the squatter movement, are typically sectarian marginalized groups with marxist & communist ochlarchical policy and practice. As mentioned in the introduction, sectarian marginalized groups and marginal policy are in general of little interest to the anarchist movement, and are often connected to marxist -- especially communist -- ochlarchists and ochlarchy, the quite opposite of anarchist & anarchists and anarchy & anarchism and the libertarian. Remember sectarian marginalized marxian -- especially communist -- groups, collectives and occupants/occupations and squatters, often sail under false anarchist flags when making chaos & ochlarchy including criminal activites, to (falsely) put the blame on the anarchist movement.

The marxist & communist Antifaschistische Aktion (AFA) and the marxist & communist Blitz-collective (with an AFA-group) in Oslo are typical examples of such sectarian marginalized groups and collectives & occupants/occupations and squatters, that often sail under false anarchist flags when making chaos & ochlarchy including criminal activites, to (falsely) put the blame on the anarchist movement. More information see Brown Card to Blitz/AFA. Blitz is however not really a squat, it is renting the house of Oslo municipality on a somewhat disputed contract, but they certainly act as typical marxist & communist ochlarchist squatters.

Similar dirty marxist commie-tricks are happening world wide. Such dirty marxist commie-tricks have even included putting the blame of marxist extremist terrorism on anarchists. Both the International Anarchist Tribunal and The Anarchist International Security Council (AISC) are on the alert against such dirty marxist commie-tricks, especially terrorism and political violence in general, i.e. ochlarchy. See IAT-APT's International Branch for more information.

It is of course important for the anarchists (the real ones) to reveal and unmask such dirty marxist commie-tricks. As most of the so called occupation movement, occupants and squatters, are of this type, i.e. marxists & communists that often sail under false anarchist flags when making chaos & ochlarchy including criminal activites also sometimes terrorism, to (falsely) put the blame on the anarchist movement, it is important to renounce, repudiate, distance ourselves and turn away from the occupation movement, occupants and squatters and their extremist practice.

4. Anarchists and the Anarchist International AI/IFA may support anarchist/libertarian expropriation, but not occupation. Preferably no, not even a small and insignificant tendency of occupation, should be present for anarchist actions and support. And thus, in case of insignificant tendencies of occupation initially and operating in a 'grey zone' regarding social justice & law, this tendency must most likely and soon be stopped, and de facto anarchist/libertarian expropriation be established, for any anarchist involvement and/or support. Occupation, i.e. significant, is in general never supported by anarchists and not involving anarchists. However anarchist/libertarian expropriation is today only a marginalized economic-political tendency and will most likely also be so in the future, and such policy is thus mainly a waste of time and is not of high priority.

5. Cooperatives etc. the usual way - not expropriation. Anarchist/libertarian expropriation is a special, rare case (point 1 in the headline). This is not the usual way, the normal anarchist way, (point 2 in the headline). In general expropriation should be avoided as much as possible as it usually has a significant element of coercion/repression economically and/or political/administrative. Making a cooperative or collective in the usual way is in general more libertarian and anarchist, not expropriations. Also other forms of firms are typically anarchist, say, self-employed and networks of self-employed. Even corporations and public sector may be horizontally organized, significant, and thus be anarchist and libertarian. Similar is valid for housing, other cooperatives, etc.

Anarchy and anarchism, briefly defined, mean a societal system with relatively small rank and income differences, plus optimal order and efficiency: Significant influence on the decisions from the people, seen as a class in contrast to the superiors in rank and/or income, and upwards, i.e. real democracy, and not the other way around. In the usual way anarchism and anarchy are based on possession, in the meaning of owned, in a rightful, non-criminal, non-statist and non-capitalist way, and thus consistent with relatively small rank and income differences plus efficiency and optimal order. To put it short, property/capitalism/economical plutarchy is theft, and theft is property/capitalism/economical plutarchy, from anarchist point of view. Anarchists are of course against theft and ochlarchy in general.

The anarchism in the three anarchies of today, i.e. social-individualist anarchist countries and economic-political systems, Norway & The Swiss Confederation, see IJA 1 (37) and Iceland, see Anarchism in Iceland, is not established via anarchist/libertarian expropriation. The anarchism and the three anarchies are established via the usual way, a general struggle by the people for more socialism and autonomy, making a megatrend in libertarian direction in each country. The people here seen as a class as opposed to the superiors economically and/or political/administrative, i.e. in income and/or rank. Within this framework we shall of course not forget people who have it most difficult. The anarchist federations/sections in these countries represent junctions vis-a-vis these megatrends and popular struggles, as a part of the people. The aim is in general velvet revolution and revolutionary change, i.e. a significant change in a system's coordinates on the economic-political map and in reality -- in libertarian direction.

The anarchists' main strategy is direct action, and the anarchists should not create a sectarian political party, but within largers campaigns for less authoritarian-degree, the anarchists should participate in progressive popular movements, i.e. research and education, internet-networks, cooperatives, feminist, green/environmental, labor confederation, and direct actions with significant momementum, and give them as much as possible a libertarian approach. The anarchists should also introduce election boycotts against the most authoritarian parties, and support and also join the relatively most libertarian parties in a way that gives as much as possible libertarian political influence. Libertarian is the same as anarchist, anarchism and anarchy, i.e. socialism and autonomy, significant.

This is the way to do it, not by anarchist/libertarian expropriation. A policy based on anarchist/libertarian expropriation is today and in the future practically certain a dead end, de facto contra-revolutionary and a waste of time. The usual way, the normal anarchist way, is also the road to anarchy, i.e. significant freedom and real democracy, in other countries - not anarchist/libertarian expropriation. The aim is as mentioned in general velvet revolution and revolutionary change, i.e. a significant change in a system's coordinates on the economic-political map and in reality -- in libertarian direction. In special cases armed revolution as in Libya 2011, supported by NATO, is the correct strategy, but in Libya anarchist/libertarian expropriation is a marginal to no issue. NB! Updated per 28.03.2011 however this is just an embryo-revolution, it may still be an abortion or end up in stalemate and a system similar to in Somalia. 20.10.2011. Gaddafi is dead, but the situation is far from anarchy in Libya. The system in Somalia seen in long term perspective is the most authoritarian in the world, with only about 20% libertarian degree, and thus the country most far from anarchy on planet Gaia. More information at IJA 1 (41).

6. Occupation-strike, sit-ins and similar are not significant occupation, and are forms of direct action if not ochlarchical, and may very well be anarchist and involving anarchists. The so called "Occupy Wall Street (OWS)" movement should change name because it is mainly based on direct action and not ochlarchical, and not really into occupation as defined above.

7. Move away from sectarian marginalized groups and policy. The Anarchist International - AI/IFA and all its sections strongly urge anarchists that may be involved in sectarian marginalized groups and policy to stop wasting time and move away from such issues and concentrate on the main item: the general fight for more socialism and autonomy and thus increased libertarian degree [= 100% - the authoritarian degree] of the social, i.e. economical & political/administrative systems of whole countries, related to the people in general. The people here seen as a class as opposed to the superiors economically and/or political/administrative, i.e. in income and/or rank. Sectarian & marginalized groups and policy are a dead end.

Resolution, decided with general consent, by:
The International Anarchist Congress
The 11th Anarchist Biennial 27-28.11.2010
International Congress-Seminar on Anarchism
The AI/IFA network represents more than 50 000 anarchist world wide
To see the Website of the Congress - Click here!
Updated

---

Barbados, Bahamas, Argentina, Chile and Brazil on the economic-political map

Conservative liberalist economic-political systems are found in Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Bolivia. Argentina is ranked as no 45 of countries according to libertarian degree, with a point estimate of ca 37,8% libertarian degree, i.e. ca 62,2% authoritarian degree. It is more authoritarian than the USA, with ca 42,5% libertarian degree and ca 57,5% authoritarian degree. It is also more capitalist than the USA, with a gini-index at 52.2, while the USA has a gini-index at 40.8. The degree of capitalism in Argentina is estimated to ca 77%, i.e. very significant (the degree of socialism is only ca 23%). The degree of statism is ca 42,5%, and thus the degree of autonomy is ca 57,5%, i.e. clearly significant. Argentina is located in the conservative sector, a little to the left, and a bit downwards, of USA, in the quadrant of liberalism on the economical-political map. Thus, Argentina has left the populist chaos of Duhalde with more than 67% authoritarian degree. The president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is ideologically a left populist, but this is not the tendency of the economic-political system of Argentina, seen as a whole. The authoritarian degree is less than 67%, thus Argentina of today has not a totalitarian system.

Chile is located to the right of Argentina and USA, a bit more downwards on the map than Argentina, and a little more authoritarian. The point estimate of the libertarian degree is ca 37,6%. i.e. the authoritarian degree is ca 62,4%. The degree of capitalism is ca 81%, i.e. very significant, with a gini-index at 57,1 (the degree of socialism is thus ca 18%, i.e. far from significant). The degree of autonomy is ca 65%. i.e. very significant, and the degree of statism is only ca 35%. Chile is ranked as no 46, behind Argentina, on the ranking of countries according to libertarian degree. Chile was earlier, under Pinochet, a fascist system, but is now a parliamentary democracy, and that contributes to the significant autonomy. The authoritarian degree is less than 67%, thus Chile of today has not a totalitarian system. In Easter Island, a part of Chile, there is a land dispute between the native and other people. A brutal police ochlarchy (mob rule broadly defined) against a few natives happened 04.12.2010. The Anarchist Confederation of Latin America, (ACLA) condemns the violent police ochlarchy, and calls for a peaceful negotiated fair solution to the land dispute.

Brazil has a totalitarian liberalist-capitalist system, also located in the conservative sector in the liberalist quadrant of the map. The authoritarian degree is thus more than 67%, with a point estimate at 67,6%, and a libertarian degree at only 32,4%. The degree of capitalism in Brazil is ca 81,8%, i.e. very, very significant, with a gini-index at 59,3 ( the degree of socialism is only 18,2%). The degree of autonomy is 50,5%, i.e. significant, and the degree of statism is 49,5%. Brazil has a parliamentary system, it is not a dictatorship, and this contributes to the significant degree of autonomy. The extreme high degree of capitalism makes it however to a totalitarian system, seen as a whole. Brazil is located very little to the left of the Argentinian system, and a bit downwards, on the economic-political map. The system is as mentioned located within the conservative sector of the quadrant of liberalism on the map (see fig.1) , but it is not very far from the right fascist sector, in the quadrant of fascism on the map. All in all a very authoritarian system, ranked as no 69 on the ranking of countries according to libertarian degree.

17.09.2011. The Workers' Federation of Rio Grande do Sul & Ceps (Cob-Forgs IWA/AIT) sent an e-mail to AI/IFA including ACLA and IWW: "Dear Friends. Greetings. The Comrades of the "Sindicato de Artes e Ofícios Vários de Araxá" (Syndicate of Various Arts and Crafts of Araxá), Minas Gerais, Brazil, affiliated to the "Confederação Operária Brasileira" (Brazilian Workers' Confederation), Brazilian section of the International Workers Association, are under pressure from FF Commercial (Lotto and Finta brands) with the threat of imprisonment for defending workers' rights. If the low wages and layoffs practiced by the mentioned company were not enough, it has also been moving at the time a 'Lawsuit' against one of our Comrades under the motivation of "slander". In view of the above, we ask, please, that all who can help us do so..." 19.09.2011 the AI/IFA and ACLA and IWW sent the following solidarity resolution to relevant addresses including FF Commercial: "Hands off our fellows at Cob-Forgs IWA/AIT. We call for a development towards real democracy, i.e. anarchy, in Brazil. This must be done by the people's actions - more and more, i.e. act with dignity, use real matter of fact arguments and add weight behind via direct actions, including mass actions & industrial actions, and via organization, dialog and elections, of course without ochlarchy. This also means no to state-socialism. Anarcho-syndicalism is an important part of this struggle. In solidarity - The Anarchist International (AI/IFA) and its sections ACLA and IWW.

Barbados is the most libertarian country in Latin America, with a libertarian degree of about 39,4 %, ranked as no 33 of countries in the world according to libertarian degree. Bahamas is no 2 in Latin America, with about 38 % libertarian degree, ranked as no 44 of countries in the world. Argentina is no 3 of the most libertarian countries in Latin America, with about 37,8% libertarian degree, and ranked as no 45 of countries in the world according to libertarian degree. Chile is no 4 in Latin America, with about 37,6 % libertarian degree and ranked as no 46 in the world, and Uruguay is no 5 with about 37,1 % libertarian degree, ranked as no 51 in the world, according to libertarian degree.

The Anarchist Confederation of Latin America, ACLA, has relatively many networkmembers/subscribers, groups and individuals, in Argentina, Chile and Brazil, and is also represented in the small, but most libertarian countries in Latin America, Barbados and Bahamas. However, many countries in Latin America have totalitarian economic-political systems, as, say, the nazi-light regime in Venezuela, the right-fascist system with heavy ochlarchy in Colombia, the right-fascist regime in Peru and the communist system of Cuba, and the anarchist movements are relatively repressed in several of these countries. Haiti has the most authoritarian regime in Latin America, see (click on:) ACLA.

Resolution, decided with general consent, by:
The International Anarchist Congress
The 11th Anarchist Biennial 27-28.11.2010
International Congress-Seminar on Anarchism
The AI/IFA network represents more than 50 000 anarchist world wide
To see the Website of the Congress - Click here!
Updated

The situation in Bolivia

16.12.2007: Bolivia by now has a totalitarian liberalist-capitalist system, located in the conservative sector in the liberalist quadrant of the economical-politcal map, see System theory and economic-political map. The authoritarian degree is thus more than 67%, with a point estimate at ca 72,6% and a libertarian degree at only ca 27,4%. The degree of capitalism in Bolivia is estimated to ca 90%, i.e. very, very significant, because of a high gini-index, at 44,7, and very low economic efficiency, i.e. the GDP per capita (2003) is only 892 US $ ( the degree of socialism is only ca 10%). The degree of autonomy is 50,5%, i.e. significant, and the degree of statism is 49,5%. Bolivia has a parliamentary system, it is not a dictatorship, and this a.o.t. contributes to the significant degree of autonomy. The extreme high degree of capitalism makes it however to a totalitarian system, seen as a whole. Bolivia is located to the right of the Brazilian system, and quite a bit downwards, on the economic-political map. The system is as mentioned located within the conservative sector of the quadrant of liberalism on the map, but it is not very far from the right fascist sector, in the quadrant of fascism on the map. All in all a very authoritarian system, ranked as no 116 on the ranking of countries according to libertarian degree.

Historically Bolivia has had some anarchosyndicalist unions, and there are today some libertarian tendencies, especially among women and indigenous people, but they have little influence on the system seen all in all. The most well known anarchist activist (and professor emeritus in sociology of UMSA) is Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui. The Bolivian section of The Anarchist Confederation of Latin America (ACLA), has relatively many networkmembers/subscribers, groups and individuals.

Now the president has proposed more centralization and heavier taxation, thus the system will have less autonomy, and become fascist if it is implemented, i.e. if the degree of socialism is not improved considerably. There is no reason to believe that. This proposal will most likely not make the system significantly socialist.

Facing fascism, four Bolivian regions declare autonomy from government.  Tensions were rising in Bolivia on Saturday 15.12.2007 as members of the country's four highest natural gas-producing regions declared autonomy from the central government. Ruben Costas, center, governor of Santa Cruz, celebrates as the Bolivian region declares autonomy Saturday. Thousands waved the Santa Cruz region's green-and-white flags in the streets as council members of the Santa Cruz, Tarija, Beni and Pando districts made the public announcement. The officials displayed a green-bound document containing a set of statutes paving the way to a permanent separation from the Bolivian government. Council representatives vowed to legitimize the autonomy statutes through a referendum that would legally separate the natural-gas rich districts from President Evo Morales' government. The move also aims to separate the states from Bolivia's new constitution, which calls for, among other things, a heavier taxation on the four regions to help finance more social programs. "The statutes will be ratified," said Oscar Ortiz, Santa Cruz senator. "With a public referendum, the people of our region will legitimize their will." About 35 percent of Bolivia's 9.5 million people live in the four states, according to The Associated Press. In the meantime, Bolivian network ATV showed what appeared to be armed, pro-government protesters creating blockades around the town of Yapacani, on the outskirts of Santa Cruz.

Some indigenous pro-Morales groups claim Bolivia's richer, white-ruled Eastern regions want to control the country's natural resources. Bolivia has South America's second-largest natural gas reserves, behind Venezuela. Most of it is produced in the Eastern regions. In the capital city La Paz on Saturday, Morales addressed thousands of flag-waving supporters in the Plaza Murillo, defending the new constitution and lashing out against what he called the racist policies of Bolivia's elite. "They must give back the money they took from us," he told a cheering crowd, which included members of the Quechua and Aymara tribes. "We will retroactively investigate all the big fortunes, and the corrupt are now trembling with fear." Morales also cautioned those who he said want a "a division, a coup d'état," the AP reported. "We won't permit Bolivia to be divided," he warned. Morales -- who belongs to the Aymara indigenous group -- nationalized the country's oil and natural gas reserves when he took power in 2006, creating what became known as the "gas wars." Running on a platform of redistribution of wealth among Bolivia's poor, Morales has defied countries such as Brazil and the United States for the exploration of Bolivia's natural reserves. He has also protested the country's racial divide. "Bolivia is a nation among nations," he said Saturday, referring to the diversity of Indian nations whose traditions date back centuries. "We are not a country of blue-eyed, green-eyed folks only. It's a plurinational country made of dark-skinned and white-skinned. This new constitution will unite us."

We see a problem with the relatively rich areas' autonomy, perhaps it will increase the degree of capitalism in the country even more. From anarchist point of view this is bad . However fascism is no solution . The anarchists propose other measures to reduce the degree of capitalism, i.e. more autonomy in general combined with income transferring measures ( from the rich to the poor) and more efficiency, based on decentralization . Thus, the anarchists partly support the autonomy movement, but it must be more general, with socialist elements, to be really libertarian.

05.05.2008: Bolivia vote shows depth of divisions. The referendum with a clear majority vote for more autonom in Santa Cruz has placed the biggest obstacle yet in front of Mr Morales's planned reforms to re-orient Bolivia with a socialist twist, giving a greater share of the land and resources to the country's indigenous majority. This is something the draft constitution of Morales - yet to be approved - is supposed to do. Before thousands of exultant "crucenos" - as the people from Santa Cruz are called - Ruben Costas, the now self-declared governor of Santa Cruz, claimed that the victory meant, "initiating the path towards a new republic". Supporters of more autonomy for the region want to loosen what they term the "totalitarian and hegemonic centralism" of the central government in La Paz. "I am happy because we are now free to manage ourselves, with Santa Cruz's own resources," autonomy supporter Charito Cardenas told the BBC as she waved her "autonomy" flag. "Autonomy represents freedom, independence, living tranquil, living in peace - the freedom for Santa Cruz and for the whole of Bolivia which is what we want", she said. But not all areas of Santa Cruz were celebrating as effusively. 

In a country where ideological confrontation is commonplace, violent clashes between pro-Morales and pro-autonomy supporters in some of Mr Morales' strongholds left one dead and more than 20 injured. Some people were prevented from voting, ballot boxes were burnt and roads were blocked. But in the end, Bolivia's wealthiest region passed a statute of autonomy that would grant the department more local decision-making and more control over land, taxes and gas and oil revenues. For some analysts, the autonomy movement was instigated by the region's wealthy elite, with a good deal of economic self-interest and racism as fuel. That is something some residents of Santa Cruz also feel. "Why did these oligarchs that are pushing for autonomy want our vote now?" asks Marina, a woman of the Aymara indigenous group who has been living in Plan 3000, a humble neighbourhood of mud roads on the edge of Santa Cruz city, for the past 45 years. "They always hated us, the indigenous people, they still do and they will always will. We suffer because of them. "The autonomy they are proposing is nothing more than a trick to keep strangling the poor," she added. On the floor, a pamphlet from the pro-Morales supporters asking the people not to vote shows a swastika and calls the opposition a (Masonic) "lodge". For Gabriela Montano, the president's delegate in Santa Cruz, "this is not a result in favour or against autonomy, because this process, for various reasons, it is fragmenting the country." For many, this pits the elite in Santa Cruz, who are of European descent, against Mr Morales' peasants and indigenous supporters, and squeezes his beleaguered attempt to change the course of South America's poorest country.

"I hope the government will hear the call of its people now, and not the call of Venezuela's left-wing President Hugo Chavez, and will start choosing its own course and accept this autonomy and decide it's time to sit down and talk", former president and leader of the opposition Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga told BBC. For Mr Chavez, who is an unconditional ally of Mr Morales, this autonomy hides a "Kosovo-style plan" to destabilise the government and divide Bolivia. At least three more departments may follow Santa Cruz with their own autonomy votes. Conscious that the autonomy debate is proving deeply divisive, Mr Morales has called for dialogue even though he declared the vote to be illegal after knowing the results. The Organisation of American States and the catholic church also called unsuccessfully for dialogue in recent weeks. "We have always been willing to hold dialogue and we will always push for a national pact," the president of Santa Cruz's Civic Committee, Branko Marinkovic, told. "Bolivia will now start to march on a new path called autonomy. It won't be a short one, it might be a rocky one, but it will be the one Bolivia has democratically chosen," he added. All over the centre of Santa Cruz city that choice is being cheerfully celebrated by the many who wanted autonomy. Now, both parts agree they should start a dialogue. What comes next has a big question mark. In the meantime, Santa Cruz is enjoying a long night of celebrations as the rhythmic chant of "autonomy, autonomy" resounds across the city.

02.06.2008: Bolivia grabs control of gas firm. The Bolivian government has taken full control of a key gas pipeline company after talks with the foreign firm that held a controlling stake broke down. President Evo Morales said Transredes had been seized after US company Ashmore Energy International failed to agree to a share buy-back. Transredes transports Bolivia's natural gas to clients in Brazil and Argentina. It is the latest move in the Bolivian president's recent effort to nationalise key industries. Ashmore has yet to comment on the move. President Morales said Ashmore had agreed to sell some of its 25% share in the firm but that these talks had not led to a deal. "We waited patiently all month, but the actions they took were totally different," the president said. "They wanted to be bosses, and have us be the employees. We're a small country - sometimes they call us underdeveloped - but we have lots of dignity. Partners are welcome, but we will not accept bosses." Officials said Royal Dutch Shell, cited as another foreign in investor in the pipeline, had wanted to work with them. President Morales came to power two years ago promising his country's poor a greater share in revenues from the oil and gas industry. The president's radical plans have upset foreign companies and threaten to split the country. Three regions in Bolivia's east, where most of the oil and gas is found, have recently voted for greater autonomy and oppose sending more revenues to the central government. Parts of Bolivia's energy industry was privatised in the 1990s, with foreign companies taking 50% stakes. Last month Bolivia's state energy company bought a majority stake in Spanish-owned Andina, one of the country's biggest energy companies which exploits oil and gas fields, and owns a 50% stake in two giant gas fields. It has also taken over, by state decree, the control of Chaco from BP and Pan American Energy. Mr Morales is an ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who has also taken back control of a number of industries from foreign control, including oil, electricity and cement.

Resolution, decided with general consent, by:
The International Anarchist Congress
The 11th Anarchist Biennial 27-28.11.2010
International Congress-Seminar on Anarchism
The AI/IFA network represents more than 50 000 anarchist world wide
To see the Website of the Congress - Click here!

Colombia - A right-fascist system with severe ochlarchy

Columbia on the economic-political map. With a Gini-index at 57.6 and relatively low efficiency, the system is very significant capitalistic, the degree of capitalism, economical plutarchy, is estimated to ca 75,7%. As a rule of the thumb a Gini-index above 35 indicates capitalism. The system is also significant statist, the degree of statism is estimated to ca 59,1%. Thus the system is located in the right fascist sector in the fascist quadrant of the economic-political map, see System theory and economic-political map. Right fascist systems have 75-100% degree of capitalism and 50-75% degree of statism. As explained below, the system also has severe ochlarchy, with much murders of labor activists. Ochlarchy is mob rule broadly defined.

The authoritarian degree is estimated to ca 67,9%, i.e. the system is totalitarian and extremist. Systems with more than 666 per thousand, ca 67%, authoritarian degree are totalitarian and extremist. The libertarian degree is estimated to ca 32,1% ,and Colombia is ranked as no 72 of countries in the world according to libertarian degree. The estimates of the coordinates of the economic-political system are based on UN-statistics and other sources and are considered as long term average structural estimates, see chapter V.B. at System theory and economic-political map especially about "Statistics and estimation methods", and Ranking of countries according to libertarian degree, search for Colombia and see also the footnotes in this file.

03.06.2008. Murders of labor activists - severe ochlarchy - a consequence of the extreme capitalism/economical plutarchy and significant statism. The Colombian government appeared today in Geneva before the Committee on the Application of Standards at the ILO's annual session of the International Labour Conference. During the debate, workers' delegates from around the world referred to the violations of freedom of association and collective bargaining rights in Colombia. Since the beginning of 2008, 26 labor activists have been murdered, a 71 per cent increase from the same period last year. For all of these murders impunity persists, as for some 97% of the more than 2,500 murders of Colombian labor activists since 1986. The Colombian government appeared before the committee as the result of the extraordinary pressure from the international labor movement, anarchists included, which rejected its attempts to avoid coming before the committee. The outcome of the discussion on Colombia will be included in the full conclusions and recommendations of the committee.

14.03.2010. Allies of the Colombian President Alvaro Uribe face a key test as the country votes in parliamentary elections ahead of May's presidential race. The Uribe alliance is seeking to strengthen its position in Congress, building on the president's popularity for tackling left-wing rebels and cocaine traffickers. Uribe himself is barred from running again for the presidency, after a court ruled against a referendum to amend the constitution and allow him to stand. The decision opens up the field for May's election. The parliamentary vote features candidates ranging from former hostages to footballers and beauty queens. A strong showing from pro-Uribe forces will benefit the former defense minister vying to succeed the president and continue the tough line against guerrillas. The parliament was tarnished during Uribe's second term by a scandal linking MPs, including the president's allies, to drug-smuggling paramilitaries who massacred peasants. It is feared that armed groups could influence voting in many rural areas. The Uribe-coalition maintained the majority in the Congress, both in the Senate and the Chamber of Representatives.

30.04.2010. Mass grave. The Anarchist International (AI/IFA), International Workers of the World (IWW), The Anarchist Confederation of Latin America (ACLA) and The Anarchist International Embassy (AIE) have expressed grave concern over the discovery of a mass grave in the town of La Macarena, in Colombia, as well as condemning the assassination of Johnny Hurtado, a human rights activist who denounced the mass grave's existence. Hurtado, a former syndicalist activist, had already been forced to move away from his home after receiving death threats.

The Attorney General's office estimates at 2000 the number of unidentified bodies in the mass grave. The figure is particularly worrying given that well over a hundred Colombian syndicalists have disappeared in recent years. Recent revelations regarding extrajudicial executions, including from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and her Special Rapporteur, have uncovered the Colombian army's involvement in what the UN has described as the "systematic" killing of Colombian civilians. The mass grave is located next to the largest military base in the region.

11.06.2010. The International Workers of The World has in the report '101 syndicalists murdered in 2009 world wide. Pressure on workers' rights grows. Direct actions by IWW' especially a focus on Colombia, see the IWW- Website.

20.06.2010. Presidential runoff election. Former defense minister won Sunday's presidential runoff election in a rout over an eccentric outsider. The victory for Juan Manuel Santos, an ally of Uribe and a three-time government minister from a Colombian political dynasty, was a ringing endorsement of outgoing conservative President Alvaro Uribe, whose security policies he helped craft. The persistence of the ultra-authoritarian marxist rebel threat was a central issue in the campaign to succeed Uribe, who was barred from running for a third term. Santos, a 58-year-old economist, won the endorsement of most of the country's political establishment after the first round. He promises to build on Uribe's security gains, but also vowed to help the poor in a nation notorious for income inequality where more than two in five of its 44 million people live on less than $2 a day.

Violence marred Sunday's vote as seven police officers and three soldiers were killed in separate attacks blamed on marxist, leftist rebels. The police were killed when a roadside bomb ripped apart their truck on a routine patrol in Colombia's northeast, authorities said, while the soldiers died in an ambush on an army patrol carrying election material to a town in the eastern plains. Defense Minister Gabriel Silva blamed the marxist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or Farc, for the ambush and the smaller, also marxist, National Liberation Army was believed responsible for the bombing. Independent electoral observers said rebels burned ballots and disturbed voting in isolated municipalities in eight of Colomia's 32 states. The right fascist system will probably prevail and the Colombian system's economic-political coordinates will probably not change significantly under the new president, unless massive international and domestic pressure, protests and direct actions against the system become a reality.

07.07.2010. Two more syndicalists assassinated in Colombia. IWW, AI, ACLA and AIE: Do away with the totalitarian right-fascist system in Colombia! To international newsmedia! Put more focus on Colombia!!!

The syndicalist world is again in mourning after the assassination of two more syndicalists*) in Colombia. The Anarchist International (AI/IFA), International Workers of the World (IWW), The Anarchist Confederation of Latin America (ACLA) and The Anarchist International Embassy (AIE) have roundly condemned the murders, expressing a deep shock at the news of the killing of Nelson Camacho González, a member of the oil industry's united workers' syndicate USO (Unión Sindical Obrera) and of Ibio Efrén Caicedo, an activist from the Antioquia teachers' association ADIDA (Asociación de Institutores de Antioquia). Ibio Efrén Caicedo, who had a strong track record as a syndicalist activist, was assassinated on the day before the 20 June presidential elections. The murder of Ibio Efrén brings to seven the number of unionized teachers assassinated in Antioquia in 2010 so far. Three days earlier, Nelson Camacho González died after being shot at repeatedly at the bus stop on his way to work. 

The murder of Nelson Camacho González is another in a series of systematic attacks and threats against members and mandated persons of the oil workers' syndicate during industrial disputes. This workers' syndicate has been in conflict with the multinational very capitalist/economical plutarchist British Petroleum in Casanare, with Ecopetrol-UT on the Andean pipeline, with TGI on the departments of Boyacá y Casanare, and with Ecopetrol over various other labor disputes. 

In an international direct action protest to the Colombia authorities, the IWW, AI, ACLA and AIE demand that the Columbian government immediately initiate a full investigation to identify and bring to justice those responsible for these two murders that have further weakened the credibility of the so called Colombian "democracy". The economic-political system of Colombia is an evil and extremist variant of the unenlightened plutarchy, as mentioned with more than 666 per thousand authoritarian degree.

The so called Colombian "democracy" is as mentioned above in reality an ultra-authoritarian right fascist system, totalitarian and extremist and very far from real democracy, i.e. anarchy. The IWW, AI, ACLA and AIE call for continual and lasting direct actions, international and domestic, by the people as opposed to the superiors economical and/or political/administrative, against the Colombian government, to a) end the deadly ochlarchy (mob rule broadly defined) against syndicalists and others, b) do away with the totalitarian right-fascist regime, and c) move the system in libertarian direction - more and more.... For anarchy in Colombia!

PS. Later: To CNN - thank you for highlighting the Noriega-Colombia connection on TV. Colombia - A right-fascist system with severe ochlarchy. To international newsmedia! We hope for more focus on Colombia in general!!!

10.07.2010. Former rebel hostage asks for $7M from Colombian government, CNN reports: Former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt is asking for about $7 million from the country's government for the years she spent as a hostage of leftist rebels. In documents submitted to the Colombian government last month, Betancourt and her family members say the government did not do enough to protect her. From story highlights: Colombia's defense ministry expresses "surprise and sorrow" at request. Former presidential candidate was part of group rescued by helicopter in 2008. Marxist rebels had held her hostage since 2002.

11.07.2010. Colombia forces kill 12 rebels in early morning raid, Swissinfo.ch, an international newsagency located in the Anarchy of Switzerland - the Swiss Confederation, reports: Colombian forces killed 12 leftist [marxist] guerrillas on Sunday in an attack on a group of fighters assigned to protect Farc leader Guillermo Saenz, known as Alfonso Cano, the defence ministry said. Local media reports have said that Colombia's army is closing in on Cano. His death or capture would give political momentum to President-elect Juan Manuel Santos, who is to be sworn in as head of state next month. While serving as defense minister before stepping down to run in the presidential election, Santos directed key military strikes against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or Farc, rebels. He easily defeated Green Party candidate Antanas Mockus in a run-off last month and has pledged to continue the market-friendly [read: unenlightened plutarchy] policies favoured by investors as president.

12.07.2010. Colombia's government took Ingrid Betancourt's bodyguards away, Swissinfo.ch reports: Betancourt accuses Colombia of failing to protect her. Colombia's government took Ingrid Betancourt's bodyguards away as she was about to drive into a jungle area filled with guerrillas, the former hostage said on Sunday, outlining the reasons for her multimillion-dollar [$6.8 million (4.5 million pound] demand against the state. She played that down in a television interview on Sunday, saying the money was "symbolic." But she insisted the state failed to protect her while she was running for president. "They took my bodyguards from me and let me continue by road," Betancourt, 48, told Caracol television. "They did not meet their responsibility to protect me as a presidential candidate ... I was not irresponsible."

16.07.2010. Chavez + Farc = True? An echo of the Hitler - Stalin pact? The nazi-light Chavez-regime has rejected Colombia's accusation that Caracas tolerates Colombian marxist guerrillas on its territory. The charge was "a desperate attempt" to undermine relations between the two countries, the Venezuelan foreign ministry said. It later recalled its ambassador to Bogota for consultations. The Colombia government had said that it has clear evidence that five rebel leaders are sheltering in Venezuela. The findings showed Venezuela's "continued and permanent tolerance" of guerrillas on its soil, Colombian Defense Minister Gabriel Silva said on Thursday. He added that Bogota had video recordings and the exact grid co-ordinates not only of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) camps, but those of the smaller National Liberation Army (ELN). A spokeswoman for ACLA says to AIIS that "without further, independent investigations, it is difficult to say who speaks the truth, the nazi-light regime in Venezuela or the right fascists in Colombia." More information about Chavez + Farc = True? An echo of the Hitler - Stalin pact, at the article about Venezuela below.

21.07.2010. CNN-TV continues to mention the Colombia vs Venezuela conflict reported 16.07.2010...

22.07.2010. Venezuela severs ties with Colombia. President Hugo Chavez severed Venezuela's diplomatic relations with Colombia on Thursday over claims he harbors guerrillas, and he warned that his neighbor's leader could attempt to provoke a war. Chavez said he was forced to break off all relations because Colombian officials claim he has failed to act against leftist rebels who allegedly have taken shelter in Venezuelan territory. He acted moments after Colombian Ambassador Luis Alfonso Hoyos presented a meeting of the Organization of American States in Washington with photos, videos, witness testimony and maps of what he said were rebel camps inside Venezuela and challenged Venezuelan officials to let independent observers visit them, echoing ACLA's call for independent investigations 16.07.2010.

07.08.2010. Juan Manuel Santos, sworn in Saturday as Colombia's 59th president, vowed to cement security gains but declared himself open to dialogue with rebels in hopes of ending the Western Hemisphere's only armed conflict. Although he was invited, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was not among the 14 Latin American leaders, including Felipe Calderon of Mexico and Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, attending Saturday's ceremony on the carpeted cobblestones of Bogota's central plaza. Also absent was Chavez's close ally President Evo Morales of Bolivia.

Chavez did, however, send his foreign minister, Nicolas Maduro, who struck a conciliatory tone. "We want to extend our affectionate hand, of friendship and as brothers to all the Colombian people," he said after arriving. Also attending was President Rafael Correa of Ecuador, which severed ties with Uribe's government in 2008 after the Colombian military raided a guerrilla camp a mile inside its territory, killing a rebel chief and 25 others. Santos also indicated his presidency would take a broader approach to ending Colombia's nearly half-century conflict - focusing for one on attacking the nation's deep-seated inequalities at their roots through social programs and job creation.

He signaled an unwillingness to talk peace with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or Farc, until it frees its hostages, halts "terrorist acts" and stops recruiting child soldiers and planting land mines. "But at the same time I want to reiterate: The door to dialogue is not locked," Santos said. "It is possible to have a Colombia at peace, a Colombia without guerrillas, and we're going to prove it! By reason or by force!" Colombia is USA's staunchest ally in Latin America. Representing the United States at the afternoon inauguration was Jim Jones, President Barack Obama's national security adviser, and a congressional delegation led by Rep. Eliot Engel, a Democrat from New York who chairs the House subcommittee on Western Hemisphere affairs.

11.08.2010. The leaders of Colombia and Venezuela have re-established diplomatic relations, saying they are starting to repair confidence undermined by years of recriminations between the two countries. The announcement came after a four-hour meeting Tuesday between Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Colombia's new leader, Juan Manuel Santos, restoring ties that Chavez severed last month in response to accusations that Venezuela has become a haven for Colombian rebels. Santos said the rapprochement between two men with "so many and such frequent differences, who decide to turn the page and think of the future ... that's something I think we have to celebrate."

Santos told reporters after the meeting that Chavez had given assurances "he is not going to allow the presence of outlaw groups in his territory." Chavez said the neighboring countries are starting down a new road after years of often prickly relations under Santos' predecessor, Alvaro Uribe. Uribe's administration accused Chavez's national-socialist-oriented government of aiding the rebels and turning a blind eye to rebel leaders and guerrilla camps in Venezuelan territory. Chavez reiterated that he doesn't support the Colombian rebels or any other insurgent group.

12.08.2010. Terrorists attack. After a lull of 18 months, Bogota residents again woke to the sounds of an explosion as a blast hit the Caracol Radio building. President Juan Manuel Santos, just six days in the post, was quickly on the scene. President Santos described the blast as a "cowardly terrorist act". While he refused to point fingers, police were saying that the attack had all the hallmarks of an attack by Farc rebels. In 2003, the marxist rebels set off a car bomb just 10 blocks from this latest explosion, targeting an exclusive social club and killing 37 people. Last week, the Farc's chief, Alfonso Cano, said he was prepared to talk to the Colombian government.

After eight years of relentless US-backed offensives by the previous President, Alvaro Uribe, the Farc have seen their strength more than halved. If the Farc are behind the attack, it may be designed to show that battered as they may be, they can still reach into the heart of the capital. The Anarchist International (AI/IFA), International Workers of the World (IWW), The Anarchist Confederation of Latin America (ACLA) and The Anarchist International Embassy (AIE) have condemned the terrorist attack.

27.09.2010. Ad slain terrorists. Colombia's Farc terrorists are paying tribute to their slain military commander Jorge Briceno and say nine other rebels died with him in last week's air attack by the military. Colombian authorities recovered seven bodies from the rebel camp in southern jungles. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia also say in a communique published on the Europe-based ANNCOL website Monday that Briceno has been replaced on the insurgency's seven-man ruling Secretariat by Pastor Alape. The Farc has been badly battered in recent years by Colombia's US-backed military. Briceno is the fourth Secretariat member to die since March 2008. ANNCOL said the communique was issued Saturday.

09.11.2010. Masked students rioting in Bogota clash with riot police. Practically certain ultra-authoritarian marxists are behind the ochlarchy. No anarchists involved, The Anarchist International (AI/IFA), International Workers of the World (IWW), The Anarchist International Embassy (AIE) and The Anarchist Confederation of Latin America (ACLA) and its Colombian section, condemn the riots and ochlarchy in general, and declare: "This is not the way to do it!" CNN reports about the riots and shows the @-symbol of young anarchists in a video also sent on CNN-TV, but the @-sign is not directly connected to the ochlarchy, and anarchists are not mentioned in the text. CNN however mentions the ultra-authoritarian marxists in Colombia in connection to the riots and ochlarchy. The Colombian section of the The Anarchist Confederation of Latin America (ACLA) is relatively small, and in an e-mail to the AIIS it has complained about "quite reactionary people" falsely posing as 'anarchists', i.e. provocateurs, in the country.

14.11.2010. CNN gets a Brown Card. CNN still reports about masked students rioting in Bogota that have clashed with riot police, i.e. ochlarchy. The students a.o.t. use Molotov cocktails torching cars, smashing windows, etc, the usual ochlarchy stuff, i.e. authoritarian, and not direct actions. A few pounds of dynamite will never change the powerstructure, as Kropotkin stated, and neither will some dozens of Molotov cocktails. The students' actions have the hallmark of marxist  extremism: Violent attacks on symbols of capitalism and/or the (capitalist, according to marxism) state is a marxist strategy of vanguardism, similar to the marxist-leninist terrorist organizations the Italian Red Brigades (BR) and German RAF (Baader Meinhof), etc. Anarchists are against vanguardism.

Ochlarchy is in general authoritarian, de facto a top down approach, and de facto thus not anarchist, i.e. a bottom up approach. Ochlarchists are in general authoritarian, not only their bosses. All authoritarian socialism is de facto marxism. All authoritarian socialists are de facto marxists. Anticapitalist, i.e. socialist, ochlarchists are de facto marxists, not anarchists. That ochlarchy in some mystical marxist dialectical way later will end up in anarchy, is against historical and social scientific evidence, and absurd. Such ideas are marxist - not anarchist. Thus the rioters in Bogota are practically certain marxists - not anarchists. Thus, proven beyond reasonable doubt: although CNN-TV shows a student Website with an anarchist @-logo in this connection, however without proving any direct connection to the riots in the text; the student rioters are marxists, not anarchists. The rioting students are also acting de facto in line with the marxist terrorist organizations Farc and ELN, although perhaps they are not members.

The Anarchist International (AI/IFA), International Workers of the World (IWW), The Anarchist International Embassy (AIE) and The Anarchist Confederation of Latin America (ACLA) and its Colombian section, once more condemn the riots and ochlarchy in general, and repeat: "This is not the way to do it! Nobody takes ochlarchists seriously, it is just a police matter, criminality, which anarchists are strongly against. In general ochlarchists, especially the ones falsely posing as 'anarchists', get publicity, as in this case on CNN, and that is all. They have in general no influence on economic-political decisions regarding their demands. Ochlarchy does in general not work in libertarian direction, only for the authoritarian and more of it. Demonstrate with dignity - not ochlarchy, use real matter of fact arguments and add weight behind via direct actions, included mass actions, and via elections, within the framework of and/or compatible with real democracy."

AIIS reports that the student organization with a Website with an anarchist @-logo will get a Brown Card from IAT-APT, and thus be expulsed from the anarchist movement, if a direct connection to the riots and ochlarchy is proved. The International Anarchist Tribunal - The Anarchist Press Tribunal - IAT-APT - International Branch hands out a Brown Card according to the Oslo Convention, to CNN-TV for showing a student Website with an anarchist @-logo in connection to the riots and ochlarchy, and thus falsely indicating anarchists are behind.

05.11.2011. Colombian marxist terrorist top ruler killed in military raid. Colombia's main terrorist group has suffered its second major setback in just over a year with the killing of its No. 1 commander, the bookish 63-year-old ideologue Alfonso Cano, officials say. The death of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) chief on Friday 04.11.2011 hours after his nearby camp was bombed was celebrated by President Juan Manuel Santos as "the hardest blow to this organization in its entire history." Sources: AP and AIIS.

***

See also Note to the Colombian Embassy in Oslo from the Anarchist International Embassy, AIE, about freedom of expression etc. This AIE-resolution is also connected at Links. NB! Underlined words and phrases in the resolution above are links to click on!

***

*) The concept 'syndicate' is defined in general as 'an association of people formed to promote a common interest', and is especially related to the labor movement. The concept 'syndical' broadly defined means 'of a labor union or labor confederation, i.e. of a syndicate of workers'. Thus, a 'syndicalist' broadly defined is any man or woman 'of a labor union or labor confederation, i.e. of a syndicate of workers', thus including all labor union or labor confederation members and activists, i.e. 'union men and women', members and activists of syndicates of workers. 'Syndicalist' narrowly defined is one who believes in or advocates 'syndicalism', a theory and movement of trade unionism originating in France, in which all means of production and distribution would be brought under control of syndicates of workers, i.e. labor confederations and labor unions, by direct action, such as general strike. The AI, IWW, ACLA and AIE above, and often, make use of the term 'syndicalist' broadly defined, as 'union men and women', i.e. members and activists of syndicates of workers.

Resolution, decided with general consent, by:
The International Anarchist Congress
The 11th Anarchist Biennial 27-28.11.2010
International Congress-Seminar on Anarchism
The AI/IFA network represents more than 50 000 anarchist world wide
To see the Website of the Congress - Click here!
Updated

Belize's place on the economic-political map

Belize is an example of a right fascist state. The country is quite authoritarian, and a democracy in the name only. Population below powerty line 33,5 % (2002 est.), inefficient with just 3 612 US $ per capita income/GDP (2003), and falling adult literacy rate from 89,1 % in 1990 to 76,9 % in 2003. The degree of capitalism is estimated to ca 79,0 % and the degree of statism to 59,9 %, and thus the system is located in the right fascist sector (close to right populism) of the fascist quadrant of the map. All in all a totalitarian capitalist state with ca 29,9% libertarian degree, i.e. ca 70,1 % authoritarian degree.

Resolution, decided with general consent, by:
The International Anarchist Congress
The 11th Anarchist Biennial 27-28.11.2010
International Congress-Seminar on Anarchism
The AI/IFA network represents more than 50 000 anarchist world wide
To see the Website of the Congress - Click here!

***

I think the maoists, bolsheviks, and trotskyites are more authoritarian than what are suggested on fig. 2. They are all marxist-leninists and will produce a somewhat rich bureaucracy, and advocate dictatorship of ( i.e. over), the proletariate. What do IIFOR think about this? Anarchist greetings P. Gordon

Answer from IIFOR: The fig.2 map is quite misleading in these cases. Both maoists, bolsheviks and trotskyites are ideologically totalitarian state-communists, not located far left and not so very authoritarian, as suggested on fig. 2. They are all ideologically located in the state-communist sector of the marxist quadrant of the fig.1 map.

China's place on the economic-political map

The maoists are ideologically totalitarian state-communists. They are all ideologically located in the state-communist sector of the marxist quadrant of the economic-political map, see System theory and economic-political map .

However in practice, as now in China, the maoists are left fascists. A gini-index of 0 represents perfect economic equality, and a value of 100 perfect inequality, the most top heavy income pyramid. As a rule of the thumb a gini-index below 35 indicates socialism and a gini-index above 35 indicates capitalism, i.e. economical plutarchy, but the degree of socialism is also dependent of economical efficiency, indicated by GDP per capita. Socialism means economic equality - fairness - plus efficiency, capitalism the opposite.

Thus China, with a gini-index at 44.7 is clearly capitalist, and it is not very efficient, with GDP per capita at only 1,100 US $ per year. Thus it has very significant economical plutarchy, about 62 1/3% degree of capitalism. Furthermore it is a dictatorship, with a very high degree of statism, included a very top heavy rank-pyramid, see a.o.t. Anarchist class analysis etc. . The degree of statism is about 76%. Thus it has both significant amount of capitalism as well as statism, and thus it is a fascist country, see System theory and economic-political map and Ranking of countries according to libertarian degree . It is no 88 on the ranking of countries according to libertarian degree, i.e. it is clearly very authoritarian.

The point estimate for China is ca 30,5% libertarian degree, i.e. 69,5% authoritarian degree, located in the left fascist sector of the fascist quadrant of the economic-political map. The system is totalitarian, with more than 67% authoritarian degree. Norway and Switzerland are ranked as no 1 and 2 respectively, they are anarchies of low degree. USA is ranked as 22, being significantly autonomous and capitalist, i.e. liberalist. If we look only at the gini-index, the USA seems less capitalist than China, with a gini-index of 40.8 in USA, compared to 44.7 in China. But we have also other indicators, i.e. a.o.t. economic regulations, the very large agricultural sector is not very capitalistic, etc., and thus, for the system seen all in all as a whole, the degree of capitalism in China is less than of the USA. But still the degree of capitalism, economical plutarchy, in China, is clearly significant. Conclusion: The system in China is left fascist, in practice not state communist, on the economic-political map.

Let us not be dazzled by percentage economic growth. China has a very weak income-development compared to Norway. China has as mentioned a real income (GDP) at 1 100 US $  per capita per year. Ten percent growth is 110 US $ income increase per year. In Norway the real income per capita is 48 412 US $ per year. A growth at 3% means 1 452 US $. Thus the growth in income per capita is 13 times as high in Norway, compared to China. The very high gini-index in China shows that the small income-growth in US $ is not benefiting the people (as opposed to upper classes), the grassroots and working class broadly defined, significantly.

01.10.2009. 60 years of brutal repressive communist party rule in China is marked by putting  together its biggest-ever military parade: hundreds of thousands of marchers, batteries of goose-stepping soldiers and weaponry from drone missiles to amphibious assault vehicles. The "People's Liberation" Army in its newspaper early this year said the event's meaning was clear: "This military parade is a comprehensive display of the Party's ability to rule and of the overall might of the nation." Except for an especially invited audience, everyone else, though, was asked to stay home. President Hu Jintao inspected China's defense forces in Beijing on Thursday. "Greetings, comrades," Hu said as he saluted the troops, according to state-run Xinhua news agency. "Greetings, leader [i.e. ruler]," the soldiers responded.

The buoyant mood glosses over the country's gut wrenching twists - the ruinous campaigns of revolutionary leader Mao Zedong that left tens of millions dead - in 1989 after six weeks of heady demonstrations, the Tiananmen movement for freedom and democracy was brutally suppressed - as well as its current challenges: a widening gap between rich and poor, rampant corruption, severe pollution and ethnic uprisings in western areas of Tibet and Xinjiang. The Anarchist International calls for democracy and freedom in China, a movement of the system towards significant socialism and autonomy, away from the ultra-authoritarian left fascist system of today, and supports solidaric the people in China that fight for such a development.

23.12.2009. The Anarchist International, AI : Release Liu Xiaobo immediately! A high-profile Chinese dissident accused of subversion was tried at a two-hour hearing Wednesday, a case that reflects the in the name only communist, in practice left fascist, government's deep suspicion of calls for political reform. Liu Xiaobo was detained a year ago, just before the release of an unusually direct appeal for more civil rights in China he co-authored called Charter 08, signed by scores of China's top intellectuals. He faces up to 15 years in jail. The verdict is due Friday. Anarchists, international human rights groups and Western nations have heavily criticized Liu's detention. Liu, 53, a literary critic and former professor, spent 20 months in jail for joining the 1989 student-led protests in Tiananmen Square that were crushed in a military crackdown.

In his writings, most published only on the Internet, he has strongly called for civil rights and political reform. Liu is charged with inciting to subvert state power, a vaguely worded charge that is routinely used to jail dissidents and carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison. Liu admitted "to practicing his freedom of speech, but did not admit to trying to overturn the state's power." The Anarchist International calls on the government of China to release Liu Xiaobo immediately! 25.12.2009. Liu Xiaobo has been jailed for 11 years by the ultra-authoritarian, totalitarian left fascist extremist regime in China, for so called "inciting subversion of state power". The Anarchist International condemns the trial for not being fair and being the opposite of social justice and again demands: Release Liu Xiaobo!

05.03.2010. China vows to tackle social divide. According to the latest official figures, China's rural-urban wealth gap was the widest last year since the launch of economic reforms three decades ago. In 2009 urban per capita income stood at 17,175 yuan ($2,500), or more than three times the average rural income of 5,153 yuan. Speaking at the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, premier ruler Wen Jiabao said China faced "major problems" that "urgently require solutions". "Everything we do, we do to ensure that the people live a happier life with more dignity and to make our society fairer and more harmonious." "We will not only make the pie of social wealth bigger by developing the economy, but also distribute it well on the basis of a rational income distribution system," Wen said. He promised more fairness, less corruption and steady economic progress. 

"This is easier said than done in this ultra-authoritarian and corrupt regime - we demand deeds - not words - in these matters!" a  spokesperson of The Anarchist Confederation of Asia and the Middle East - ACAME said to AIIS, and added: "ACAME demands a development toward Libertarian Human Rights and Real Democracy , a bottom - up approach - in China." China's National People's Congress is formally the country's top legislative forum. The NPC, which meets every year for 10 to 12 days, is a legislature "with Chinese characteristics." Its members come from every corner of the country and there are "representatives" of every ethnic and religious group, but it does not have the power to reject government proposals, so it is often rightly dismissed as a rubber stamp assembly. "Representatives" to this Chinese joke of "parliament" are selected by the top rulers, not elected, but in his speech Premier Wen indicated that he does listen to those outside the government. The meeting of the NPC is expected to last around 10 days and will be closely watched for signs of any political power shift.

10.05.2010. Lack of labor rights in China. China has ratified only four of the eight core ILO labor Conventions. Chinese trade and syndicalist unions have to be affiliated to the ACFTU, the "All China Federation of Trade Unions", and any effort to establish independent unions is repressed. ACFTU is a state organ, closely subordinated to the Chinese Communist Party. Although there are some efforts to promote collective wage consultation systems, the right to collectively bargain is severely restricted and many Chinese workers are not covered by collective agreements. Despite the lack of a right to strike except in cases of "health and safety work stoppages", many workers undertake industrial action to pressure for long standing unresolved issues, claim unpaid wages and demand better working conditions and wages. Industrial actions and protests have increased in recent years.

Institutionalized discrimination against migrant workers from rural areas remains a serious problem, despite recent legislation. Immigrant workers who live unregistered in the cities do not have access to public services such as education for their children. Discrimination on the grounds of gender is prohibited by law but, in practice, women are not equally remunerated and tend more often to find employment in unskilled and labor-intensive sectors. Moreover, ethnic minorities and persons who live with HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B frequently suffer from discrimination in remuneration and in access to employment, education and public services.

While national legislation stipulates that no children younger than 16 years old are allowed to work, child labor is a serious problem in China. Children are sometimes employed in the worst forms of child labor. Work-study programmes, run under school auspices, frequently result in forced child labour. Forced labor is prohibited but occurs in commercial enterprises. China imposes forced prison labor as a form of "re-education through labor", and a similar forced labor system for "rehabilitation" is in force for drug addicts.  Trafficking in human beings is prohibited by law but remains a serious problem. There has not been much progress in prosecuting traffickers and in protecting and assisting victims of trafficking, which affects women, men and children. The lack of labor rights in China confirms that the country for the time being has a left fascist, and not a socialistic system, a spokesperson for ACAME said to AIIS.

08.10.2010. The autonomous Norwegian Nobel Committee ignored warnings from Chinese authorities and announced Friday 08.10.2010 that it was awarding the Nobel Peace Prize for 2010 to the jailed Chinese activist Liu Xiaobo for his long non-violent struggle for human rights in China. The prize will be formally awarded at the traditional Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo on December 10, see The Anarchy of Norway - Chapter IV. D..

10.12.2010. A historic Nobel Peace Prize event. The Anarchist International Information Service (AIIS) summarized the event and sent a press release world wide titled 'Historic report: Nobel Peace Prize 2010 - And the winner is, Liu Xiaobo - Congratulations from the anarchists! Direct action by anarchists (AFIN) against the Chinese Embassy in Oslo!'

Cuba's place on the economic-political map

Castro! Release all political prisoners!

Cuba, with a) a degree of socialism at ca 52 1/4%, i.e. significant (and thus a degree of capitalism at ca 47 3/4%) and b) a degree of autonomy at ca 18% (and thus a degree of statism at ca 82%, i.e. very significant), and c) a libertarian degree of only ca 32,9% and thus an authoritarian degree of ca 67,1%, i.e. more than 666 per thousand authoritarian degree, is located in the state communist sector of the marxist quadrant of the economic-political map. Cuba is ranked as no 65 on the ranking of countries according to libertarian degree, see System theory and economic-political map and Ranking of countries according to libertarian degree.

The Anarchist International supports 1. all libertarian tendencies in Cuba, 2. the fight for less authoritarian degree, 3. doing away with the communist regime, and 4. establishing anarchy.

The AI also regularly receives information from the group Galsic Tribuna Latinoamericana, with address in France, that publishes the Bulletin Cuba Libertaria. At new year 2010 AI received the following e-mail: Adjunta va en archivo pdf esta edición especial del Boletín CUBA libertaria con la "Carta en rechazo a las actuales obstrucciones y prohibiciones de iniciativas sociales y culturales" en CUBA que hemos recibido para su difusión y para la cual recabamos tu apoyo. Saludos libertarios - GALSIC . Click on the link to the following pdf-file for more information: www.anarchy.no/cubalibertaria.pdf .

06.03.2010. Cuban hunger striker 'prepared to die'. A Cuban dissident who has spent nine days on hunger strike says he will starve himself to death unless authorities release political prisoners. Guillermo Fariñas has refused food and water since the death of jailed Cuban political activist Orlando Zapata, late last month. Zapata died after a two and a half month hunger strike. Fariñas, a 48-year old psychologist and journalist, said from his home: "I want to show the world that political assassinations carried out by the state are an everyday occurence in Cuba. I am willing to follow through with this hunger strike to its ultimate consequences - even to my death." There has been both a diplomatic and public condemnation of Cuba's government since Zapata's death.

The Anarchist International, AI, and the Anarchist Confederation of Latin America, ACLA [La Confederación Anarquista de Iberoamérica - A Confederação de Anarquista da América Latina], EU and the USA have called for Cuba to release political prisoners. On Friday around a hundred people joined a rally in front of the Cuban embassy in Mexico. One protestor said: "We have citizens here who are convinced now more than ever that we need to speak up for our Cuban brothers. It's important to show solidarity, to support human rights. We're not just working for a free Cuba but for a free Latin America."

Cuba, as ultra-authoritarian regimes often do, falsely denies it has political prisoners, and claims Zapata was a common criminal, who became a political dissident because of the material support he would receive from abroad. AI & ACLA declare: Castro! Release all political prisoners! For a development toward Libertarian Human Rights and Real Democracy , a bottom - up approach - in Cuba!

05.07.2010. The number of political prisoners in Cuba has fallen from 201 to 167 since the beginning of 2010, the unofficial Cuban Human Rights Commission says. This is almost half the number of political prisoners compared with when Fidel Castro handed over power to his younger brother Raul four years ago. But the commission's head Elizardo Sanchez says the fall reflects a change in the manner of political repression. He says harassment and intimidation are now replacing long prison sentences, according to BBC.

12.07.2010. A few political prisoner released. Cuba last week announced it would release 52 Cuban political prisoners following negotiations with the Vatican and Spain. The move may indicate a small step forward for Cuba, which is being pressed to take greater steps toward democracy by anarchists and others. The 52 prisoners include opposition leaders, journalists and activists who were jailed following a broad crackdown on dissent in 2003 that resulted in lengthy prison terms on treason and other charges. Spain last week said it would accept any of the 52 prisoners who want to live in Spain. The release of a few political prisoners may mainly be seen as a cosmetic trick, AI and ACLA declare, and the authoritarian degree of Cuba is not changed significantly by this move. AI & ACLA repeat: Castro! Release all political prisoners! For a development toward Libertarian Human Rights and Real Democracy , a bottom - up approach - in Cuba! Also stop the harassment and intimidation, and political repression in general.

17.07.2010. News from Fariñas - Euronews reports: One prominent dissident, who is in hospital recovering from a 134 day hunger strike, spoke exclusively to Euronews about his hopes and fears for the future. "The brothers Fidel and Raul Castro are going to stop the changes right here, with the release of these 52 political prisoners of conscience. And we don't want that. We must try to broaden the reforms and that depends on us, the peaceful opposition. It depends on the Cuban people but also on the international media, the governments, parliaments, political organizations all over the world," said Guillermo Fariñas... The Anarchist International, AI, and the Anarchist Confederation of Latin America, ACLA today launch a world wide direct action for a development toward Libertarian Human Rights and Real Democracy , a bottom - up approach - in Cuba!

29.07.2010. Guillermo Fariñas released from hospital. Prominent Cuban dissident Guillermo Fariñas, who recently ended his four-month hunger strike, has been released from hospital. Mr Fariñas began his protest in February to demand the release of imprisoned opposition activists in poor health. He called off his hunger strike earlier this month following the decision by the Cuban government to free 52 dissidents. Doctors said he had been near death. Mr Fariñas said his goal now was to continue writing articles. Doctors said it would take time until Mr Fariñas was fully recovered. AI and ACLA continue the direct action launched 17.07.2010...

02.08.2010. Small economic reform. Cuban President Raul Castro has ruled out large-scale market reforms to revive the communist island's struggling economy. But Mr Castro said the role of the state would be reduced in some areas, with more workers allowed to be self-employed or to set up small businesses. Urgent measures would aim to cut the "overloaded" state payroll, he said. Speaking to Cuba's National Assembly, Mr Castro nonetheless insisted the socialist system was "irrevocable". "This reform is too small, but a little step in the right direction", says a spokesperson for ACLA to AIIS. AI and ACLA continue the direct action launched 17.07.2010...

03.11.2011. Cuba announced a new ownership law that promises to allow citizens and permanent residents to buy and sell real estate — the most significant market-oriented change yet approved by the government of Raúl Castro. The new rules go into effect on Nov. 10, according to Cuba's state-run newspaper. Economists on the island favoring economic liberalization have said the country's other changes — making room for small businesses, and private agriculture — have been limited by lack of internal demand.

Resolution, decided with general consent, by:
The International Anarchist Congress
The 11th Anarchist Biennial 27-28.11.2010
International Congress-Seminar on Anarchism
The AI/IFA network represents more than 50 000 anarchist world wide
To see the Website of the Congress - Click here!
Updated

---

The situation in Kyrgyzstan and the other Central Asian countries

Estimates of the libertarian degree etc. for the six Central Asian countries are found in the following table:

CENTRAL ASIAN COUNTRIES ACCORDING TO LIBERTARIAN DEGREE ETC

The estimates are approximately figures. (c) IIFOR/IJA ISSN 0800-0220, 2007 a.l.
For the ranking of countries according to libertarian degree in general, see Ranking .

All of the Central Asian countries have totalitarian, ultra-authoritarian, systems, with more than 666 per thousand authoritarian degree. All of these countries are significant statist, the degree of autonomy is less than 50%. Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan are also capitalist countries, located in the fascist quadrant of the economic-political map, see System theory and economic-political map , Turkmenistan is a right-fascist country, while Azerbaijan is a left-fascist country. The four other countries are socialist, located in the state-communist sector of the marxist quadrant of the map. Not much have changed since the Soviet era. As a rule of the thumb, a gini-index above 35,0 indicates capitalism. Kazakhstan, the least authoritarian of the countries, has a small anarchist group with a Website in Russia, Almaty Libertaria. The Anarchist International - AI/IFA and the Anarchist Confederation of Asia and the Middle East - ACAME have a small network of subscribers/networkmembers of mainly social-individualist libertarians and some others in Kyrgyzstan and the other Central Asian countries, i.e. sections of AI and ACAME based on the different countries.

Kyrgyzstan had elections late in 2007: Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev's party has won a resounding victory in the country's general elections. But foreign monitors say the poll failed to meet international standards. Mr Bakiyev's Ak Zhol party has won every parliamentary seat, with no other party able to secure the necessary distribution of votes. Opposition groups have accused Mr Bakiyev of a power grab, and a move towards authoritarianism. Mr Bakiyev called the snap election after voters approved plans to revise the constitution in an October referendum. Turnout in the polls was reported at more than 60%, and Mr Bakiyev praised the elections as a "historic day" for the former Soviet nation. But in a statement the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) criticized the polls. "The 16 December parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan failed to meet a number of OSCE commitments," it said."Overall the election represented a missed opportunity and fell short of public expectations."

Pluralism undermined : Mr Bakiyev insists the new system agreed during the referendum - whereby MPs are elected on a party-list basis - will give the people more power and help end two years of upheaval. But the OSCE has criticized the new electoral system on the grounds that it could "defeat the objective of proportional representation and might lead to an endless cycle of elections." The official in charge of the OSCE mission in Kyrgyzstan, Kimmo Kiljunen, said: "Political pluralism, which I have seen develop, is undermined by this missed opportunity". The OSCE was also critical of the role of the media in the election, particularly the state broadcaster, saying it "did not provide adequate and balanced information for voters."

Historic day: Only one other party, Ata Meken, cleared the 5% threshold needed to gain seats in parliament. But while it gained 9.2% of the votes, Ata Meken was unable to reach a requirement to take 0.5% of the vote in each of Kyrgyzstan's seven regions, and its two main cities. The opposition says the poll was hit by irregularities including the stuffing of ballot boxes, bribery and intimidation. Ata-Meken's deputy leader Kubatbek Baibolov accused the government of "flagrant fraud", the French news agency AFP said. Sunday's poll was the first parliamentary vote since 2005, when allegations of a rigged ballot led to mass protests that drove then President Askar Akayev from power and gave Mr Bakiyev the top job. Since then, the country has been hampered by a political stand-off between the president and parliamentary deputies elected during the Akayev era. The BBC's Natalia Antelava says that many people in Kyrgyzstan want an end to continued street protests and government in-fighting. But leaving strong opposition outside the government could prove to be a dubious recipe for stability.

07.04.2010. Chaos, i.e. violent ochlarchy with rivaling oligarchy rules Kyrgyzstan. The government in Kyrgyzstan is struggling to retain power as deadly clashes escalate between police and thousands of protesters. The protesters are angry at rising prices and accuse President Kurmanbek Bakiyev of failing to curb corruption. Spokespersons of the people say they don't believe the opposition leaders will rule in a different way if they come to power. The anarchists declare: "Same shit in new wrapping", and "we are shocked by the reported deaths and injuries that have occurred today in Kyrgyzstan. We urgently appeal for dialogue and calm to avoid further bloodshed!"

08.04.2010. Kyrgyz opposition leaders form interim government backed by the army. An opposition coalition proclaimed a new interim government Thursday in Kyrgyzstan and said it would rule until elections are held in six months. It urged the president to resign. The new interim defense minister said the armed forces have joined the opposition and will not be used against protesters. Opposition leader Roza Otunbayeva, the former foreign minister, said parliament was dissolved and she would head the interim government. The new rulers of this totalitarian, extremist state will probably not move the system significantly in libertarian direction, from the long term structural estimate at ca 29,1 % libertarian degree, i.e. ca 70,9 % authoritarian degree, more than 666 per thousand authoritarian degree. The present dip of the libertarian degree, with chaos and bloodshed, seems however mainly to be over.

Kyrgyz president refuses to resign. A Kyrgyz news agency says President Bakiyev is refusing to resign despite the bloody uprising and the formation of a new opposition government. The news agency 24.kg says Bakiyev sent his statement in an e-mail. The news agency quotes Bakiyev as stating that "I have not relinquished and will not relinquish power." The anarchists repeat: "We urgently appeal for dialogue and calm to avoid further bloodshed!"

The violent chaos is not entirely over, heavy shooting breaks out again in Kyrgyz capital. The president of Kyrgyzstan as mentioned declared from hiding Thursday that he would not surrender to the violent uprising that put the opposition in control of much of the country. Just after he spoke, automatic weapons fire broke out in the capital. It was not clear if Kyrgyz forces controlled by the opposition in Bishkek were battling loyalists of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, or simply firing to deter looters after nightfall. There appeared to be little evidence of armed men loyal to Bakiyev in the capital before dusk. People could hear sustained shooting every few minutes from different directions in Bishkek, along with some single shots. Lights in most buildings including hotels were put out over fears they would attract gunfire.

The opposition has seized vital official buildings in Bishkek and elsewhere and was giving orders to at least some security forces, declaring it controlled four of the nation's seven provinces. Bakiyev, who has fled the northern capital for his stronghold in the south, told a Russian radio station that "I don't admit defeat in any way." But he also said he recognized that "even though I am president, I don't have any real levers of power." 

This mountainous former Soviet republic exploded Wednesday after protesters furious over corruption and soaring utility bills stormed government buildings in Bishkek. Riot police fired straight into crowds. The Health Ministry said at least 74 people were killed and 400 people hospitalized. After hours of clashes the opposition seized vital official buildings in the capital and elsewhere and was giving orders to significant numbers of security forces. Bakiyev was emphatic Thursday that he was still the elected leader of the nation of 5 million people that has been courted by China, Russia and the US for its proximity to Afghanistan and resource-rich neighboring nations. "I do not intend to relinquish power. I see no point," he said, adding that his re-election nine months ago proved he still had popular support.

Since coming to power in 2005 amid street protests known as the "Tulip Revolution", in reality more of a coup d'état than a revolution, Bakiyev had ensured a measure of stability, but the opposition said he did so at the expense of democratic standards while enriching himself and his family. He gave his relatives, including his son, top government and economic posts and faced the same accusations of corruption and cronyism that led to the ouster of his predecessor, Askar Akayev. Even though his security forces fired into crowds of demonstrators a day earlier, killing dozens and wounding hundreds, Bakiyev seemed to rule out further violence. "You think the president elected by the people will take up arms against the people? What nonsense," he said. Asked why he fled Bishkek, he said: "I wouldn't have left, but when they started firing on my windows, it was only by chance that I avoided injury."

Roza Otunbayeva, the former foreign minister and also with a career as a Communist Party official in Kyrgyzstan in SSSR, said the president was in the southern region of Jalal-Abad, the heart of his political stronghold. This raised concerns that Bakiyev could try to secure his own survival by exploiting the country's traditional split between the more urban north and the rural south. People in southern Kyrgyzstan said that the situation there was tense and unstable, and the region had both armed men who appeared to be still supporting Bakiyev along with opposition supporters. The new interim defense minister as mentioned said the armed forces had joined the opposition and will not be used against protesters. "Special forces and the military were used against civilians in Bishkek ... and other places," Ismail Isakov said. "This will not happen in the future."

It's hard to predict what is going to happen because Bakiyev hasn't stepped down. The situation is still tense. Kyrgyzstan, which shares a 533-mile (858-kilometer) border with China, is also a gateway to other energy-rich Central Asian countries where China, Russia and the USA are competing fiercely for dominance. It is a predominantly muslim country, but it has remained secular. In Bishkek, most of the government buildings in the capital, as well as Bakiyev's houses, have been looted or set on fire and two major markets were burned down. A paper portrait of Bakiyev at government headquarters was smeared with red paint. Obscenities about him were spray-painted on buildings nearby. It is clear that if Roza Otunbayeva and her associates take over and rule the country, it is a coup d'état, and not a revolution, i.e. by the people, as opposed to the superiors in rank and/or income! The anarchists repeat: "We urgently appeal for dialogue and calm to avoid further bloodshed!"

09.04.2010. Kyrgyz mourn revolt victims - new unrest overnight. Anarchist resolutions. Thousands of grieving and defiant citizens of Kyrgyzstan are gathering in the capital's main square to mourn victims of this week's protests that left at least 75 people dead and forced the president to flee. New unrest broke out overnight in Bishkek with gunfire throughout the capital city, apparently from clashes between looters and security forces backed by vigilantes. A mourning ceremony for clash victims was planned for later Friday in Ala-Too Square near the government headquarters and security was likely to be heavy amid the intense emotions there.

On Thursday, details emerged of the composition of the interim government, which has been drawn from a broad spectrum of opposition leaders, whose differences in the past have undermined attempts to weaken Bakiyev. One area of consensus was on the decision to repeal sharp increases in heating and electricity bills that provoked widespread anger and helped precipitate this week's violence. Azimbek Beknazarov, a populist taking over a broad justice portfolio, vowed that the incoming authorities would hunt down those responsible for deaths in deadly clashes Wednesday between security forces and protesters. "We are looking for those people that gave the order to open fire on demonstrators," he said. "We must find these criminals, we will not allow anybody to open fire on their own people."

Opposition leaders are moving to solidify their control of the country, but President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has still refused to relinquish power. He has as mentioned fled Bishkek for the south, where he has strong clan support. Roving bands of armed marauders trawled the streets of the capital overnight, despite warnings from the opposition leadership that looters would be shot. Newly appointed security officials warned they would use every means to restore calm. The Anarchist International demands that Libertarian Human Rights are respected. The anarchists as always support the people seen as a class, in contrast to the superiors in rank and/or income, and not the ochlarchs and the rivaling oligarchs, in Kyrgyzstan, and repeat: "We urgently appeal for dialogue and calm to avoid further bloodshed!"

USA's and Russia's bases in Kyrgyzstan. The US military says normal flights had resumed Friday afternoon at its Manas air base in Kyrgyzstan after being halted during the country's violent political unrest. By the evening however military passenger transport flights were temporarily diverted. Manas is a key support center for the international military campaign against the Taleban in Afghanistan, a transit point for troops and refueling spot for warplanes. Some 1,100 troops are stationed there, including contingents from Spain and France, in support of NATO operations in Afghanistan. Kyrgyzstan also hosts a Russian military base and is the only nation where both Cold War foes have bases. Opposition figures in the past have said they wanted the US base, at the international airport serving the capital, to close. But the new top ruler Roza Otunbayeva said the base agreement will be continued at least for the near future. "We have no intentions whatsoever to deal with the American base now. Our priority is the lives of the people who suffered. A top priority is to normalize the situation, to secure peace and stability," she said. The deputy head of the interim government, Almazbek Atambayev, was flying to Moscow on Friday to talk with Russian government officials.

Grieving. Interim government officials in Kyrgyzstan declared Friday and Saturday days of mourning as relatives began burying victims from the deadly clashes. Thousands of grieving, angry mourners flooded Bishkek's main square Friday to honor victims of Kyrgyzstan's protests - with many blaming the country's absent president for ordering troops to fire on those attacking his government. They gathered on the sprawling Ala-Too Square, where protesters were shot dead at an opposition rally as some stormed the main government building in this Central Asian nation. Covering their eyes and folding their hands in prayer, families and friends sobbed for the lives that were lost. The anarchists demand an independent investigation about the killings. The Anarchist International expresses its deepest condolences to all those affected by killings.

New interim ruler will not negotiate with Bakiyev. The health ministry of the ex-Soviet Central Asian nation said Friday that 76 people had died in the violence and more than 1,400 injured. That figure included 67 people injured overnight Thursday and early Friday in clashes between looters and security forces backed by vigilantes. Roza Otunbayeva, the former foreign minister who once backed President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and now is the top ruler of the interim government, visited a Bishkek hospital on Friday and said she and her comrades would not negotiate with Bakiyev, who has fled to the country's south where he has substantial clan support. Bakiyev has still not admitted defeat, and has said "What has taken place is a veritable orgy carried out by armed groups and I do not believe this is a defeat for me." He spoke from southern Jalal-Abad region, where Bakiyev's popularity is said to remain high. The anarchists declare: "We urgently appeal for dialogue, negotiations and calm to avoid further bloodshed!"

Friday evening the situation in Kyrgyzstan is slowly getting back to normal. The self-declared interim government under Roza Otunbayeva is now in control in the north of the country. She said Mr Bakiyev had the opportunity "to leave the country". "We will guarantee his security, only his personal security, if he resigns," Ms Otunbayeva said.

Kyrgyz president 'fears for life'. Mr Bakiyev told the BBC that armed opposition supporters had targeted his office during Wednesday's uprising. Speaking from a secret location in the southern city of Jalalabad, he insisted he was still the legitimate president. The BBC's Richard Galpin says that in order to avoid being followed he was taken in several different vehicles by the ousted president's security guards to Mr Bakiyev's modest new home in Jalalabad. The small city is in southern Kyrgyzstan, Mr Bakiyev's power base. Mr Bakiyev said he feared those responsible for the uprising in the capital on Wednesday were trying to track him down. He said his office in Bishkek had been riddled with bullets on Wednesday in an attempt to kill him and that although he regarded himself as the legitimately elected president, with widespread support, he could not go back.

Still a tense situation. "If I were to turn up in Bishkek today I would not be safe. I would be killed, or they would throw me into the crowd saying, 'this is the man who ordered the police to open fire; he is responsible for the bloodshed'," he said, fearing a lynch-mob. Mr Bakiyev said he would stay in the country to prevent civil war that could erupt because of the deep divide between the north and the south of the country. He also poured scorn on the interim government, saying it was unable to restore law and order. He added that he and his ministers were continuing to work in order to stabilize the country. Mr Bakiyev has offered to talk to the opposition but Ms Otunbayeva says she has no plans to do so and says Mr Bakiyev must resign. She has accused Mr Bakiyev's supporters of continuing to orchestrate "incidents of violence" around the capital. She said "several bombs" had been planted in Bishkek.

The interim government's state coffers are almost empty. The chief of staff of the interim Kyrgyz government accused the president Friday of stealing the country's money when he left. "The state coffers are almost empty," Edil Baisalov told CNN. "Some funds have been transferred somewhere, which is why we've frozen the banking system, because we are anxious that the banks controlled by the former President Bakiev might take the funds out of the country." Baisalov said all that's left in the country's bank accounts is the equivalent of 16 million euros ($21.5 million). At the same time, criminal charges were brought against the two sons of President Bakiev, as well as his brother, who used to be the chief of security, acting Prosecutor-General Baytemir Ibrayev said. It is believed the president's brother gave orders to open fire on the demonstrators, he said.

More anarchist resolutions. The Anarchist International calls for: 1. Libertarian Human Rights, including law and order in general; 2. Dialogue, negotiations and calm to avoid further bloodshed; 3. A movement of the system towards Real Democracy , i.e. in libertarian direction, the basic interest of the people, seen as a class as opposed to the superiors in rank and/or income.

10.04.2010. Tense calm. Security forces, army and police, are in full control in Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek for the first time since this week's uprising. On previous nights, vigilante groups backed by the self-proclaimed new government were on patrol. But, as voluntary youth brigades prepared to take to the streets once again to battle looters, news arrived that their services were no longer needed. Violent armed clashes have killed at least 79 people in Kyrgyzstan, where a third of the population live below the poverty line. More than 1,600 were injured. The death toll from the riots is increasing, because some persons in critical condition die.

With the Central Asian country's future uncertain, the US military has suspended troop flights out of its Manas air base there. Forces will instead be transported to and from Afghanistan via Kuwait. Russia, which also has a military base in Kyrgyzstan, will be watching events closely. Under interim ruler Roza Otunbayeva, the former Soviet republic, at least the part she controls, has moved closer to Moscow. She has as mentioned offered President Kurmanbek Bakiyev safe passage from Kyrgyzstan. Having fled to the south, he says he fears he will be killed if he returns to the capital. Reports say he is to be stripped of his immunity from prosecution. As a struggle for power and influence unfolds inside and outside the battered country's borders, for now a tense calm has descended on Kyrgyzstan.

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke with Kyrgyzstan's interim ruler to convey support from USA. The State Department says Clinton telephoned Roza Otunbayeva on Saturday to offer humanitarian aid and to discuss the need for stability in the region. Clinton also discussed the important role of the US air base in Kyrgyzstan, and Otunbayeva reaffirmed the country would abide by previous agreements to help the US seek stability in nearby Afghanistan. Clinton will send Assistant Secretary Robert Blake to Kyrgyzstan to follow up on the discussion. That US air base is a key element in the international military campaign against the Taleban in Afghanistan.

Stalmate. In the stronghold of Kyrgyzstan's elected president, residents clustered on the streets Saturday, holding intense discussions on whether to follow the figures who claim to be the new government, the self-proclaimed rulers - or not. Some said Kurmanbek Bakiyev did a lot of good for the country and dismissed the complaints of the opposition members who drove him out. Many however appeared weary of the country's turmoil and were willing to support anyone who can bring them a measure of stability and comfort. The violence was the culmination of weeks of discontent over rising prices and allegations of corruption in Kyrgyzstan.

Bakiyev as mentioned fled the capital, Bishkek, on Wednesday after a protest rally against corruption, rising utility bills and deteriorating human rights exploded into gunfire and chaos. Speaking from a secret location in the southern city of Jalalabad, he told the BBC that armed opposition supporters had targeted his office during Wednesday's uprising, and were still trying to track him down. It is so far unclear who shot first, security forces or armed protesters. Perhaps armed protesters shot at Bakiyev and his government first, but it is clear that his security forces shot and killed many protesters. The question of legitimate self defense or not is not answered. The anarchists have called for an independent investigation about the killings. Bakiyev was believed to be in his home in the Jalal-Abad region on Saturday. He has so far made no public sign of capitulation. That stalemate leaves Kyrgyzstan's near-term stability in doubt.

"He built the economy. He built schools, roads and kindergartens. The protesters were just a minority," said Aizat Zupukharova, a health worker in Jalal-Abad to Associated Press. But, she added, "People are afraid to come out." "Bakiyev did some good things, but his family led him astray," said another resident, Sapar Usmonov, referring to widespread allegations that Bakiyev's relatives profited hugely and improperly from his nearly five years in office. Those claims echo those made against Bakiyev's predecessor, Askar Akayev, who was driven out of office in protests in 2005.

Kyrgyzstan's society is strongly clannish, but there are perhaps few overt signs that Bakiyev's fellow southerners would coalesce into support for him against the self-declared opposition interim government even though they think well of him. Jalal-Abad is on the southern side of the soaring mountain massifs that divide Kyrgyzstan into often-rival sections. Usmonov expressed fatigue with such jockeying for power. "It doesn't matter where the president comes from - he just has to be a fitting man," he said.

Across the mountains in the capital, lots of people gathered in one of Kyrgyzstan's most prestigious cemeteries for the burial of some of those who died Wednesday. The self-proclaimed new rulers made the most of the sad event. Interments tacitly conferred national hero status on the dead. "For the sake of the future, for the power of the people, young people gave their lives," Roza Otunbayeva, the top ruler of the self-declared interim government, said at the Ata-Beit cemetery. "The people who came into power five years ago on the wave of revolution turned out to be criminals."

"We won't let Bakiyev come back; the people won't let him back into Bishkek," vowed mourner Mehlis Usubakanov. The memorial site was the scene of a massacre by Soviet forces in the 1930s of Kyrgyz noblemen. According to BBC, in the early hours of Saturday morning, hundreds of cars drove to a memorial site some 20km (12 miles) outside Bishkek for the funerals of 15 of those who died during last week's violence. Thousands of mourners watched as 15 coffins draped in the national flag were carried through the burial ground. Solemn music played as families and friends laid name plates and pictures of the victims. The funerals marked the second day of mourning in the country, where calm appears to have largely returned. Other victims were being buried at private family funerals.

Neither Roza Otunbayeva nor Kurmanbek Bakiyev, but grassroots organizations. The anarchists declare that "power of the people", when "power" and "people" are properly defined, is logically an oxymoron, similar to the "dictatorship of the proletariate", and persons, as Roza Otunbayeva and her comrades, using the phrase, practically certain mean their own power, i.e. over the people. Properly defined 1. economical and/or political/administrative power means domination, ruling - say, measured by the authoritarian degree, and 2. the people are the societal class of persons seen in contrast to the superiors in rank and/or income. It is clear that the people never can have the power, i.e. over others - domination, measured by the authoritarian degree. Maximally the people can reduce the power wholly, so the societal power, the power of the superiors, if any, is zero, the authoritarian degree is zero - no domination. The people can logically not have any power, they may only reduce the societal power of the upper classes more or less. Power is only for the superiors in rank and/or income, it may be from 0 % to 100% authoritarian degree, dependent on the situation.

Thus persons talking about "power of the people" are manipulating and are liers, as Roza Otunbayeva and her comrades. She is probably only supported by a minority of the people, and Bakiyev is also probably only supported by a minority of the people. The anarchists are warning about more chaos, i.e. violent ochlarchy with rivaling oligarchy in Kyrgyzstan. The Anarchist International calls on the people, seen as a class as opposed to the superiors in rank/and or income, to make strong grassroots-organizations, based on workers, farmers and students, and protest without ochlarchy against both the rivaling gangs of oligarchs, with Roza Otunbayeva vs Kurmanbek Bakiyev as top rulers. The grassroots organizations should work for: 1. Libertarian Human Rights , including law and order in general; 2. Dialogue, negotiations and calm to avoid further bloodshed; 3. A movement of the system towards Real Democracy , i.e. in libertarian direction, the basic interest of the people. Neither Roza Otunbayeva nor Kurmanbek Bakiyev deserve the support and backing of the people!

11.04.2010. News after the riots, coup d'état and second day of mourning. The AI reminds about the libertarian resolution, "Neither Roza Otunbayeva nor Kurmanbek Bakiyev, but grassroots organizations", of 10.04.2010!

Death toll of protest actions reaches 81 in Kyrgyzstan. The death toll of protest actions of April 7-8 reached 81, the Public Health Ministry, PHM, said. Two people died of injuries last night in the hospital. 1,651 persons were affected in the protest actions according to PHM. US Chargé d'affaires meets with OSCE special envoy to discuss coordination of activities to restore stability in Kyrgyzstan, the US ambassador said support of economic and democratic development of Kyrgyzstan will be continued, and the US Embassy said it does not provide shelter, asylum seekers should apply to UNHCR. The self-declared interim government's vice chairman Tekebaev meets with OSCE officials. The OSCE has called on the interim authorities to hold talks with president Kurmanbek Bakiyev who fled the capital, Bishkek, on April 7 after the bloody uprising, Interfax reports. Kyrgyzstan's provisional government however expresses it may begin the process of bringing criminal charges against President Kurmanbek Bakiyev soon..

The UN will help the interim government in establishment of law and order in Kyrgyzstan. Its economy in ruins after the riots and coup d'état last week, Kyrgyzstan's self-proclaimed interim government on Sunday awaited news of financial aid from Moscow, following talks with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The deputy head of the interim government, Almazbek Atambayev a.k.a. Atambaev, will tell about the results of his meeting with Vladimir Putin tomorrow. Governor election held in Jalal-Abad. Prosecutor's Office seizes AsiaUniversalBank assets, property. The administration of the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan has vowed that all budget funds remain in the country, Interfax reports. Public utilities tariffs will be revised in nearest time, claims Bishkek acting mayor. The Anarchist International reminds about the libertarian resolution, "Neither Roza Otunbayeva nor Kurmanbek Bakiyev, but grassroots organizations", of 10.04.2010!

Defiant Kyrgyz president vows to fight on. Bakiyev calls for an independent investigation and UN peacekeeping forces to prevent "continuing chaos". Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev told Reuters on Sunday he would not resign and that any attempt to kill him would "drown Kyrgyzstan in blood." He spoke to Reuters on condition his exact location be kept secret. The top ruler of the new interim government, meanwhile, said Bakiyev could be put on trial for responsibility for the killings of at least 81 people during the rebellion against him. The April 7 riots in the Central Asian nation forced Bakiyev to flee to his southern home region, locking him in a standoff with the self-proclaimed government in Bishkek. Speaking in a traditional "yurt" tent in Jalalabad region, Bakiyev, 60, told Reuters he did not recognize the legitimacy of the interim government but was prepared for talks. "I would like to warn those who are now hunting for me: don't be contract killers, because this will only bring huge tragedy to the country," he said. "We will drown [Kyrgyzstan] in blood if they opt for physical elimination. If they use force, then those people surrounding me will not let it happen, and this will mean bloodshed."

A mountainous muslim nation bordering China, Kyrgyzstan's $4.7 billion economy has attracted little foreign investment since winning independence from the Soviet Union, but the United States and Russia are jostling for influence in Central Asia. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as mentioned spoke by phone on Saturday with the interim government's top ruler Roza Otunbayeva, in the first high-level US contact with the new rulers. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was the first world leader to recognize Otunbayeva's authority, holding a phone conversation just hours after the opposition took power. Once a key Bakiyev ally who helped propel him to power in the earlier coup d'état in 2005, Otunbayeva told Reuters in an interview she would not use force against Bakiyev but spoke of arresting him to put him on trial for the deaths. "Bakiyev has to understand that he is stuck in a deadlock," Otunbayeva said on Sunday. "When he is arrested then ... it will be possible to carry out an investigation and question him within the framework of law." She added: "What he did calls for a serious trial." Otunbayeva has also accused Bakiyev's supporters of stoking violence in the aftermath of the uprising.

Violence - self defense? The self-proclaimed government has said Russia is its key ally and some leading ministers have said the US lease on its base could be shortened, raising speculation that Moscow could try to use the base as a lever in relations with Washington. Pentagon officials say the Manas air base is key to the war against the Taleban, allowing round-the-clock flights in and out of Afghanistan. Some 50,000 troops passed through it last month. As mentioned, in the call with Clinton, Otunbayeva pledged to honor agreements on the Manas base.

During the night of April 7-8, troops loyal to Bakiyev shot into crowds of thousands of protesters besieging the Kyrgyz presidential White House, killing dozens. Many protesters, armed with weapons seized from Bakiyev's security forces, fought back, and witnesses said some people may have been killed in the ensuing crossfire. Bakiyev said he had not ordered the shootings of protesters and that his troops had retaliated immediately after a sniper shot at him in his office in the presidential White House. "I only stayed alive by lucky accident. I stood up from my usual place and went to a separate room to stretch my legs when two shots were fired. The sniper specifically targeted me. "He shot at my windows and I was only saved because the blinds were shut. If there had been no blinds on the windows and visibility had been better, then I would be no more," he said. "When there is an armed attack on a facility under the protection of the state guard, the state guard is not waiting for any orders. They just take to arms and shoot."

"I have not fled [the country] because, first of all, I do not feel any guilt," he said. He added, however, that he felt regret as president for being unable to prevent the deaths. "I invite an independent, international commission to investigate these tragic events of April 7-8, because there cannot be any trust in all these investigative bodies that have launched criminal proceedings against me," Bakiyev told Reuters, suggesting the independent commission could perhaps be chaired by the United Nations or the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. "If this international commission were to find the president guilty, I am prepared to bear full responsibility before my nation," he said. Bakiyev accused the new leadership of trying to discredit him, but said they were both "duty-bound" to negotiate. "They have smeared me with dirt from head to toe," he said. "I am ready to lead negotiations with Otunbayeva about what they are ready to propose, about what they want to do next, because this just cannot continue like this any more."

Bakiyev said UN peacekeeping forces were necessary to prevent "continuing chaos" in Kyrgyzstan. "Criminal structures [mafia] have jumped out of the shadows. They are starting openly to roam around with weapons in their hands and the redistribution of property is again taking place, as well as the seizure of private businesses," he said. "The provisional government is unable to put an end to all of this." Bakiyev said he was convinced outside forces orchestrated the uprising. He declined to identify who he thought was behind it, saying he enjoyed good relations with China, the United States and Russia. "I can tell you with all certainty that an external force was involved in this," he said. "A very experienced hand and a well-organized structure that can do things like this acted." Outside Bakiyev's yurt, young men in civilian clothes patrolled with pistols and Kalashnikov rifles. Asked whether he would resign, he answered firmly: "No."

But Otunbayeva warned that her government could not vouch for Bakiyev's security against those seeking revenge. "To be honest we can hardly restrain those who are ready to rush there [to Bakiyev's stronghold] with rifles," she said. "Everyone among those killed has relatives and friends. There are people who want revenge. It's a very sensitive situation. You must understand that we won't be able guarantee his security ourselves."

12.04.2010. More than 2000 supporters rallied behind Bakiyev. New rally tomorrow! The Anarchist International and the Anarchist International Embassy recognize neither Bakiyev's nor Otunbayeva's governments.

More than 2000 supporters rallied behind Bakiyev. Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev emerged from five days of hiding on Monday to address a crowd of followers in his southern stronghold, and warned of bloodshed if the new government tried to arrest him. It was Bakiyev's first public appearance since he fled the capital on April 7 as opposition protesters seized control in the face of security forces who fired into the crowds, killing dozens. Bakiyev struck a defiant tone as he spoke to least 2,000 supporters at a rally in his home village of Teyyit, saying his opponents in the capital were out for blood and calling on followers to join rallies across the south. "I am the president and no one can depose me," Bakiyev told the rally in a 25-minute speech that was interrupted by chants of "Bakiyev, Bakiyev, Bakiyev" and loud applause.

"I appeal to all of you who gathered here, to those who travelled from the regions, please convey all of my words to locals and please tell them I am here in Kyrgyzstan, that I have not fled anywhere," Bakiyev said. During the turmoil, which has opened up the spectre of conflict in an impoverished Central Asian country where the United States operates an air base, Bakiyev fled to his stronghold in the southern region of Jalalabad. When asked by reporters about a special operation that the interim government said it planned against him, Bakiyev warned that it would end in bloodshed. "Let them try to seize me. Let them try to kill me," he said outside his family tent, or yurt. "I believe this will lead to such a great deal of bloodshed, which no one will be able to justify."

New rally tomorrow! "Tomorrow we plan to hold a rally in the central square of Jalalabad where I will be meeting my people," he told supporters to rapturous applause. Bakiyev, who was guarded by about a dozen armed men, spoke in Kyrgyz on a podium under a green tarpaulin and was watched by locals including bearded village elders. He said rallies would be held across the southerly regions of Osh, Jalalabad and Batken. Traditional plov -- spiced rice with meat -- was handed out to supporters. "My main goal is to stay with my nation. If you support me, I will continue working," he said. "I turn to those leaders who have not yet been replaced. Hold on. You are the legitimate authorities."

Supporters said people from the south would rally. "Kyrgyzstan's south is entirely for Bakiyev. He worked well and honestly and he will improve Kyrgyzstan," said Meder, an 18-year-old finance student in Teyyit. Bakiyev has denied ordering riot police and troops to shoot into crowds of opposition protesters and says he was nearly killed several times on April 7 by a sniper and by protesters who attacked his car as he fled the government compound. "The opposition is out for blood because their rallies and pickets have failed to topple me. I was saved by my armour-plated car. Otherwise I could have been killed," he said. He said that he had been forced to disband some of his guards because of threats against their families, but that he was still surrounded by a core of loyalists. "I do not intend to step down merely at the whim of this gang of bandits," he said. "I am still surrounded by armed people, but when these tragic events are over, they will turn in their weapons."

Force against Bakiyev? The self-proclaimed interim government raised the specter of using force against Bakiyev but also hinted at a way out of the deadlock by offering him a way to leave the country. "We are preparing a special operation [against Bakiyev]," Almaz Atambayev, the first deputy leader of the interim government, told reporters in Bishkek. We hope we can carry it out without the deaths of civilians." Later, Roza Otunbayeva, the top ruler of the interim government, said Bakiyev must leave the country, a move that would help cool the turmoil and pave the way for the formal recognition of her government by global powers. "Everyone is calling on him to leave the Kyrgyz people alone, for Bakiyev to find himself a place outside Kyrgyzstan," she said. "Bakiyev has certainly raised the question - 'what will I get in exchange?'... We are working on the question right now to a certain extent." Atambayev accused Mr Bakiyev of "hiding behind a human shield" in his home region in the south of the country, BBC reported.

Specter of conflicts. The interim government has said Russia is its key ally and some leading ministers have said the US lease on its air base could be shortened. The transit of troops to and from Afghanistan through the air base, halted earlier due to the political upheaval, has resumed, said the US embassy in a statement. It added it had no plans to shelter Bakiyev or help him leave Kyrgyzstan. The United States is sending a senior diplomat to Bishkek on Wednesday and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as mentioend spoke to interim leader Otunbayeva on Saturday. But Washington, which previously supported Bakiyev, has been slow to court the new self-declared government.

Both sides,  Bakiyev  and Otunbayeva, have said they want to avoid civil war in a country traditionally divided between north and south along clan lines. The south, densely populated and agrarian, is also ridden by centuries-old ethnic tensions between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz. Major powers have called for calm in the muslim nation of 5.3 million. One of the poorest ex-Soviet countries, it has also seen a rise in radical islamism in past years. From Teyyit outside the southern city of Jalalabad, Bakiyev said that he had spoken to an envoy from the United Nations to ask for peacekeepers to be sent to Kyrgyzstan to prevent an escalation of the situation.

Bakiyev, who in 2005 became the first Kyrgyz leader from the south of the country since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union, has refused to resign, though Russia has recognized the interim government's authority. He said he had not spoken to world leaders because they did not know his exact whereabouts and thus were unable to contact him. He said he was still open to speak to those who ran the country, though he branded them "bandits." "I am the president and no one can depose me," Bakiyev told supporters on Monday in a 25-minute speech which was interrupted by chants of "Bakiyev, Bakiyev, Bakiyev" and loud applause.

Bakiyev, who was guarded by about a dozen armed men, spoke on a podium under a green tarpaulin and was watched by locals including bearded village elders. Bakiyev has denied giving the order to riot police and troops to shoot repeatedly into the crowds of opposition protesters who gathered to demand his resignation. The indiscriminate shooting and the uprising in Bishkek could shift the balance of great power rivalries in Central Asia, which holds vast reserves of gas and lies between China, Afghanistan and the Caspian Sea. Kyrgyzstan's interim government said that Russia had pledged to provide financial aid to the new leadership. "We reached agreement on a solid grant," said Atambayev, who visited Moscow at the end of last week. He said that more than $150 million in aid had been requested. "Kyrgyzstan, for Russia, is a brother country."

US Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake is to travel to Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday for talks including the base status. Atambayev, echoing previous statements by interim government leader Roza Otunbayeva, said the base's status will be discussed with the United States and "we shall decide everything in a civilized way." Many Kyrgyz oppose the base and Atambayev expressed deep ambivalence. "This base is our common cause to provide stability in Afghanistan," he said. But then he launched into criticism of the United States for allegedly cutting deals with Bakiyev's family for contracts at the base. Alleged corruption by members of the Bakiyev family, including enriching themselves through fuel contracts for the base, was one of the top issues that brought out protesters last week. "While trying to preserve the base, you lost the respect of the people," Atambayev said of the United States.

The Anarchist International and the Anarchist International Embassy recognize neither Bakiyev's nor Otunbayeva's governments, and reminds about the libertarian resolution "Neither Roza Otunbayeva nor Kurmanbek Bakiyev, but grassroots organizations", of 10.04.2010!

Initiated criminal proceedings. Kyrgyzstan's self-declared interim government has as indicated above initiated criminal proceedings against the presidents's brother Zhanybek Bakiyev and his two sons, Marat, and Maxim, on charges of illegal use of firearms and the killing of two or more people. Zhanybek Bakiyev denied the charges saying his subordinates fired only at armed rioters who stormed the government buildings and attacked law enforcement officers. "I ordered my men to open fire only on those who carried weapons. My conscience is clear. I radioed orders to shoot those who were running with weapons because they were shooting at us," he said. "Shots were fired at the president's office and we were protecting him... If a person steps over the line, he becomes a target; everyone knows this very well," Bakiyev said, adding that he was willing to face a fair investigation by an independent international commission. The International Anarchist Tribunal doubts these criminal proceedings will be fair.

13.04.2010. Rivaling oligarchy with ochlarchy: Bakiyev said the Otunbayeva-government is "bandits", Otumbayeva said the Bakiyev-government is "criminals". Both are right. The Otunbayeva-government tells Bakiyev: surrender...

Kyrgyzstan's self-declared new rulers on Tuesday gave President Kurmanbek Bakiyev until the end of the day to surrender, threatening otherwise to launch a special operation against his stronghold in the south. Bakiyev as mentioned fled to the Jalalabad region of the mountainous Central Asian state from the capital Bishek after violent clashes with protesters on April 7. Bakiyev, who swept to power five years ago in the so called "Tulip Revolution", in reality a coup d'état and not a revolution, that ousted the country's first post-Soviet ruler Askar Akayev, warned the self-proclaimed interim government that any attempt to detain him would result in bloodshed.

"We have abolished his presidential immunity... We expect him to show up voluntarily [to resign formally]. But he continues rallying with his supporters in Jalalabad," said Azimbek Beknazarov, the interim minister in charge of security. At least 82 people died and hundreds more were wounded after the firing on April 7. Bakiyev has been mustering supporters in the south and has brushed aside demands from the interim government to resign or leave the country and led a rally in the city of Jalalabad on Tuesday. Around 3,000 supporters gathered, waving banners and shouting "Down with the bloody interim government." There were no signs of heavy security, with Bakiyev guarded only by a handful of security personnel dressed in dark sportswear and armed with AK-47 rifles. The new security minister said he should surrender. "We have opened a criminal case against the former president. If he does not show up today after the rally we will hold an operation to detain him," Beknazarov said.

The drama of the standoff in Kyrgyzstan, an impoverished nation of 5.3 million people, is important to the United States because of the Manas air base which it rents to support the war in Afghanistan. The United States says the interim government has pledged to abide by its agreements on Manas, the last remaining US military base in Central Asia after Uzbekistan evicted the United States from a base in 2005. US Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake will visit Bishkek this week to meet with the interim government, the highest level US visit since Bakiyev fled the capital. Blake said there were no plans to meet with Bakiyev and stressed the dispute must be resolved constitutionally.

He added that the United States was not yet formally recognizing the self-proclaimed government. But a US military official said in Washington that Manas would not be used as a hub for sending troops into Afghanistan in the near term, citing the need to free it up for possible humanitarian aid or other logistical purposes. In his first public appearance since he fled the capital during the rebellion, Bakiyev told thousands of supporters on Monday that any attempt to kill him would result in bloodshed. "I believe this will lead to such a great deal of bloodshed which no one will be able to justify," he said. "Let them try to seize me. Let them try to kill me."

Bakiyev has said the Otunbayeva-government is "bandits", Otumbayeva has said the Bakiyev-government is "criminals", recently. Both are right. The anarchists as always support the people, seen as a class as opposed to the superiors in rank and/or income, and a) call for a velvet revolution in libertarian direction, b) based on grassroots-organizations in Kyrgyzstan, c) via mass-demonstrations and/or a referendum about the system. Do away with the rivaling oligarchy with ochlarchy (mob rule broadly defined)! Remove all the top rulers, criminals and bandits, of the rivaling oligarchy, and replace them with a confederal council, from the grassroots and upwards.

Kyrgyzstan's president will go if security guaranteed. The Kyrgyz president says he will resign if the interim authorities guarantee security for him and his family. The country's security service head says he's ready to make such a promise. The statements Tuesday could point to a resolution of the tensions that have gripped the strategically significant Central Asian country for the past week since President Kurmanbek Bakiyev fled the capital during a bloody uprising. Bakiyev told a news conference Tuesday in the southern village where he took refuge he would step down if security was guaranteed for him and close relatives. The head of the security service of the interim government, Keneshbek Duishebayev, says, "we are ready to guarantee security to him and his family."

Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who fled the capital amid bloody protests last week, made the statement hours after holding a rally with about 3-5,000 supporters that seemed aimed at gauging his ability to resist the self-declared provisional government. Later, at a news conference in his home village of Teyit, he said "I will go into retirement if security is guaranteed for me and my relatives." Although the crowd of supporters that greeted Bakiyev on Tuesday was highly emotional, there have been persistent doubts about how much backing he has and whether he commanded enough loyalty in the security forces to mount serious resistance. In turn, Bakiyev appeared unwilling to push the stalemate into new violence, warning his supporters that "the whole world is watching us."

The bloodshed in Bishkek last week, in which at least 83 people died after a protest in the capital exploded into gunfire and chaos, severely stained Kyrgyzstan's world prestige, which already had declined under Bakiyev as pressure grew against independent news media and opposition activists. Azimbek [a.k.a. Azymbek] Beknazarov also said Tuesday that his government has ordered Bakiyev stripped of the usual presidential immunity. He also said the country's constitutional court has been suspended because of unspecified violations and that the chairman of the Supreme Court had been dismissed. The tensions in the impoverished, strategically important former Soviet Central Asian country worry the United States and Russia, both of which have military bases in Kyrgyzstan.

US: No troops flights for now through Kyrgyzstan. The US military does not know when troop flights vital to the war in Afghanistan will resume through a key Central Asian air base after being suspended last week because of a political revolt in Kyrgyzstan, a US Central Command spokesman said Tuesday . Major John Redfield, a spokesman for the Florida-based command center in charge of US military operations in Afghanistan, said the troop transport flights were temporarily suspended last week at the air base, known as the Transit Center at Manas.

Redfield told Associated Press that flights were suspended last Wednesday when the civilian airport - which the US base shares space with - was shut down by Kyrgyz officials for 12 hours. As indicated above some flights resumed briefly Friday during a "short period when things were back to normal," Redfield said, but then were suspended again the same day. Also, a few hundred troops were flown back to the US Monday after being stuck at Manas by the shutdown, Redfield said. Other than that, flights to and from Afghanistan remain indefinitely suspended. "When they will resume, I don't know yet," said Redfield. "It will continue to be reevaluated constantly." Kyrgyzstan's interim leader, Roza Otunbayeva, told Associated Press on Tuesday that her government will extend the lease allowing the US to use Manas after the current one-year deal expires in July. "It will be automatically extended for the next year," she said.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was the first foreign leader to call Otunbayeva after her appointment as the interim leader and offer help, prompting speculation that Moscow was jockeying for greater clout in Kyrgyzstan at the US expense. Otunbayeva said Tuesday that she expects the US to wrap up its campaign in Afghanistan, which would remove the rationale for the US base, but added that "it's not an issue yet." She said that her government would look at the contracts for supplying fuel to the US base, but wouldn't immediately say that they would seek their revision. The opposition has alleged that Bakiyev's entourage has profited from those contracts.

The bandits in the self-declared new government cheating on the criminals of the elected old government? Kyrgyzstan's president Bakiyev said Tuesday he would resign if his safety and that of his family was guaranteed - a guarantee the country's interim leader told Associate Press in an exclusive interview she would give, but only for him, and only if he left the country. This is less than what the new security boss Keneshbek Duishebayev promised earlier Tuesday. In the interview with AP, Otunbayeva said her government is offering security guarantees for deposed President Kurmanbek Bakiyev if he steps down and leaves the country, but she declined to offer immunity to his family. "We will provide security guarantees which he's entitled to under the constitution," she said, dodging a question about guarantees for the president's family. The opposition figures who formed a self-declared interim government after Bakiyev fled the capital had previously offered him safe passage out of the country, but Bakiyev has shown no intention of leaving Kyrgyzstan and there are doubts about whether any country would accept him.

When asked specifically Tuesday about Bakiyev's brother and son, the security chief in the interim government, Keneshbek Duishebayev, declined comment. Those men are among the Bakiyev relatives most often accused of reaping massive wealth through improper channels; complaints about corruption were a prime issue in the events that drove Bakiyev out of the capital. Otunbayeva indicated that her government's patience with Bakiyev is running out. "His stay in Kyrgyzstan is posing a problem for the nation's future," she told the AP. "It's becoming increasingly difficult to guarantee his security as people are demanding to bring him to justice." Asked where Bakiyev might go, she said she didn't know but then added that Bakiyev would probably like to join his sons, who are currently in Latvia.

No response from the self-declared interim government late at night. Kyrgyzstan's elected President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has as mentioned said he will be willing to step down in return for security guarantees for him and his family. According to BBC the interim government has yet to give a response to his offer. Its leaders held a late-night meeting in Bishkek, the capital, but made no announcement.

14.04.2010. More rivaling oligarchy with ochlarchy? Otunbayeva: Kyrgyz president 'must stand trial'. The top ruler of the new self-declared government of Kyrgyzstan has expressed that the elected President Kurmanbek Bakiyev should stand trial over the recent deadly political unrest. Roza Otunbayeva said Mr Bakiyev had "blood on his hands" and had missed his chance to leave the country. Mr Bakiyev, currently in the south of the country, as mentioned had said he was willing to resign if his safety was guaranteed. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned Kyrgyzstan is "on the brink of civil war".

Ms Otunbayeva was speaking after talks in the capital, Bishkek, with US Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake. "Bakiyev has exceeded the limits of his immunity by spilling blood and now he must be brought to trial and answer before the law," she said. Mr Blake is the most senior US official to visit Kyrgyzstan since the fighting on 7 April. He told reporters he felt "optimistic" about the steps the interim government was taking and offered US assistance. On Tuesday as indicated above, Mr Bakiyev said he would consider resigning if the self-declared interim government could put an end to unrest in the country and guarantee the safety of him and his family. But the new administration in Bishkek has yet to give a clear response.

'Second Afghanistan'. Its leaders held a late-night meeting in Bishkek but made no announcement afterwards. Mr Medvedev has warned that Kyrgyzstan is "on the brink of civil war" and in danger of becoming a "second Afghanistan". Speaking to a think tank in Washington, he said: "Some political leaders will have to make a decision about their fate." He did not elaborate, but correspondents say the Kremlin has been quick to offer assistance to Ms Otunbayeva since she became interim leader. Mr Bakiyev is currently in his home town of Jalalabad in the south of the country, where he has been trying to unite support. The BBC's Rayhan Demytrie in Jalalabad says Mr Medvedev's statement is strong but that while the situation in the city is tense, it does not appear war-like. The self-appointed interim government planned a large rally in Jalalabad to demonstrate it has support in the south as well as the capital. But there appear to be many Bakiyev supporters in the crowd of about 1,000, says BBC's correspondent.

Reuters reports: At an anti-Bakiyev rally in Jalalabad's central square on Wednesday that had been advertised on national television, several women grabbed the microphone and shouted pro-Bakiyev slogans, denying the local Uzbek leader the chance to speak. Support for the ethnic Kyrgyz Bakiyev is not necessarily split along ethnic lines, but the incident carried uncomfortable echoes in an area that has been a cauldron of ethnic and tribal tension in the past. About 2,000 ethnic Uzbeks made up the bulk of those protesting against Bakiyev. They did not resist being sidelined by the 1,000 or so Bakiyev supporters, and local Uzbek leader Kadyrzhan Batyrov, who had expected to address the crowds, left the scene quietly.

Uzbeks comprise 14.5 percent of Kyrgyzstan's population, although the proportion is nearer 40 percent in Jalalabad region and at least 50 percent in the neighboring region of Osh. Uzbek leader Batyrov told Reuters on Sunday that local people wanted peace, and that he doubted Bakiyev's supporters could stage a rebellion. Bakiyev himself planned to attend a rally in the city of Osh on Thursday, said his brother and security chief, Dzhanibek Bakiyev. "We have enough forces to defend ourselves and the president," he told Reuters. "I am still officially the head of the presidential guard."

Umar Satkankulov, a 45-year-old handyman of Kyrgyz origin, said he and many others were undecided on whether to support Bakiyev or the interim government, led by Roza Otunbayeva, which has assumed power in the capital, Bishkek. "In Jalalabad everyone is for peace, but we are still thinking about whom we should trust. Everyone appears to be doing everything the wrong way," said Satkankulov. Satybayev, an out-of-work dentist, earning his living doing odd jobs, said the interim government's biggest mistake had been allowing Bakiyev time to settle in Jalalabad region. "They should have arrested him on the very first day, sent 200 protesters from Bishkek, and that would've been all. But he has now been allowed to dig in at his family home," he said.

Human rights activists: Kyrgyz president ready to cede power. Kyrgyzstan's deposed President Kurmanbek Bakiyev is ready for a peaceful handover of power as long as his safety is guaranteed, a group of human rights activists said on Wednesday after meeting him. Aziza Abdirasulova, a rights campaigner who flew to meet Bakiyev in his village in the south as part of a delegation, said he looked exhausted and ready for compromise. "He looked depressed. He had a tragic feel about him. He looked tired," she said by telephone from Jalalabad region. "He understands how tragic the situation is, that he has no right to remain president. He said: 'I will not cling to the presidential seat'. "He expressed readiness to meet [interim top ruler Roza] Otunbayeva and discuss how to bring the situation back into the legal framework, to hand over his power and add legitimacy to the new government."

At least 84 people died in the violence last week when troops opened fire on protesters in the capital Bishkek. Bakiyev fled to the Jalalabad region on April 7 in the ensuing chaos. The provisional government says he must step down and stand trial for the killings. Bakiyev so far has been defiant but there have been signs he may be ready to give in. He has hinted he might leave the country if the government guaranteed his and his family's safety, in remarks made after the new rulers threatened to send forces to arrest him. The human rights delegation, comprised of local representatives, is there to discuss ways to set up an independent commission to investigate the events of April 7. Tolekan Ismailova, another activist who met Bakiyev as part of the delegation, confirmed his loss of defiance. "He understands he is not president any more," she told Reuters from the region. "He is ready to sign documents to legitimize the [new] government. ... He said: 'I need security, and a fair investigation, but not lynching'." The anarchists back grassroots organizations, as rights groups etc.

Associated Press reports: Kyrgyz opposition says it may talk with president. The head of the [self-declared] provisional authorities in Kyrgyzstan said Wednesday that talks could be held with the deposed president, backing off previous rejection of the idea. Although Roza Otunbayeva did not specify what could be discussed, such talks would likely focus on terms for President Kurmanbek Bakiyev's resignation. Bakiyev claims he's still the legitimate ruler, but would be willing to resign in exchange for security guarantees for him and close relatives. Bakiyev, who has taken refuge in his home village far from the capital Bishkek, has repeatedly offered to engage in talks, but the interim government had refused.

Asked about the prospect of talks after meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake, Otunbayeva said "We will see. We would have to determine a format for such a meeting." Blake's visit to meet with the interim authorities underlined Washington's strong concern about stability in Kyrgyzstan, where the United States [as mentioned] has an air base that is key to military operations against the Taleban in Afghanistan. There has been little violence in Kyrgyzstan since the uprising and some subsequent clashes between looters and security forces. Both sides appear to be maneuvering for advantage without setting off new bloodshed, but tensions and defiance are rising amid the stalemate.

The acting vice-premier on Tuesday had warned that special forces would mount an operation to arrest Bakiyev if he did not return to the capital. One of Bakiyev's brothers, Akhmat, told The Associated Press in the family stronghold village of Teyit on Wednesday that "we are in full combat readiness ... If they shoot, I'll start shooting." The head of a civil-society group that visited the deposed president on Wednesday warned against any force to seize him. "Bakiyev has armed his guards with military weapons. This means that in a special operation there could be victims from the side of Bakiyev's supporters, the security structures and peaceful citizens," Aziza Abdrasulova told the AP by telephone.

Among the most difficult issues in a possible Bakiyev resignation are whether he would stay in the country. Bakiyev has shown no inclination to leave, and there are no obvious countries for him to go to for asylum. But the [self-declared] interim authorities have ordered him stripped of presidential immunity. "If he is in our hands, we will take him to court," Otunbayeva said. She also said security guarantees for his family members would be "impossible." One of Bakiyev's brothers, Zhanybek, was [and formally still is] head of the state security guard service and is accused by the opposition of ordering his men to open fire on peaceful protesters. "I don't consider myself guilty of what happened. I say as a lawyer that all my actions were lawful," Zhanybek Bakiyev told AP. The anarchists repeat that they back grassroots organizations, as rights groups, civil-society groups, etc. in Kyrgyzstan.

The United States offered help to Kyrgyzstan's new self-declared rulers, and Russia pledged $50 million to replenish empty state coffers of the self-appointed interim government on Wednesday in a show of support that put pressure on President Kurmanbek Bakiyev.

Brown Card to Asel Otorbaeva and Kyrgyz news agency "24.kg", that report about mob rule broadly defined - ochlarchy - in Kyrgyzstan, and falsely call it "anarchy":

"Anarchy – mother of disorders. 12/13.04.2010. Six days Kyrgyzstan is fluctuated feverishly. Outskirts acres of Bishkek had been usurped boisterously and joyfully. If yesterday new inhabitants of the most democratic county in the world marked their future acres by cobblestones then now in spite of heavy rain they are settling tents. Helpless policemen standing at roadside stare at beauties of the new life. Situation in the other regions of the country is optimistic as well. Brisk redistribution of portfolios is made in the old and new bodies of local governing and administrations. Funny things are occurring. The press receives within several minutes interval press-realizes on behalf of old and just appointed heads.

Shootouts are continuing in the country. There are killed. But they are not heroes and it is incomprehensible who they are. It is unclear because the new power does not pay attention on that and waves away the mass media. At the same time alarming information about numerous usurpations has come. The interim government denies its belonging to that as it works by the sweat of brow. They are holding press-conferences and assure that everything is under the control, including acre's usurpation, post's redistribution and even budget of Kyrgyzstan. Nevertheless journalists complain on the catastrophic lack of information. The interim government promises to strength work in this direction. Then journalists asked the interim government to substantiate their resolutions because nine of tenths approved usually causes bewilderment.

Journalists ask the interim government to say clearly and loudly to WHOM they can refer to avoid disclaimers. Otherwise someone says about starting negotiations with Kurmanbek Bakiev while others refute that. The third promises to prison the president of the country while fourth guarantees him safety. It is time for the interim government to think and come to the common opinion. Dears! Earnest request to tell the press and the international community as soon as possible WHEN and WHOW you are intending to legitimize your current state. Deflect your attention from important issues of the new country's development and look what is happening under your nose! Otherwise tomorrow (with such paces) you (and we - thanking to you) will have no country you are starting to govern. It is needed to admit you are starting absurdly consequently anarchy – mother of disorders is ruling Kyrgyzstan. 30 minutes ago near hotel "Dostuk" strangers shot the car "Mazda" without any fear and conspiracy. The man was killed. He is lying down till now. Surely this horrible crime is not concern of the interim government. It is working after all."

Chaos, disorder, mob rule (narrowly defined), lawlessness, the law of the jungle, criminality, riots, vandalism, arson, theft, corruption, drugs, mafia, terrorism, autocratic rule, the right to the strongest, antisocial tyrannic behavior, etc. i.e. different types of superiors and subordinates, a top - down approach, and thus not anarchy - a bottom up approach. The Greek rooted word for mob rule is ochlarchy. Ochlarchy is also used as a common word for all the authoritarian evils mentioned above i.e. mob rule broadly defined. Ochlarchy is clearly authoritarian, a top down approach - the opposite of anarchy, a bottom up approach - optimal order included.

To mix up opposites as anarchy and ochlarchy,  as outdated dictionaries and media often do, this time Asel Otorbaeva and Kyrgyz news agency "24.kg", is equally authoritarian as mixing up opposites as peace and war, as Big Brother did in Orwell's "1984" newspeak. It should be stopped, and the IAT-APT in such cases hands out a Brown Card, as free criticism of this authoritarian tendency, this time to Asel Otorbaeva and Kyrgyz news agency "24.kg". The Anarchist International, AI, and the International Anarchist Tribunal included the Anarchist Press Tribunal, IAT-APT, call on the international newsmedia and mandated persons to report fairly and objectively, and not with authoritarian newspeak, about anarchy, anarchism, anarchist and anarchists. More information about the Brown Card and anarchy vs chaos/ochlarchy, see the Oslo Convention and search for anarchy vs chaos at Anarchy-debate - Anarkidebatt . The IAT-APT homepage: Tribunal .

15.04.2010. Kyrgyzstan's elected president, the criminal, flies to Kazakhstan, the self-declared new government, the bandits, now rules mostly alone. Now the system is oligarchy with ochlarchy, not rivaling oligarchy. Anarchist resolution. The deposed president of Kyrgyzstan left the country Thursday for neighboring Kazakhstan, just hours after gunfire erupted at a rally where he was speaking to supporters. President Kurmanbek Bakiyev's motorcade pulled up to the airport in southern Jalal-Abad before a plane was seen taking off, witnesses said. Bakiyev flew to the neighboring Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said, calling it an "important step toward stabilization of situation," according to a statement on its Web site.

Earlier Thursday, Bakiyev himself had told the Associated Press he had met with a representative of the interim government controlling the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek and insisted further talks be held on neutral territory, suggesting Kazakhstan. The provisional government has urged him to leave Kyrgyzstan, warning he would be prosecuted if he did not. Gunfire broke out earlier Thursday at a rally in the southern city of Osh, where Bakiyev was trying to marshal support among those in his clan power base. Witnesses said the shots came from his bodyguards who may have been frightened by a group of approaching Bakiyev opponents. Although there were no reports of injuries, the gunfire underlined the tensions that persist in the second week of the crisis in the ex-Soviet Central Asian country.

The Anarchist International, the Anarchist International Embassy and the International Anarchist Tribunal declare: The elected president Bakiev, the criminal, has fled from Kyrgyzstan to Kazakhstan, the self-declared new government, the bandits, now rules mostly alone. Now the system is oligarchy with ochlarchy, not rivaling oligarchy. The new rulers of this totalitarian, extremist state, the bandits, will probably not move the system significantly in libertarian direction, from the long term structural estimate at ca 29,1 % libertarian degree, i.e. ca 70,9 % authoritarian degree, more than 666 per thousand authoritarian degree. The present dip of the libertarian degree, with chaos and bloodshed, seems however mainly to be over. It will probably soon be "business as usual" in Kyrgyzstan, and that will not be much in the interest of the people, seen as a class as opposed to the superiors in rank and/or income... The anarchists will however continue to support the people in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia in general, and world wide! Unite and fight! Among others the international anarchists will keep an eye on Kyrgyzstan, the new self-appointed oligarchy with Roza Otunbayeva as top ruler, is not operating in vacuum...

PS. A member of Kyrgyzstan's self-declared interim government says it has ordered the arrest of the brothers of the ex-president, who has stepped down. Almambek Shykmamotov said Thursday that a special operation is under way in southern Kyrgyzstan to apprehend Kurmanbek Bakiyev's brothers. He says that Bakiyev left the country for neighboring Kazakhstan Thursday after signing a resignation statement. Bakiyev's departure has raised hope that the unrest gripping the impoverished ex-Soviet Central Asian nation will end soon. Bakiyev as mentioned was driven from the capital, Bishkek, on April 7 after a protest boiled over into gunfire; protesters then stormed government buildings. At least 83 people died in the violence. The opposition has accused one of Bakiyev's brothers of ordering to fire on protesters in Bishkek. Another member of Kyrgyzstan's self-appointed interim government confirmed that the nation's deposed president has stepped down. Topchubek Turgunaliyev said that Kurmanbek Bakiyev has signed a formal resignation statement. Bakiyev as mentioned left the country for neighboring Kazakhstan Thursday. Turgunaliyev said that Bakiyev was accompanied by only his wife and two children, while his other relatives located in Kyrgyzstan apparently have stayed behind. He says Bakiyev's former defense minister was arrested while trying to escape.

16.04.2010. Relatives of Kyrgyzstan's ousted president were submitting weapons to officials Friday in their home village, a day after the president himself fled the country. While the moves appeared to reduce the likelihood of resistance by Kurmanbek Bakiyev backers, Kyrgyzstan's interim authorities were still searching for one of his brothers after issuing a warrant for his arrest, and it was unclear if Zhanybek Bakiyev would submit peacefully. President Bakiyev as mentioned flew to neighboring Kazakhstan Thursday under a plan negotiated by the US, Russian and Kazakh presidents, the United Nations, the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. It was unclear how long he would remain in Kazakhstan. Interim leader Roza Otunbayeva said Friday the country would push for an international investigation of the violence and that "Bakiyev won't evade justice." Bakiyev's departure raised hopes for a quick settlement of the crisis in the former Soviet republic, which hosts a US air base at the capital's airport. The Manas base has resumed full operations, the US Embassy said Thursday. "Refueling operations continue as usual, and the transit of troops has resumed," the embassy said in a statement.

17.04.2010. A Kyrgyz interim leader says US base unjustified. A top official in Kyrgyzstan's interim government told The Associated Press on Saturday that a US air base supporting operations in Afghanistan is "not justified," the first sign of significant divisions over the facility. Azymbek Beknazarov, the acting prosecutor general, is deputy leader of the interim government and is likely retain a position of power when the permanent government is formed, giving him significant sway over the Manas base. Since a bloody uprising that culminated in the toppling of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, the interim government's leader has announced the Manas air base can remain open for a year after the lease expires in July. Beknazarov and others in the interim government charge the US with ignoring their oppression when they opposed Bakiyev because it wanted to protect Manas.

"All the Americans care about is that the military base stays," Beknazarov said. "They forgot about freedom, about democratic values. They forgot about Kyrgyzstan - they are only looking at their military base." "In my opinion, the presence of the Manas center is not justified," he said. Beknazarov declined to comment on whether he or anyone in the interim government will attempt to initiate the closure of the base. The US Embassy in Bishkek declined to comment. At Bakiyev's presidential compound near the southern village of Teyit, special forces on Saturday cordoned off the area to allow prosecutors to enter and search for weapons.

Elections. Jan Kubis, the U.N. envoy, who was sent to Kyrgyzstan as a special envoy of the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said Friday at U.N. headquarters in New York that the new government lead by Roza Otunbaeva promised to hold parliamentary and presidential elections in the next six months, ITAR-TASS informs.

21.04.2010. Still some rivaling oligarchy with ochlarchy. The ousted leader of Kyrgyzstan said Wednesday from exile in Belarus that he is still president of his Central Asian country. Kurmanbek Bakiyev was as mentioned deposed in an April 7 uprising that left 85 people dead in the Kyrgyz capital. He fled last week to neighboring Kazakhstan and arrived in the Belarusian capital earlier this week. In his first comments from exile, Bakiyev was defiant and said he has not resigned. He told reporters Wednesday in Minsk that he is still "the legitimate president of Kyrgyzstan," and described the interim government controlling Bishkek as "a gang of impostors." Interim authorities in Kyrgyzstan claim Bakiyev signed a letter of resignation before leaving the country. The United States and Russia helped broker the agreement for his departure.

"Aware of my responsibility for the future of the people and the preservation of the integrity of the state ... I herewith submit my resignation," the letter shown to journalists by interim leader Roza Otunbayeva said. But on Wednesday Bakiyev retracted any resignation. "I don't recognize my resignation. Only death will stop me," he said. "As the president of Kyrgyzstan and the guarantor of the constitution, I don't give up responsibility." Bakiyev said he was "ready to bear legal responsibility," but it was unclear if he meant he would answer for the violence in Bishkek, as the new authorities are urging. The provisional authorities have said they expect Belarus to protect Bakiyev until extradition proceedings can be initiated. Bakiyev also called on the world community to refrain from recognizing the provisional government, which has announced parliamentary and presidential elections in six months and the drafting of a new constitution.

Bakiyev, wearing a suit and accompanied by a Belarusian presidential security detail, lamented that back home "robberies and violence have become the norm." Bakiyev's supporters at his stronghold in southern Kyrgyzstan also refused to admit defeat, and on Wednesday clashed with hundreds of activists loyal to the interim government. Witnesses told The Associated Press that scuffles broke out on Jalal-Abad's central square. The town, near a village that hosts the presidential compound, is one of the few remaining towns where support for the toppled leader is still visible. The shaky interim coalition is struggling to restore stability, and developments are being watched with concern by Russia and the United States, both of which have military bases in Kyrgyzstan.

22.04.2010. Significant ochlarchy continues. Elections, US base, etc. Kyrgyzstan will decide on the US base after voting. "This question is unlikely to be considered before the elections," Omurbek Tekebayev, a deputy prime minister in charge of constitutional reform, told Reuters in an interview. He said a parliamentary election would be held on October 10. "The provisional government considers that such important questions must be looked at by a legal government, that is to say by the new government which will be formed after the parliamentary elections," he said. The self-appointed interim government also plans to cut the power of the presidency with constitutional changes that will be put to a referendum on June 27, Tekebayev said.

"We want to create a parliamentary republican form of governance and are looking at mechanisms to really support a parliamentary opposition," he said. "The president is the commander-in-chief and the head of state but full executive power including foreign affairs will be with the prime minister and parliament," he said. "The election result will determine who becomes prime minister. We don't know which party will get into parliament or how many seats they will occupy." Both Russia and the United States, which are vying for influence in Kyrgyzstan, have held talks with the self-declared interim government, and both have called for new elections. But diplomats and anarchists say that the new leaders of Kyrgyzstan face an uphill battle to create a functioning democracy in Central Asia, a region dominated by authoritarian leaders.

Kyrgyzstan's new rulers have been struggling to a) do away with the rivaling oligarchy with ochlarchy after Bakiyev fled the country last week, and b) establish a functioning central administration. Elections could consolidate their position, but they could also prolong instability as rival clans and ethnic groups vie for influence. Five people died on Monday and Tuesday in attacks on ethnic Russians and Meskhetian Turks by looters trying to exploit the post-revolt turbulence to seize land. Bakiyev's allies last week briefly seized a regional government building in the south of the country, where there is a large minority of ethnic Uzbeks.

Bakiyev -- in exile in Belarus -- says he remains president and has urged world leaders to boycott the new government. Russia rejects his claims to the presidency. "I know only one thing: that Mr. Bakiyev faxed his resignation back to Bishkek, so this document cannot be rejected by a verbal statement," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters in Moscow. The anarchists demand an end to the ochlarchy. Kyrgyzstan's interim government should immediately initiate impartial investigation into April events, says Human Rights Watch, echoing the anarchists demand of 09.04.2010.

23.04.2010. Kyrgyzstan's ousted president vows not to return. Kyrgyzstan's ousted president said from exile Friday he does not intend to return to his homeland as its leader, but that his resignation was invalid because officials there are reneging on a promise to protect his family. Kurmanbek Bakiyev fled last week to neighboring Kazakhstan and arrived in the Belarusian capital earlier this week, where he is now staying. Bakiyev said his resignation, signed before he left Kyrgyzstan, was not in force because interim officials reneged on a promise to protect his relatives. "I don't intend to return to Kyrgyzstan as president," he told reporters in Minsk, but added that "the other side has not fulfilled its conditions. They guaranteed the safety of my family, but my family is being persecuted, therefore I do not recognize my resignation."

While at his stronghold in the south of Kyrgyzstan, where he went in the heat of the uprising in Bishkek, Bakiyev said he was told by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin that he would not be blamed for the violence of the revolt but would face justice if he tried to regroup and reclaim power militarily. "There was the threat to me and my relatives and a threat of civil war," Bakiyev said. "So I submitted my resignation and left." Bakiyev said one of his brothers has been kidnapped and that authorities are seeking to prosecute other members of his extended family who have remained in Kyrgyzstan. Some other members of Bakiyev's close circle have fled to Kazakhstan, and authorities have voiced hope that Kazakh authorities would hand them over.

Kyrgyzstan's interim government accuses Bakiyev's brother Zhanybek, the chief of the presidential guards, of issuing the order to fire at protesters in Bishkek. The US and Russia helped broker the agreement for Bakiyev's departure from Kyrgyzstan, which hosts a US military base crucial to operations in Afghanistan. Russia, which also has a base in Kyrgyzstan, is irritated at the American military presence in what it sees as its region of influence. Bakiyev said Moscow fumed when he reversed plans to close the Manas air base last year after Washington offered to almost triple the rent to about $60 million. "I closed it unilaterally," Bakiyev said. "But the Americans offered new terms, and then I agreed to resume" the lease, Bakiyev said. "Although Russia has a similar base, it caused great indignation," he said.

Bakiyev stopped short, however, of accusing Moscow of supporting the revolt. "I can't say that Russian special services had a hand in it. A commission must be formed to investigate," he said. Asked how long he planned to remain in Minsk, Bakiyev said he had no plans to form a government in exile, but suggested he felt comfortable as the guest of the country's authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko. Earlier this week, Bakiyev told a Russian weekly magazine that he plans to open a toy factory in Minsk. "For kids to be happy, environmentally friendly toys can help develop children's intellect, bring them joy," Russky Reporter quoted him as saying.

Meanwhile, Felix Kulov, a former prime minister of Kyrgyzstan and a fierce critic of Bakiyev, said in Moscow that the Kyrgyz people had already rejected Bakiyev. "For our people he is not a president, and he can only have a negative influence on the situation," Kulov told journalists in Moscow. "It's unlikely he'll leave Belarus. Nobody will let him into another country." Kulov, who endorsed Bakiyev for presidency in 2005, but fell out with him after criticizing his policies, said that Bakiyev's only positive role would be to persuade his brothers to give themselves up to the provisional government. Interim officials have set presidential elections in Kyrgyzstan for Oct. 10.

26.04.2010. Kyrgyz self-appointed gov't wants ousted president's extradition. The self-declared interim authorities in Kyrgyzstan have called for deposed President Kurmanbek Bakiyev to be extradited from Belarus to face trial back home for allegedly sanctioning gunfire on a crowd of protesters. Bakiyev as mentioned fled Kyrgyzstan after being overthrown amid violent clashes between government troops and demonstrators on April 7 that left at least 85 people dead. He has as mentioned taken refuge in Belarus. Kyrgyzstan's interim government adviser Dzhoomart Saparbayev told The Associated Press that officials adopted a resolution Monday stripping Bakiyev of his authority and presidential immunity, and promising extradition efforts. The security service said Monday it had arrested the former interior minister on unspecified charges.

27.04.2010. Ousted Kyrgyz president charged with mass killing. The ousted president of Kyrgyzstan has been charged with organizing mass killings in the deadly uprising that forced him from office in this Central Asian country earlier this month, the leader of the self-declared interim authorities said Tuesday. Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who is in exile in Belarus, will have his presidential immunity stripped to face the Kyrgyz charges, which also include abuse of power, said Azimbek Beknazarov, a vice-premier of the opposition forces that claimed provisional control of the country. Bakiyev as mentioned fled the capital on April 7 after security forces fired on protesters and the demonstrators stormed government buildings. At least 85 people died in the violence.

He tried to rally support in his home region in Kyrgyzstan's south, but eventually fled the country and surfaced last week in Belarus. Beknazarov said Belarus is obliged to extradite Bakiyev under an agreement among former Soviet countries. There was no immediate reaction from Belarus, whose authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, has criticized the demonstrations that drove out Bakiyev. Bakiyev insists he is still Kyrgyzstan's legitimate president, but has vowed not to return to the country as its leader. Stability in Kyrgyzstan is a significant concern for the United States and Russia, both of which as mentioned have air bases in the country. The US air base is a key piece of the NATO military campaign against the Taleban in Afghanistan; it provides refueling flights for warplanes over Afghanistan and is a troop transit point.

03.05.2010. Kyrgyzstan's self-appointed gov't offers bounties for fugitive ex-leaders. Kyrgyzstan's self-declared interim government is offering cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of fugitive relatives and colleagues of deposed President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. The new authorities are looking to close the net on Bakiyev's circle and said Monday a dozen of his relatives and acquaintances are wanted for unspecified "grave crimes." The suspects include one of Bakiyev's sons and three of his brothers, as well as former Prime Minister Daniyar Usenov. Rewards from $20,000 to $100,000 are offered to those who can help find them - colossal bounties in a country where the average salary is $130 per month. Bakiyev was as mentioned toppled on April 7 during a bloody uprising in which at least 85 people were killed, and his brother Zhanybek is wanted for ordering police to open fire on protestors.

04.05.2010. Belarus leader says will not extradite Bakiyev. Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko said Tuesday he would not hand over Kyrgyzstan's ousted President Kurmanbek Bakiyev to face charges over the violent upheaval in the Central Asian nation last month. In an interview with Reuters the same day that Kyrgyzstan's interim government ordered prosecutors to seek Bakiyev's extradition, Lukashenko said such a request would be futile. "Nobody has appealed to me officially (with an extradition request)," Lukashenko said. "But I want to immediately declare officially: These requests will be hopeless and humiliating for the interim government." He added: "The president of Kyrgyzstan is under the protection of the Belarussian state and its president."

Bakiyev as mentioned fled to Belarus following his overthrow in April 7-8 turmoil in which least 85 people were killed. Kyrgyzstan's interim government, made up of Bakiyev's opponents, earlier accused him of mass murder in connection with the violence in which security forces fired on protesters, some of whom were armed. Lukashenko blamed Bakiyev's opponents for the bloodshed, defended the actions of Bakiyev's security forces and sharply criticized Russia and the West, which have engaged the interim government and promised support. Russia and the United States as mentioned both operate military air bases in Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic in Central Asia. "Russia and the West create a terrible precedent when they support an illegal government that came to power through bloodshed," Lukashenko said.

Russia's support for the interim government and speculation that Moscow had a hand in Bakiyev's overthrow may have rattled Lukashenko, who has depended on Moscow's economic and political backing during his 16-year rule. Lukashenko said that while some forces in the West and Russia would like to see him out of power, a Kyrgyz-style overthrow of his government is out of the question. "Nobody could do such a thing in Belarus," he said. Lukashenko, who said he had spent the whole day Sunday with Bakiyev in Belarus, suggested he was contributing to stability in Kyrgyzstan by giving Bakiyev refuge. The interim government has "1,000 problems," he said. "The interim government of Kyrgyzstan should bow to the ground and thank me for removing the 1,001st problem," he said, referring to Bakiyev's departure from the Kyrgyz political scene. "The situation there is under very little control as it is."

Kyrgyzstan remains volatile after the bloody revolt deposed President Kurmanbek Bakiyev on April 7, with key regional players -- the United States, Russia and China -- worried by political uncertainty. In Kyrgyzstan, restoring law and order has provided the biggest challenge for its country's new self-declared interim authorities. Say, on 19 April, almost two weeks after the anti-government protests, an angry mob numbering in their thousands overran the village of Mayevka. Five people were killed and several homes were destroyed. Most of the houses belonged to Meskhetian Turks - originally from Georgia they were deported to Central Asia by Joseph Stalin in 1944. The Anarchist International declares: Kyrgyzstan is close to be a 'failed state'. Rivaling oligarchy/polyarchy with ochlarchy continues, although not so severe as in the time of the coup d'état.

13.05.2010. More unrest. Kyrgyzstan's interim government has accused allies of ousted president Kurmanbek Bakiyev of trying to stage a coup. Several government buildings and an airport have been seized in the south, the former president's political stronghold. Problems started yesterday when around 1,000 people gathered in the capital Bishkek in the first major protest against the interim government since Bakiyev was deposed last month. The Anarchist International declares: Kyrgyzstan is closer to be a 'failed state'...

14.05.2010. Clashes in Kyrgyzstan kill 2, injure more than 60. Gunfire erupted in Kyrgyzstan on Friday as hundreds of interim government backers fought supporters of deposed President Kurmanbek Bakiyev for control over regional government buildings. At least two person was killed and more than 60 injured in the worst violence since last month's forceful government change. The opponents exchanged gunshots, hurled stones and fought with sticks on a square in front of the regional government building in Jalal-Abad, the administrative center of a province in southwestern Kyrgyzstan. Several hundred Bakiyev supporters, some armed with automatic rifles, had holed up in the building overnight after capturing it Thursday evening, but were driven out on Friday by backers of the interim government.

The interim government's backers also ejected a pro-Bakiyev crowd Friday from the regional government offices in Osh, the country's second-largest city about 70 kilometers (45 miles) from Jalal-Abad. The two sides threw rock at one another, but no serious injuries were reported there. Both cities are in southern Kyrgyzstan, the power base for Bakiyev. The self-declared interim authorities said the seizures of government buildings were a coup attempt and they had detained two Bakiyev allies -- his former adviser Usen Sydykov and Kyrgyz Communist party head Iskhak Masaliyev -- who had masterminded the unrest. The Anarchist International declares: Kyrgyzstan is closer and closer to be a 'failed state'...

15.05.2010. Kyrgyz governor says new authorities in control. Kyrgyzstan's restive south calmed down Saturday after a failed attempt to take control by supporters of the nation's deposed president. Jalal-Abad regional Gov. Bektur Asanov insisted that supporters of the interim government were firmly in control of the city after two days of riots - the worst violence since last month's forcible government change. Asanov spoke in an interview with the Associated Press as laborers worked to clear up the aftermath of the seizure of the regional government building. He vowed there will be no repetition of the violence that raised doubts about the new authorities' ability to control the south, where support for former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev still runs strong. "I think this attempt to seize power that was made the day before yesterday was the last attempt to destabilize the situation made by destructive forces led by Bakiyev's brothers," Asanov told the AP. "The people showed their force and nobody will be able to do this again in the future."

19.05.2010. Kyrgyzstan declares state of emergency after clash. Several thousand people tried to storm a university in Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday in a burst of ethnic violence that left at least 2 people dead and more than 70 wounded, prompting the interim government to call a local state of emergency. Witnesses in the southern town of Jalal-Abad said thousands of ethnic Kyrgyz advanced on the private university that serves as the center of the minority Uzbek community. They said gunfire broke out as crowds approached the building encircled by a cordon of special security forces. Kyrgyzstan has been struggling to maintain stability since President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was ousted from power in April amid deadly clashes between government forces and demonstrators that claimed 89 lives.

In an apparent bid to secure its grip on power, the self-appointed interim government named its head, Roza Otunbayeva, as the acting president on Wednesday - a move that requires approval in a constitutional referendum, set for next month. It was not clear who opened fire in Jalal-Abad on Wednesday, but health officials said most of the 71 injured appeared to be from the crowd. At least two people were killed, the Health Ministry said. Otunbayeva responded to the violence by ordering the state of emergency and a curfew in Jalal-Abad and the surrounding area. She dispatched the acting interior minister to the area, where support for Bakiyev still runs strong.

Tensions have long simmered between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbek - both Sunni muslim groups - in the former Soviet nation's restive south. In 1990, hundreds were killed in a violent land dispute between the two communities across southern Kyrgyzstan, which borders Uzbekistan. Witnesses said the crowd assembled Wednesday in front of the university threw stones at the building and shouted demands for the hand-over of Uzbek community leader Kadyrjan Batyrov, whom they accused of inciting racial tension. Batyrov, a wealthy businessman, paid for the construction of the Peoples' Friendship University. Batyrov alleged that the crowd was connected to criminal elements close to the Bakiyev family. He told the Associated Press that the crowd "had weapons and firebombs. When they began to attack, the police fled, and the attackers then ran into the building, smashed windows and tried to set fire to the building."

The interim leader said every possible measure was being taken to defuse the situation. "We have recently demonstrated that we are capable of securing the peace," Otunbayeva said in the capital of Bishkek. She placed acting Interior Minister Baktybek Alymbekov in charge of securing Jalal-Abad, and instructed military and police to provide support. Otunbayeva, who previously held the title of prime minister, will be ineligible to run for the presidency once she completes her term as head of the provisional government at the end of 2011.

Meanwhile, Bakiyev's supporters have accused Batyrov of leading a mob late last week that burned down the deposed president's family home in the nearby village of Teyit. Bakiyev as mentioned fled the country last month for Belarus, but interim authorities say his family is still financing disturbances aimed at unseating the provisional leadership. The torching of the Bakiyev home Friday evening marked the culmination of two days of violence in Jalal-Abad, which broke out when several hundred Bakiyev supporters, some with automatic rifles, holed up in the regional government building after capturing it a day earlier. They were driven out by backers of the self-declared interim government, many of whom were ethnic Uzbeks. This led to local perceptions that the minority community was gaining political influence in the region. The Anarchist International repeats: Kyrgyzstan is closer and closer to be a 'failed state'...

20.05.2010. Kyrgyzstan unrest persists - 2 officials attacked. More than 2,000 supporters of Kyrgyzstan's deposed president have rallied near a southern town wracked by ethnic violence as unrest persists in the Central Asian country. Several residents told the Associated Press the acting defense minister and a regional governor were attacked and briefly held hostage Thursday outside Jalal-Abad. The town was rocked Wednesday by ethnic clashes that left two dead and more than 70 injured, prompting authorities to boost military reinforcements and announce a two-week state of emergency there. The self-appointed interim authorities that came to power after President Kurmanbek Bakiyev's ouster last month have earned widespread popular acceptance. But unrest has persisted around Bakiyev's former stronghold in the south.

07.06.2010. Top Kyrgyz interim government official resigns. Kyrgyzstan's fragile self-appointed interim government suffered its first major defection Monday as the acting president's chief of staff announced his resignation and disclosed plans to create a new political party. Edil Baisalov's departure from the government renews concerns about political stability in this volatile Central Asian nation. Baisalov criticized appointments made by the provisional government and complained that corruption remained rampant. "It worries me deeply that people without any education and with criminal records have come to power purely on the basis of party affiliation," he said. Baisalov said his party will take part in the parliamentary election to be held in October. He urged members of government belonging to parties running in the election to step down over the coming week.

The interim government rose to power in early April after Bakiyev was ousted amid violent clashes between demonstrators and troops that claimed dozens of lives. Acting President Roza Otunbayeva is set to lead the country until presidential elections in October 2011. But the stability of her government is likely to be tested in coming months by internal rivalries within the Cabinet. Security also remains a concern amid uncertainty over the authorities' perceived inability to guarantee law and order. Overnight Sunday, a leading criminal linked with recent unrest in the south was killed in a shootout between rival gangs, police said. Local officials in the Jalal-Abad region said Aibek Mirsidikov, a Bakiyev supporter known locally as Black Aibek, helped organize the seizure of local government offices that sparked a wave of violence last month.

The Anarchist International declares: Black flags are often used by anarchists, but black flags are also used by jihad-hierarchists and black clothes are used by fascist, etc. Thus 'black' is not always pointing to anarchists, and the suspected criminal "Black Aibek" has no connection to anarchism or the anarchist movement.

11.06.2010. Kyrgyzstan is closer and closer to be a 'failed state'... Chaos, lawlessness and rivaling oligarchy with ochlarchy prevail. 45 killed, more than 600 wounded in Kyrgyz rioting. Mobs of armed men torched Uzbek neighborhoods in Kyrgyzstan on Friday in ethnic clashes that officials said left at least 45 people dead and 637 wounded in a Central Asian nation. The rioting in Osh, the country's second-largest city, is the heaviest violence since former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was toppled in a bloody uprising in April and fled the country. The unrest also spread to the capital, where armed mobs clashed with police and volunteer militia, according to witnesses. The intensity of the conflict, which pits ethnic Kyrgyz against minority Uzbeks, appeared to take authorities by surprise and threw the fragile interim government's prospects for survival into doubt.

Quelling the violence will prove a decisive test of the government's ability to control the country, hold a June 27 vote on a new constitution and go ahead with new parliamentary elections scheduled for October. Dozens of buildings across Osh were ablaze Friday after witnesses reported sustained gunfire beginning late Thursday. Gangs of young men armed with metal bars and stones attacked shops and set cars alight. The interim government declared a state of emergency in Osh and some nearby areas and dispatched armored vehicles, troops and helicopters to pacify the situation. Soldiers were posted at routes into the city and at major intersections, but the fighting did not abate. Authorities imposed a curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. until June 20.

Bakyt Omorkulov, a member of the Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society, a non-governmental organization, said he was patrolling the streets with other volunteers to try to prevent further clashes. He said the troops' presence didn't help stabilize the situation, and more buildings were set ablaze as night fell. "We don't feel the authorities' presence," he told the Associated Press in a telephone interview. "The military are driving around, but it has no effect whatsoever." He said the streets were filled with young men brandishing sticks and weapons, adding that Uzbek areas were particularly hard hit by the violence. "Aravan Street is completely destroyed, dozens of cafes and buildings are burning - it's the same picture in Cheryomushki. It's like being in Chechnya," he told the AP.

Ikram Abdumalitov, who lives in Osh, said earlier in the day that he saw about 1,000 young and armed Kyrgyz men marching toward Uzbek neighborhoods in eastern Osh. "The Uzbeks are in turn chopping down trees and blocking the road to their neighborhood," Abdumalitov said. Armed men flooded in from nearby villages to join the fight, a trader in Osh said on condition of anonymity due to the volatile situation. Many of the injured had been stabbed or shot, Health Ministry spokeswoman Yelena Bailinova said, as she gave the death toll. She said many of those wounded were in grave condition. A doctor at a hospital in Osh said the death toll could climb sharply because many Uzbeks were too afraid to seek treatment. "All the beds in this hospital are full, but 90 percent of the people being treated are Kyrgyz, because Uzbeks are afraid of the Kyrgyz victims' relatives, who are in an extremely aggressive frame of mind," the doctor said. He spoke on condition on anonymity, as he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Smaller-scale ethnic violence also broke out late Friday in the capital, Bishkek, where a mob of Kyrgyz men attacked and robbed ethnic Uzbeks at a popular bazaar. As night fell, the crowd swelled and clashes with police erupted. Witnesses said busloads of Interior Ministry troops were driven to the market in an attempt to disperse the mob, but they left the scene after a tense and violent standoff. In another part of the city, witnesses saw an armed mob exchanging gunfire with volunteer militia who tried to maintain order. I

nterim President Roza Otunbayeva called for a return to calm in an emotional televised address Friday. "I would like to appeal in particular to the women of Kyrgyzstan. Dear sisters, find the right words for your sons, husbands and brothers. In the current situation, it is unacceptable to indulge in feelings of revenge and anger," she said.

Tensions have long simmered between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbek - both Sunni muslim groups - in Kyrgyzstan's south. In 1990, hundreds were killed in a violent land dispute between the two communities across southern Kyrgyzstan, which borders Uzbekistan. At a security summit in Uzbekistan, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev both expressed concern over Friday's fighting and promised to help Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic of 5 million people, restore order. "We are really interested in seeing Kyrgyzstan overcome the stage of internal upheaval as quickly as possible and solve the task of forming a modern government capable of tackling acute problems of socio-economic development," Medvedev said.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed deep concern at the renewed violence and called for calm to be restored, the rule of law to be respected, and all issues to be resolved peacefully through dialogue, UN associate spokesman Farhan Haq said. Ban also urged the interim government "to pay particular attention to interethnic relations in the country." The Anarchist International backs the resolution of the UN and Ban Ki-moon.

Bakiyev is believed to be in exile in Belarus, but interim authorities accuse his supporters of trying to foment unrest to undermine their control and derail the upcoming referendum and parliamentary election. Kyrgyzstan as mentioned also hosts the Manas US military air base in Bishkek, a crucial support center supplying forces fighting the Taleban in Afghanistan. Bakiyev's government had vowed to close the base last year, but later agreed to let US forces stay after raising the rent to $63 million from $17 million. In recent weeks, operations at Manas have been hindered by a dispute over the interim government's decision to tax fuel sold to the base. The US military says it has stopped refueling tanker planes at Manas while fuel prices are being renegotiated, but flights to ferry military personnel and supplies to and from Afghanistan have continued. The Anarchist International declares: Kyrgyzstan is closer and closer to be a 'failed state'... Chaos, lawlessness and rivaling oligarchy with ochlarchy prevail.

12.06.2010. Severe ochlarchy in Kyrgyzstan, ethnic riots sweep the country. AI: It's time for international peacekeepers, preferably via the United Nations. Chaos and ochlarchy, ethnic riots, wracked southern Kyrgyzstan on Saturday, forcing thousands of Uzbeks to flee as their homes were torched by roving mobs of Kyrgyz men, ochlarchs/ochlarchists. The self-appointed interim government begged Russia for troops to stop the violence, but the Kremlin offered only humanitarian assistance. At least 75 people were reported killed and nearly 1,000 wounded in the violence spreading across the impoverished Central Asian nation. Much of its second-largest city, Osh, was on fire Saturday and the sky overhead was black with smoke. Gangs of young Kyrgyz men armed with firearms and metal bars marched on minority Uzbek neighborhoods and set homes on fire. Stores were looted and the city was running out of food.

"It's a real war," said local political leader Omurbek Suvanaliyev. "Everything is burning, and bodies are lying on the streets." Those driven from their homes rushed toward the border with Uzbekistan, and an Associated Press reporter there saw the bodies of children trampled to death in the panicky stampede. Crowds of frightened women and children made flimsy bridges out of planks and ladders to cross the ditches marking the border. Interim President Roza Otunbayeva acknowledged that her government has lost control over Osh, a city of 250,000, even though it sent troops, armor and helicopters to quell the riots. Violence spread to the nearby city of Jalal-Abad later Saturday.

"The situation in the Osh region has spun out of control," Otunbayeva told reporters: "Attempts to establish a dialogue have failed, and fighting and rampages are continuing. We need outside forces to quell confrontation." Otunbayeva asked Russia early Saturday to send in troops, but the Kremlin said it would not meddle into what it described as Kyrgyzstan's internal conflict. "It's a domestic conflict, and Russia now doesn't see conditions for taking part in its settlement," Kremlin spokeswoman Natalya Timakova said in Moscow. She added that Russia will discuss with other members of a security pact of ex-Soviet nations about the possibility of sending a joint peacekeeping force to Kyrgyzstan. The Anarchist International declares: Kyrgyzstan is closer and closer to be a 'failed state'... Chaos, lawlessness and rivaling oligarchy with ochlarchy prevail. It's time for international peacekeepers, preferably via the United Nations.

Later: Shoot-to-kill in Kyrgyz south amid deadly ochlarchy and ethnic unrest. Anarchist comment. Kyrgyzstan's self-appointed interim government has given security forces shoot-to-kill powers in a bid to stop ethnic fighting which so far has taken about 80 lives. And so far without international assistance there are fears the self-declared interim authorities in Kyrgyzstan may struggle to contain the conflict. The south of Kyrgyzstan, a country of 5.5 million people, is home to an ethnic Uzbek minority of almost one million. The latest violence has become the biggest challenge for the new government so far. A decree from the interim government mandated security forces to shoot to kill in the Osh and Jalalabad regions. Lethal force was permitted in areas placed under a state of emergency in order to defend civilians, in self-defense, and in the event of mass or armed attacks, the decree said.

Uzbek eyewitnesses told BBC's correspondent at a border crossing with Uzbekistan that gangs of armed Kyrgyz had been marauding through neighborhoods, killing residents and burning homes. The International Committee of the Red Cross said it had received reports of tens of thousands people fleeing fighting and looting. "Things are getting worse and worse by the hour," said Severine Chappaz, deputy head of the ICRC's mission in Kyrgyzstan, in a statement sent from Osh to the Associated Press news agency. "The electricity and gas have been cut off, meaning there are also no water supplies. Shops and markets are closed, leading to fears of a lack of food, especially in the hospitals and places of detention." There have also been reports of Kyrgyz casualties and violent clashes between the two ethnic groups have been continuing for two days. The Anarchist International in this situation reminds about Antimilitarism - an anarchist approach, IJA 2 (38) and Direct action; and repeats the call for international peacekeepers.

13.06.2010. Deadly ochlarchy continues, mobs burn villages, slaughter Uzbeks in Kyrgyzstan. Anarchist comment. Kyrgyz mobs burned Uzbek villages, slaughtered their residents and stormed police stations seeking to loot more weapons Sunday as ethnic rioting engulfed new areas in southern Kyrgyzstan. The self-declared interim government in the impoverished Central Asian nation yesterday ordered troops to shoot rioters dead but even that has failed to stop the spiraling violence that has left more than 100 people dead and about 1,250 wounded since Thursday night. Doctors and rights activists say that official toll is far too low because wounded minority Uzbeks are too afraid of being attacked again to go to hospitals.

The riots are the worst violence since former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was ousted in a bloody uprising in April and fled the country. The Uzbeks have backed the interim government, while many Kyrgyz in the south support the toppled president. Thousands of Uzbeks have fled in panic to the nearby border with Uzbekistan after their homes were torched by roving mobs of Kyrgyz men. Some Uzbek women and children were gunned down as they tried to escape, witnesses said. Fires set by rioters have destroyed most of Osh, the country's second-largest city, and looters have stolen most of its food. Triumphant crowds of Kyrgyz men took control of most of Osh on Sunday while the few Uzbeks still in the city of 250,000 barricaded themselves in their neighborhoods.

Fires continued to rage across Osh and occasional shots were heard. Police were nowhere to be seen. The rampages spread quickly Sunday to Jalal-Abad, another major southern city, and its neighboring villages, as mobs methodically set Uzbek houses, stores and cafes on fire. The rioters seized an armored vehicle and automatic weapons at a local military unit and attacked police stations around the region trying to get more firearms. Police and the military appeared to be on the defensive across the south, avoiding clashes with mobs. Flights to both Osh and Jalal-Abad were canceled.

Interim President Roza Otunbayeva blamed Bakiyev's family for instigating the unrest in Osh, saying it was aimed at derailing a constitutional referendum on June 27 and new elections scheduled for October. A local official said Bakiyev supporters had attacked both Kyrgyz and Uzbeks to ignite the rioting. "Bakiyev's entourage has funded and organized these riots," Otunbayeva's deputy Omurbek Tekebayev told the Associated Press. From his self-imposed exile in Belarus, Bakiyev issued a statement denying any role in the violence and blaming the interim authorities for failing to protect the population.

Otunbayeva asked Russia yesterday, Saturday 12.06.2010, for military help to quell the violence, but the Kremlin as mentioned refused, saying it would not meddle in an internal conflict. Russia however did send a plane to deliver humanitarian supplies and evacuate some victims. Kyrgyzstan as mentioned hosts both US and Russian military air bases, but they are in the north, away from the fighting. The US Manas air base in the capital, Bishkek, is a crucial supply hub for the coalition fighting the Taleban in Afghanistan. A Pentagon spokesman said the interim government had not asked for any US military help. The US Embassy in Kyrgyzstan voiced a deep concern about the raging violence and called for the "immediate restoration of order and a respect for rule of law." It said it was discussing humanitarian aid with the interim government. Uzbekistan's Foreign Ministry condemned the riots and voiced hope that Kyrgyzstan will re-establish order. Uzbekistan's authoritarian President islam Karimov is unlikely to interfere into the conflict.

In Jalal-Abad on Sunday, thousands of Kyrgyz men brandishing sticks, metals bars and hunting rifles gathered at the city's race track and marched to burn Uzbek property while frightened police stayed away. Uzbeks felled trees on the city's main thoroughfare, trying to block their advance. Jalal-Abad is 45 miles (70 kilometers) from Osh. Kyrgyz mobs tried to storm the city's hospital, but Uzbeks drove them off after a fierce gunbattle that raged for hours, witnesses said. Mobs also surrounded a local prison, trying to free its inmates and attempted repeatedly to capture the Jalal-Abad police headquarters, but were repelled. Kyrgyz mobs killed about 30 Uzbeks Sunday in the village of Suzak in the Jalal-Abad region, Talaaibek Myrzabayev, the chief military conscription officer in Bishkek, told the Associated Press. Another Uzbek village, Dostuk, was burned by Kyrgyz assailants, but it was not known how many people were killed there, he said.

Ethnic Uzbeks ambushed about 100 Kyrgyz men Sunday on a road near Jalal-Abad and took them hostage, he said. Vehicles on the main highway near Jalal-Abad repeatedly came under fire from unidentified gunmen. In the nearby village of Bazar-Kurgan, a mob of 400 Uzbeks overturned cars and killed a police captain, local political activist Asyl Tekebayev said. Residents said armed Kyrgyz men were flooding into the village to retaliate.

The fertile Ferghana Valley where Osh and Jalal-Abad are located once belonged to a single feudal lord, but it was split by Soviet dictator Josef Stalin among Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The Stalinist borders rekindled old rivalries and fomented ethnic tensions. Both ethnic groups are predominantly Sunni muslim. Uzbeks are generally better off economically, but they have few representatives in power and have pushed for broader political and cultural rights. In 1990, as mentioned, hundreds were killed in a violent land dispute between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in Osh, and only the quick deployment of Soviet troops quelled the fighting. With no Russian troops in sight, the interim government announced a partial mobilization late Saturday of military reservists up to 50 years old. "No one is rushing to help us, so we need to establish order ourselves," said Talaaibek Adibayev, a 39-year old army veteran who showed up at Bishkek's military conscription office.

The official casualty toll Sunday rose to at least 97 people killed and 1,243 wounded, the Health Ministry said. The figure didn't include the 30 or more deaths Sunday around Jalal-Abad. Witnesses saw bodies lying in the streets of Osh on Saturday, and more scattered inside the many burned buildings in Uzbek neighborhoods. As Uzbek refugees, mostly women and children, fled the city toward the border, witness said many were shot at and killed. Maksat Zheinbekov, the acting mayor of Jalal-Abad, told the AP in a telephone interview that Bakiyev's supporters had triggered the riots by attacking both Uzbeks and Kyrgyz.

Kyrgyz residents interviewed by the AP in Osh blamed Uzbeks for starting the rioting with attacks on students and Kyrgyz women. Ethnic Kyrgyz from neighboring villages then streamed into the city to strike back, they said. "Why have them Uzbeks become so brazen?" said one Osh resident, who gave only her first name, Aigulia, because she feared for her safety. "Why do they burn my house?" Aigulia said her house was destroyed by Uzbeks overnight and all her Kyrgyz neighbors had to run for their safety. She said the area was still unsafe, claiming Uzbek snipers were shooting at them. A Kyrgyz man, Iskander, said he and others burned Uzbek property to avenge their attacks. "Whatever you see over there - all the burnt restaurants and cafeterias - were owned by them and we destroyed them on purpose," he told the AP. "Why didn't they want to live in peace?"

The Anarchist International declares: Kyrgyzstan is closer and closer to be a 'failed state'... Chaos, lawlessness and rivaling oligarchy with ochlarchy prevail. The AI reminds about Antimilitarism - an anarchist approach, IJA 2 (38) and Direct action - and repeats the call for international peacekeepers.

PS. The US Manas air base says it is helping to deliver food and medical supplies. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he is discussing what aid the UN could send to help the fleeing refugees. Russia has sent in additional troops to boost security at its base. Mobs of rioters slaughtered Uzbeks and burned their homes and businesses in Kyrgyzstan's worst ethnic violence in decades, sending more than 75,000 members of the ethnic minority fleeing the country in attacks that appeared aimed at undermining the Central Asian nation's new interim government. More than 100 people were killed in southern Kyrgyzstan and more than 1,200 wounded in days of attacks, according to government estimates Sunday. The true toll may be much higher. The International Committee of the Red Cross said its delegates witnessed about 100 bodies being buried in just one cemetery, and noted that the official toll is unlikely to include bodies still lying in the streets. Some refugees were fired on as they fled to Uzbekistan. They were mostly elderly people, women and children, with younger men staying behind to defend their property. Many of the more than 75,000 refugees arrived with gunshot wounds, the Uzbekistan Emergencies Ministry said, according to Russian reports.

14.06.2010. Kyrgyzstan on the road to less ochlarchy? International group, CSTO, agrees plan to stop Kyrgyzstan violence, backed by the Anarchist International. About 100,000 minority Uzbeks fleeing mobs of Kyrgyz massed at the border Monday, an Uzbek leader said, as the deadliest ethnic violence to hit this Central Asian nation in 20 years left a major city smoldering. Jallahitdin Jalilatdinov, who heads the Uzbek National Center, told the Associated Press on Monday that at least 100,000 Uzbeks were awaiting entry into Uzbekistan, while another 80,000 had crossed the border. The Uzbek government said 45,000 had already been registered.

Fires raged for a fourth day in the southern city of Osh, three miles (five kilometers) from the border with Uzbekistan. The official count Monday was 138 dead and nearly 1,800 injured since the violence began last week, but an Uzbek community leader said at least 200 Uzbeks had already been buried, and the Red Cross said its delegates saw about 100 bodies being buried in just one cemetery. Shaken refugees claimed that many Uzbek girls had been raped and that Kyrgyz snipers had shot at them from the hills as they rushed toward the border.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay expressed alarm at the violence and urged the authorities to protect all citizens irrespective of their ethnicity. "It seems indiscriminate killings, including of children, and rapes have been taking place on the basis of ethnicity," Pillay said in a statement. "This is a very dangerous situation, given the ethnic patchwork in this part of Kyrgyzstan, as well as in neighboring areas of Uzbekistan," she said. "It has been known for many years that this region is a potential tinder box, and for that reason it is essential that the authorities act firmly to halt the fighting - which appears to be orchestrated, targeted and well-planned - before it spreads further inside Kyrgyzstan or even across the border into neighboring countries."

Sporadic attacks continued on Monday in the southern cities of Osh and Jalabad, amid further accusations that Kyrgyzstan troops in some areas had supported anti-Uzbek mobs. But a senior official in the interim government in the capital, Bishkek, told AFP news agency that there were signs that the situation was calming down. "There have been negotiations between heads of the Uzbek community, representatives of the government, Kyrgyz leaders and the military in Jalalabad, during which the various parties agreed to stop fighting," Azimbek Beknazarov said on Monday. BBC reported about direct action in Kyrgyzstan with calls for UN-peacekeepers.

An international grouping of former Soviet states has agreed measures to stop ethnic violence in southern Kyrgyzstan, reports say. Senior officials from Russia, Central Asia and other countries have sent plans to leaders for approval, after an emergency meeting in Moscow. The Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), which includes Kyrgyzstan, has so far not detailed what their proposals include.

Is Kyrgyzstan on the road to less ochlarchy? The Anarchist International backs the international group, CSTO's, plans to stop Kyrgyzstan violence. Also the UN could get more involved. It's time for action - international action, international peacekeepers! The AI reminds about Antimilitarism - an anarchist approach, IJA 2 (38) and Direct action.

15.06.2010. Kyrgyzstan on the road to less ochlarchy? No - the situation is getting worse. Chaos, lawlessness and rivaling oligarchy with ochlarchy prevail. AI calls for more direct actions. The Anarchist International, AI, the Anarchist International Embassy, AIE, and the UN have called on Kyrgyzstan's interim government to prevent deadly unrest spreading across central Asia as international concern mounts over the crisis sweeping the country. Several hundred people have been killed in the riots in Kyrgyzstan, the Red Cross said Tuesday. The southern cities of Osh and Jalalabad still remain extremely volatile. Some 250,000 Uzbeks are thought to be trying to flee the country according to BBC, with many insisting they've been targeted by Kyrgyz mobs backed by local police.

The United Nations and the European Union, meanwhile, urged Kyrgyzstan not to let the violence derail a June 27 constitutional referendum and parliamentary elections scheduled for October. "The referendum and the elections must be held at the announced times" so Kyrgyzstan moves further toward democracy, UN representative Miroslav Jenca said in the capital, Bishkek. The EU backs this position, according to Germany's ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Holger Green. However the scale of the damage is so vast in the south that the AI and the AIE find it hard to see how a legitimate vote could be held in less than two weeks, and declare that the main target for Kyrgyzstan should be doing away with the deadly chaos, lawlessness and rivaling oligarchy with ochlarchy.

There are fears civil war or even a full-blown conflict could break out with neighboring Uzbekistan, which closed its border. Overwhelmed by the deluge, Uzbekistan closed the border Tuesday, leaving thousands camped out on the Kyrgyz side or stranded behind barbed-wire fences in no-man's land.

Foreign nationals are also trying to escape the violence, with Pakistan and China airlifting citizens from the strife torn country. In what is the worst violence in the region since the fall of the Soviet Union the Anarchist International, AI,  and the Anarchist International Embassy, AIE, are warning about that Kyrgyzstan could be a 'failed state', could split in half, or even cease to exist as an independent country. Chaos, lawlessness and rivaling oligarchy with ochlarchy prevail. The Anarchist International calls for international and more direct actions against the ochlarchy and ochlarchs/ochlarchists.

16.06.2010. AI and AIE declare: 'Job no 1. in Kyrgyzstan is to restore law and order, and do away with the chaos and lawlessness and rivaling oligarchy/polyarchy with severe and deadly ochlarchy.'

Many ethnic Uzbek refugees trying to flee the violence in Kyrgyzstan remain stranded at the border. Neighboring Uzbekistan, which closed crossings yesterday, insists it is unable to cope with the deluge, but the situation inside Kyrgyzstan appears increasingly desperate, with victims reporting the mass rape of Uzbek women and the killing of children. Some food and water is getting through and Uzbek border guards are letting the most severely injured in.

The southern part of Kyrgyzstan has been convulsed by days of rioting between feuding ethnic groups, i.e. chaos and lawlessness and rivaling oligarchy/polyarchy with severe and deadly ochlarchy prevail. One mosque close to Uzbekistan's border has been turned into a makeshift hospital to treat victims. The UN, US and Russia, which are increasingly concerned about the situation, have been flying humanitarian supplies into the strategically located central Asian state.

The Kyrgyz city of Osh in the south has been ravaged after days of deadly unrest. However relatively calm appears to have descended on the city with Kyrgyz troops patrolling the streets. Kyrgyzstan's weak and undersupplied military attempted Wednesday to regain control of the city of Osh, a major transit point for Afghan heroin and the epicenter of brutal rampages that have driven much of the ethnic Uzbek population from Kyrgyzstan's poor, rural south. Checkpoints circled the city and troops held the central square, but reports of looting by an army that lacks fuel and other basic supplies cast doubt on the self-appointed interim government's ability to re-establish stability and quell fresh outbreaks of violence.

The United Nations has declared that the fighting was "orchestrated, targeted and well-planned," and appeared to have begun with five simultaneous attacks in Osh by men wearing ski masks, but it stopped short of apportioning blame.

The Anarchist International, AI, and the Anarchist International Embassy, AIE, declare: "The blame game is not interesting. Job no 1. in Kyrgyzstan is to restore law and order, and do away with the chaos and lawlessness and rivaling oligarchy/polyarchy with severe and deadly ochlarchy!"

17.06.2010. Kyrgyzstan violence uproots 400,000, says UN. The AI and AIE call for a coordinating committee for factions of antimilitarist corps to promote peace.

An immense humanitarian crisis is how the Red Cross is describing the situation caused by the unrest in southern Kyrgyzstan. Some aid has now begun being delivered to Uzbek refugees fleeing the ethnic violence. But many are said to be running short of supplies. The UN says 400,000 people have been displaced – up to a quarter of them are thought to have taken refuge in Uzbekistan. The past week has seen a stream of families crossing the border from Kyrgyzstan after about two hundred people were killed and almost two thousand wounded in violence between Kyrgyz and ethnic Uzbeks. Most of those displaced are women and children and have been put up in makeshift camps.

There are warnings that the crisis in the region is likely to get worse. One international think tank has described the reports from Uzbeks in the towns of Osh and Jalalabad as bloodcurdling. Checkpoints have been erected in Uzbek areas. But many residents do not trust the ethnic Krygyz soldiers deployed to protect them, and have set up their own barriers.

The Anarchist International, AI, and the Anarchist International Embassy, AIE, call for a coordinating committee for factions of antimilitarist corps to promote peace, and remind about Antimilitarism - an anarchist approach, IJA 2 (38) and Direct action.

18.06.2010. In Kyrgyzstan: Antimilitarist corps vs militarist ultra-fascist gangs, including ethnic "cleaners", mafia and jihadists, i.e. criminal ochlarchs/ochlarchists. Arrest these gangs.

Complaints of rape and other brutal violence are emerging after the unrest in Osh. Eyewitnesses and experts say many of the victims appear to have been Uzbeks. Workers from Human Rights Watch are among those investigating. Members of the Kyrgyz community have denied the accusations and have made counter-claims against Uzbeks. The Kyrgyz top interim leader is on a mission to try to ease tension in southern Kyrgyzstan. She has flown into the city of Osh. Roza Otunbayeva vowed to restore order and bring home all of those who fled the violence. She maintains there is "goodwill between both ethnic groups to live together in peace". Different sources say between 200 and 2,000 people died in the clashes, leaving many people too scared to return to Osh.

The Anarchist International, AI, and Anarchist International Embassy, AIE, declare: "In Kyrgyzstan, it is necessary that the antimilitarist corps, police and armed defense, concentrate on the fight against the militarist ultra-fascist gangs, including ethnic 'cleaners', mafia and jihadists, i.e. criminal ochlarchs/ochlarchists. Arrest the criminal ochlarchs/ochlarchists. Also get rid of 'brown elements' within the antimilitarist corps. An ultra-fascist 'strong man' must be avoided. AI and AIE once more remind about Antimilitarism - an anarchist approach, IJA 2 (38) and Direct action."

19.06.2010. Kyrgyzstan: AI and AIE call for 1. freedom for Azimzhan Askarov, 2. an independent investigation into the violence, and 3. more international aid. In Osh, the atmosphere remained tense...

AI, AIE and an US envoy called Saturday for an independent investigation into the violence that has devastated southern Kyrgyzstan, as amateur video emerged of unarmed Uzbeks gathering to defend their village during the attacks. Prosecutors on Saturday charged Azimzhan Askarov, the head of a prominent human rights group who shot the video, with inciting ethnic hatred. Askarov had accused the military of complicity in the bloody rampages that sent hundreds of thousands of Uzbeks fleeing for their lives. Valentina Gritsenko, head of the Justice rights organization, said she feared Askarov was being tortured. He was detained with his brother on Tuesday in his southern hometown of Bazar-Korgon, colleagues told the Associated Press. The country's rights ombudsman Tursunbek Akun insisted the charges against Askarov were fabricated, and activists in Bishkek demonstrated before UN offices to demand his release, backed by the Anarchist International, AI, and the Anarchist International Embassy, AIE. The accusations against Azimzhan Askarov are practically certain false and fabricated.

Entire Uzbek neighborhoods in southern Kyrgyzstan have been reduced to scorched ruins by rampaging mobs of ethnic Kyrgyz who forced nearly half of the region's roughly 800,000 Uzbeks to flee. Interim President Roza Otunbayeva says up to 2,000 people may have died in the clashes. The self-appointed interim Kyrgyz authorities say the violence was sparked by supporters of ex-president Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who was toppled in April amid accusations of corruption. The UN has said the unrest appeared orchestrated, but has stopped short of assigning blame. Bakiyev, from exile, has denied any involvement. Many ethnic Uzbeks also accused security forces of standing by or helping majority Kyrgyz mobs as they slaughtered Uzbeks and burned neighborhoods. Col. Iskander Ikramov, chief of the Kyrgyz military in the south, says the army didn't interfere because it is not a police force.

US Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake met with Otunbayeva in Bishkek, the capital, on Saturday after touring several packed refugee camps in neighboring Uzbekistan. Blake said the interim government should probe the violence and "such an investigation should be complemented by an international investigation by a credible international body." AI and AIE agree. Blake said the US was working with the Kyrgyz government to make sure the refugees would be able to return home safely. The United States has released $32.2 million in aid, and Russia and France also sent planeloads of relief gear.

The Associated Press obtained Askarov's video, which was shot June 13 at the height of the rampages. It shows a few dozen Uzbeks pacing nervously around a square in Bazar-Korgon, an ethnic Uzbek settlement, apparently before rioters descended. Armed with only sticks and stones, several men are seen heading across the square as gun shots ring out and smoke rises in background. "Are we going to just sit around and wait for them?" one man says in Uzbek. In a different shot, a voice colleagues confirm as Askarov's is heard saying "They're getting close." "So many people have died over there. ... One armed group is gone; there is still another which has stayed. They're shooting from the direction of the prison, and Uzbeks have nothing but sticks one meter or half a meter long. There is smoke rising and I have no idea what's left there," Askarov says. Destruction caused during the rampages was visible Saturday in parts of Bazar-Korgon, and Askarov's office was one of several gutted buildings.

Many said they could not go back to their towns and live next to the people they accuse of attacking them. "We are all witnesses to the fact that innocent citizens were fired upon from an armored personnel carrier by soldiers in military uniform. I don't know whether they were from the government or some third party, but they only shot at Uzbeks," said Sabir Khaidir, an ethnic Uzbek in Jalal-Abad. Mukhaya Julayeva, an internally displaced person described the living conditions: "The government did not come here in order to know how we live here. We don't live here; we just survive here, like animals." It is reported that Kyrgyz gangs began attacking people living in the Uzbek areas of Osh and Jalal-Aabad last week. According to BBC eyewitnesses and victims have repeatedly said that the violence was orchestrated, and many have accused soldiers from the Kyrgyz military of being involved.

Supplies of bread and rice from Uzbekistan kept the refugees from starvation. But many had to sleep in the open air, and overcrowding, bad sanitary conditions and a shortage of clean water were making many sick. Overwhelmed doctors struggled to treat outbreaks of diarrhea and other ailments with paltry medical supplies. In Osh, the atmosphere remained tense, with barricades of burned out cars and debris blocking Uzbek neighborhoods. Otunbayeva, the interim leader, arrived Friday by helicopter in Osh's central square in the hope of conveying a sign of stability. "We have to give hope that we shall restore the city, return all the refugees and create all the conditions for that," she said, wearing a bulletproof vest.

Uzbeks have complained the government was doing too little to alleviate their suffering, with some saying humanitarian aid was being blocked and stolen by Kyrgyz officials. Elisabeth Byrs of the UN humanitarian office said 30 aid flights have arrived in Osh and Jalal-Abad, carrying 780 tons of medical aid and relief goods. The World Food Program started distributing 100 tons of rations to 13,000 people in Osh - enough for two weeks. The United Nations has launched a 57 million euro ($71m; £48m) flash appeal for humanitarian aid for Kyrgyzstan. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says there is a shortage of food, water and electricity in parts of Kyrgyzstan due to looting, lack of supplies and restricted movement. The AI and AIE call for more international aid and better distribution.

Summarized: AI and AIE call for 1. freedom for Azimzhan Askarov, 2. an independent investigation into the violence, and 3. more international aid. In Osh, the atmosphere remained tense. In this connection see the report of 18.06.2010.

20.06.2010. Many ethnic Uzbeks refuse to go home in Kyrgyzstan. Thousands of ethnic Uzbeks massed on the border between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan refused to return home Sunday, saying they feared for their lives after violent pogroms and don't trust Kyrgyz troops to protect them. Associated Press reporters saw some 50 Kyrgyz troops, many in armored transport carriers, enter the border village of Suratash and try to reassure refugees in this Central Asian nation that it was safe to return home. Yet the soldiers' very presence terrified the families - ethnic Uzbeks who fled after attacks and arson by ethnic Kyrgyz - since they blame Kyrgyz troops for abetting the violence that left hundreds of Uzbeks dead and hundreds of thousands homeless. "Of course we were afraid. Afraid because they were the ones - the soldiers who fired shots," said Maplyuba Akhmedova, an Uzbek who fled her home.

The United Nations as mentioned estimates that 400,000 people have fled their homes in Kyrgyzstan and about 100,000 of them have entered Uzbekistan. There was no official estimate of the number of refugees in Suratash, but Uzbeks said there was about 20,000. Many Uzbeks in Suratash said they would not return home and were unsure where to go. Some said they would try to sell their belongings and move to Russia, while others expressed a desire to go to Uzbekistan. However, there is no official border crossing in Suratash - 10 miles (16 kilometers) away from the region's main city of Osh - and many refugees lacked papers since they fled their homes in a rush. Kyrgyzstan border officials said some 5,000 refugees had returned home from Uzbekistan by Sunday. "Refugees are beginning to return home more actively, but for now fear and insecurity are hindering them," Kurmanakun Matenov, chief of Kyrgyzstan's border guard, said.

AI and AIE call for 1. freedom for Azimzhan Askarov, 2. an independent investigation into the violent pogroms, and 3. more international aid. See also the reports of 18-19.06.2010.

21.06.2010. Kyrgyz police 'acting like wild animals' attack Uzbeks, kill 2. Kyrgyz government forces swept into an ethnic Uzbek village Monday, beating men and women with rifle butts in an assault that left at least two dead and more than 20 wounded, witnesses told the Associated Press. The allegations were among the strongest Uzbek claims of official collusion in ethnic rampages that killed as many as 2,000 people last week and forced nearly half of the region's roughly 800,000 Uzbeks to flee. The operation in the village of Nariman on the edge of the main southern city of Osh will likely discourage the Uzbeks from returning, and fuel tensions ahead of a crucial vote on a new constitution Sunday.

Kyrgyz authorities said they conducted the sweep in Nariman to track down suspected criminals that had taken refuge in the village. They said seven people were detained on suspicion of involvement in the killing of the head of the local police precinct a week ago. They did not immediately comment on the Uzbek charges of violence and brutality, but released images of men lying face down on the ground in a courtyard as uniformed troops armed with assault rifles stood by. Emil Kaptaganov, the self-appointed interim government's chief of staff, said that two people had offered resistance and were killed, and that 23 asked for medical assistance following the sweep in Nariman.

Aziza Abdirasulova of Kalym-Shaly, a respected human rights group based in the Kyrgyz capital, provided the same casualty count. She said she believed the mostly ethnic Kyrgyz police were taking revenge for the killing of their chief. "They were driven by revenge and were acting like wild animals," she said. A handful of ethnic Uzbek refugees from Osh fled to Nariman during the unrest, and the villagers put up three circles of barricades to stop attackers from entering. Madina Umarova, a 45-year-old resident of Nariman, said the troops wore brand-new uniforms and beat dozens of people, two of them to death. She named the victims as Sharaf Dustmatov and Kobil Turgunov. "In each house, they would beat men and women with rifle butts," Umarova said. "Soldiers set my passport on fire, they said we would not need them anymore."

Ethnic Uzbeks have accused security forces of standing by or even helping ethnic-majority Kyrgyz mobs as they slaughtered people and burned down neighborhoods. Military officials as mentioned rejected allegations of troop involvement in the riots and said the army didn't interfere in the conflict because it was not supposed to play the role of a police force. Hundreds of thousands of Uzbeks remain in grim camps on both sides of the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border, fearing to come back despite shortages of food and water and bad sanitary conditions. Their reluctance to return could undermine Sunday's referendum, seen as essential for the nation's stability.

"Instead of calming people down, (the authorities) are just creating disturbances. Nobody will go back home now, the refugees are afraid," said Mamyr Nizamov, head of an Uzbek council of elders in Osh. "When they come, the soldiers all say the same thing: that we have not earned our Kyrgyz citizenship and then they tear up our passports." Another Nariman resident, Alik Umorov, showed a fresh wound on his head, saying that a policeman beat him, took his cell phone and all his cash and stripped him of his passport. "The officer beat me over the head with a metal rod," Umorov said. "It's not my fault that I'm an Uzbek."

An AP photographer saw bloodstains on asphalt and floors, and smashed cars, windows and furniture in houses. "They knocked my husband's front teeth out, he's in the hospital now," Mukaddas Tuishieva, a 36-year-old housewife and a mother of three, said through tears. "If Kyrgyz soldiers are doing this to us, what am I going to tell my daughters, where am I going to take them?"

While the provisional government badly needs the vote to anchor its authority, it's facing strong opposition in the south. The police chief for the Osh region, Omurbek Suvanaliyev, harshly criticized the interim government's push for the referendum, saying it could trigger another wave of ethnic violence. "Tensions between the Kyrgyz and the Uzbek communities are high," said Suvanaliyev, who resigned Sunday in protest against holding the referendum. "The referendum could lead to new clashes."

Meanwhile, international aid continued arriving. The UN World Food Program delivered another planeload of aid to Osh, including food rations for 30,000 people. Since the outbreak of violence, the WFP has provided an estimated 54,000 people in Osh and Jalal-Abad with food assistance. It said it was opening a humanitarian hub in Osh.

The AI and AIE call for 1. freedom for Azimzhan Askarov, 2. an independent investigation into the violent pogroms, 3. more international aid and 4. an action to get rid of the 'brown elements' within the police and military. See also the reports of 18-20.06.2010.

22.06.2010. Human Rights Watch says Kyrgyz troops launch new raids of Uzbek areas in southern Kyrgyzstan. Thousands of Uzbek refugees from Kyrgyzstan's ethnic bloodshed trekked back across the Uzbek border to burned-out homes on Tuesday, their future uncertain.  Uzbek military officials said about 5,000 refugees crossed back into Kyrgyzstan voluntarily on Tuesday. A Kyrgyz border guard estimated 4,000 crossed, plus a further 2,000 on Monday. One Uzbek man in central Osh, watching a group of returning refugees stepping off a mini-bus, whispered: "Why the hell are they coming back? Don't they realize what awaits them here?"

As Kyrgyzstan's self-appointed interim government prepares for a June 27 referendum on constitutional reform, many of those returning were unsure where to go. Some huddled at the border, sheltering from the blazing sun, as they decided on their next move. "I don't know how I can live side-by-side with the Kyrgyz, but this is my native land," said 33-year-old housewife Minavar, an ethnic Uzbek, who declined to give her last name. Ethnic Uzbeks have blockaded themselves into parts of Osh, afraid of renewed violence. The interim government needs the referendum as a stepping stone towards presidential and parliamentary elections. Interim President Roza Otunbayeva visited the region for a second day. She has rejected calls from some officials for the referendum to be postponed, saying any delays would risk a return to violence. The 56-nation Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has said it will not send short-term observers to Kyrgyzstan for the referendum for security reasons.

But Badalova, one of the returning Uzbeks, said she would vote for change. "We worked before and we will work again, for our children. We will restore everything." Others were less sure of their future. "We do not know what life holds in store," Rafat Akhunova, a trader, said as she crossed back into Kyrgyzstan. "We have not had any rest for so long." Troops beat several dozen men and women in an Uzbek neighborhood in southern Kyrgyzstan's main city on Tuesday in a raid that deepened refugees' fears about returning to an area seared by an eruption of deadly ethnic violence, Human Rights Watch reported. Human Rights Watch researcher Anna Neistat said that Kyrgyz troops moved before dawn into the Cheryomushki neighborhood of Osh and broke into one of the few buildings in the area that was not reduced to scorched ruins by ethnic Kyrgyz mobs 10 days ago. The building has served as a shelter and makeshift hospital for the few remaining Uzbeks.

The Kyrgyz forces put all the men face down on the floor, beat them and detained 12, Neistat said. The attackers also beat some of the women and stole cash and valuables from them. Military spokesman Timur Sharshenaliev said that the troops detained 12 people suspected of illegal arms possession and stirring up mass riots. He said that such security sweeps are also being conducted in two other Uzbek neighborhoods in Osh on Tuesday. The raids followed the authorities' demand that ethnic Uzbeks remove barricades erected to protect their neighborhoods from rampaging mobs. Some of the barricades made of felled trees and burned vehicles have been removed. "It's inadmissible," Neistat told the Associated Press. "First they urge the removal of barricades, and then launch mopping up raids. Uzbeks are completely panicky."

Kyrgyzstan's interim President Roza Otunbayeva said the ethnic violence was triggered June 10 by supporters of former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev seeking to derail a vote approving a new constitution Sunday 27.06.2010. The United Nations, USA and other Western powers have strongly backed the referendum, a necessary step before parliamentary elections can be held in October. "It's hard to imagine how they can hold a referendum now when half of the population isn't here and others lack their IDs," Neistat said. The Anarchist International, AI, and the Anarchist International Embassy, AIE, agree with Human Rights Watch researcher Anna Neistat. Between 2,000 and 3,000 buildings were destroyed in Osh, according to a UN estimate, and many people lost their IDs in burned homes.

Kyrgyzstan as mentioned hosts the US Manas air base, a key support center for the fight against the Taleban used by most troops entering or leaving Afghanistan. A decree Otunbayeva signed Tuesday orders the creation of a state-owned company to provide the US air base with fuel, replacing a series of private intermediary firms set up under the deposed government. Kyrgyz prosecutors say that companies owned by a son of deposed President Kurmanbek Bakiyev avoided almost $80 million in taxes on aviation fuel sold to the Manas base.

The AI and AIE repeat the calls for 1. freedom for Azimzhan Askarov, 2. an independent investigation into the violent pogroms, 3. more international aid and 4. an action to get rid of the 'brown elements' within the Kyrgyz police and military. See also the reports of 18-21.06.2010.

23.06.2010. Tensions remain high. International police corps? Kyrgyz self-appointed interim authorities try to get Uzbeks to vote. Kyrgyzstan's self-declared interim authorities are urging ethnic Uzbeks to vote in this weekend's constitutional referendum, even though many of them fled their homes in the face of deadly attacks by Kyrgyz mobs. Kyrgyz officials pledged on Wednesday to work quickly to restore identification papers for the Uzbeks, many of whom lost them in houses torched by ethnic Kyrgyz mobs, i.e. attacking ochlarchists/ochlarchs. The recent ethnic violence as mentioned killed as many as 2,000 people and forced half of the region's 800,000 Uzbeks to flee for their lives. The self-appointed interim government needs the vote to secure its grip to power and prepare for October's parliamentary election.

Tensions remain high in Kyrgyzstan's ethnically-divided south where angry protesters have given the country's interim leader a stormy reception. The south is as mentioned a stronghold of ousted President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. Demonstrators said living standards had fallen since he was toppled in an uprising in April and Roza Otunbayeva's self-appointed administration came to power. They also rejected a referendum this Sunday on reforming the constitution. The vote is needed to guarantee stability in the Central Asian country, according to Otunbayeva. Critics claim it is aimed at strengthening her self-declared government and could cause fresh unrest.

The context could not be more explosive. Violence between Kyrgyz and ethnic Uzbek communities turned the cites of Jalal-Abad and Osh into a battleground earlier this month. Some of the 400,000 ethnic Uzbeks who sought refuge in neighboring Uzbekistan have been returning home. But a grim sight met many as they headed back over the border into southern Kyrgyzstan – widespread destruction and burned out homes. Kyrgyzstan's economy has taken a massive hit from the wave of ethnic violence this month and will suffer more unless the government finds ways of reconciling its two main ethnic groups, a United Nations economist said.

Kyrgyz security forces on Wednesday raided Uzbek neighborhoods in the strife-torn city of Osh for a third day as thousands more refugees streamed back to the scene of ethnic carnage in the strategic ex-Soviet state. Human rights workers in Osh said the raids had been accompanied by looting and more violence in the run-up to a crucial vote on how Kyrgyzstan will be governed.

International police corps? The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is leading talks involving European Union foreign ministers on the possible deployment of a police force in southern Kyrgyzstan, an OSCE official said. Different international organisations are ready for it," Kimmo Kiljunen, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's special representative for Central Asia, said on Wednesday. "The OSCE are leading negotiations on that issue. I know that the foreign ministers of the EU are already discussing the option that there would be police crisis management support for the country."

The AI and AIE call for 1. freedom for Azimzhan Askarov, 2. an independent investigation into the violent pogroms, 3. more international aid, 4. an action to get rid of the 'brown elements' within the Kyrgyz police and military, and 5. an international police corps. See also the reports of 18-22.06.2010.

24.06.2010. Heroin trade a backdrop to Kyrgyz violence. Kyrgyzstan says islamist groups sparked violence. Kyrgyzstan 'weak link' for extremists - security chief. US pledges millions in aid for Kyrgyzstan refugees. Anarchist comment.

Heroin trade a backdrop to Kyrgyz violence. Associated Press reports: This Central Asian nation where ethnic violence exploded in the south this month sits on a heroin road that snakes from Afghanistan to Western Europe. It creates a nexus of power and profit that some say may have contributed to the conditions leading to the rioting that may have left thousands dead and a million in need of humanitarian aid. Few suggest that drug money lay at the root of the unrest. But it is widely seen as a source of violent struggles between powerful rival groups in Kyrgyzstan - with recently deposed President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and his family some of the biggest players. Bakiyev's supporters have been accused by the interim government of sparking the unrest in the cities of Osh and Jalal-Abad in an effort to destabilize the nation. Officials and analysts say their role in the drug trade also means they stand to benefit from creating chaos in the south.

"The battle for power is also a battle for drug money," Kyrgyz deputy security service chief Khubat Baibulov told the Associated Press. "The violence of this battle increases when you are talking about big money." UN officials say the violence that broke out two weeks ago was intentionally provoked and risked shattering the fragile interim government. The narcotics trade is only one strand in a complex set of factors behind Kyrgyzstan's turmoil, but with big money at stake it is likely to frustrate any hopes of restoring stability to the impoverished, strategically located nation. The unrest began in the wake of a popular revolt in April that led to the overthrow of Bakiyev and sent members of his family scrambling for refuge from Kyrgyz prosecutors. Authorities and analysts have little doubt that Bakiyev and his relatives are at the heart of the drug trade.

"The whole Bakiyev family is involved in drug trafficking," said Alexander Knyazev, a respected independent political analyst in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital. "After Kurmanbek Bakiyev came to power, all drug lords were killed, and (his elder brother) Zhanybek Bakiyev consolidated most of the drug trafficking in his hands." Acting deputy prime minister and general prosecutor Azimbek Beknazarov also endorses the view that Bakiyev and his family have interests in the drug trade, although no specific criminal probes have yet been initiated into those allegations.

Heroin is transported to the south of Kyrgyzstan by a series of remote mountain routes. One road leads from a Tajik town on the Afghan border, Khorog, over the vast and rough terrain of the Pamir Mountains, across the border and then down to Osh. Another route goes from northern Tajikistan across the frontier into the Kyrgyz section of the Ferghana Valley, where Osh lies. Those roads are daily traversed by trucks carrying fruit and vegetables, which are frequently used to disguise large amounts of drugs. Rampant corruption also ensures that much of the contraband is not intercepted, meaning that seizures account for only a tiny fraction of the total amount trafficked. An estimated 20 metric tons of Afghan drugs transit through Kyrgyzstan every year, most destined for Russia, Western Europe and the United States, according to a US State Department report released in March.

More than a quarter of Kyrgyzstan's population lives under the poverty line and average monthly salaries are estimated by officials to hover around the $140 mark. Low incomes and poor labor prospects have made the drug trade an appealing option for Kyrgyz people living in rural areas ever since the collapse of Soviet Union robbed the country of direct financial support from Moscow. And with Afghan poppy production ever on the increase, much of the increased narcotics flow has been made up of heroin. Drug trafficking was a problem before Bakiyev came to power five years ago. But far from seeking to counter this rise in the illegal traffic, Bakiyev seemed only to have weakened the campaign by the disbanding of the relatively successful Drug Control Agency in October.

The move to place policing drugs under the tutelage of the Interior Ministry was described by the US State Department as a "significant blow to regional counternarcotics efforts," and provoked suspicions about the Bakiyev government's role in the drug trade. Former President Askar Akayev, who was himself toppled in the Tulip Revolution in 2005, maintains that Bakiyev gave drug lords in the country significant leeway in exchange for their support in bringing him to power. "The criminals stayed on to serve the Bakiyevs, to hunt down unwanted politicians and journalists," Akayev told the Associated Press in Moscow, referring to a string of contract-style killings of opposition leaders and independent reporters. Bakiyev's brothers Zhanybek and Akhmat "directly controlled the drug trade and all the top criminals," Akayev said. Although criticized for his corrupt rule, Akayev is recognized to have made some attempts at minimizing the influence of the drug trade on his country's economy.

Hoping to reverse the damage done by abolishing the Drug Control Agency, set up under Akayev in 2003 and part funded by the United Nation and the United States, interim President Roza Otunbayeva last week announced the body would be reconstituted. "The drug route passes along the Great Silk Road, but unfortunately today we all are busy with issues of regulation, humanitarian assistance, attempts to provide shelter for all, and so on, but drug barons are working at full capacity," Otunbayeva said. "That is why we are going to restore the national anti-narcotics agency, which Bakiyev recently disbanded." Restoring drug combat operations may help to partially stem the tidal wave of drugs washing through the country, but persistent political instability and violence will prove fatal to the success of those efforts.

Quelling public unrest in Kyrgyzstan has often meant having to making compromises with local powerbrokers, who in turn frequently have interests allied to criminal groups. That proposition seems to be at the heart of government claims that Bakiyev and his associates may have played a role in instigating ethnic riots, by hiring attackers to shoot at both Kyrgyz and Uzbeks, who have a history of ethnic tensions. Bakiyev, who is living in exile in Belarus, denies all involvement in the events.

The United Nations bolstered the claims by declaring that the fighting was "targeted and well-planned," and appeared to have begun with five simultaneous attacks in Osh by men wearing ski masks. The United States is urging an impartial international investigation into how the clashes were provoked.  Kyrgyzstan's security agency claimed Thursday that Bakiyev's relatives hired islamic militants to provoke the ethnic violence following a meeting in Afghanistan last month with representatives of the Taleban, islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and other groups. The agency provided no evidence.

Kyrgyzstan hosts the US Manas air base, a key support center for the fight against the Taleban that is used by most troops entering or leaving Afghanistan. The United States has been stung by the accusation that its military campaign in Afghanistan has inadvertently boosted the fortunes of heroin poppy cultivation there. The suggestion that it may have benefited strategically from cooperation with a Kyrgyz government involved in the drug trade is likely to come as a further embarrassment. Two State Department officials with knowledge of the region, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they are aware of the allegations against the Bakiyevs, but had no independent corroboration. The Drug Enforcement Agency refused to comment.

Kyrgyzstan says islamist groups sparked violence. Associated Press reports: Kyrgyzstan's security agency claimed Thursday that relatives of the toppled president colluded with the Taleban and other islamic militant movements to provoke the ethnic violence that has destabilized the Central Asian nation. The agency provided no evidence and there was no way of independently confirming the claim. Former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, now in exile in Belarus, has denied any role in the violence, which killed about 2,000 people and left 400,000 ethnic Uzbeks homeless. The security agency said two of Bakiyev's relatives met last month in Afghanistan with representatives of the Taleban, the islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and Tajik militants to discuss plans to trigger unrest in Kyrgyzstan. At the meeting in the Badakhshan region, they agreed that IMU forces would stir up violence and would be paid $30 million by the Bakiyevs, the agency said in a statement.

"The Bakiyev system has fallen, but his inner circle gave the order to international terrorist organizations to destabilize the situation in the country," interim security agency chief Keneshbek Duishebayev told reporters as the statement was distributed. The interim government, which overthrew Bakiyev in April, has accused him of setting off this month's bloodshed by hiring gunmen to shoot at both Kyrgyz and minority Uzbeks, who have a history of ethnic tensions. The government also claims the Bakiyev family is involved in the trafficking of heroin from Afghanistan. An estimated 20 metric tons of Afghan drugs are transported each year through southern Kyrgyzstan, where the rioting started June 10. Since the 1991 Soviet collapse the densely populated, impoverished and conservative Fergana Valley that Kyrgyzstan shares with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan has become a breeding ground for fundamentalist islamic groups, including the al-Qaeda-linked IMU.

The government's claim that the fighting was orchestrated was bolstered by the United Nations, which said it appeared to have begun with five simultaneous attacks by men wearing ski masks. The UN has not named the suspected instigator. US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who said the allegations of instigation needed to be taken seriously, did not rule out that Bakiyev's supporters were to blame. "Certainly the ouster of President Bakiyev some months ago left behind those who are still his loyalists and very much against the provisional government," she said last week.

The security chief said the Bakiyevs, international terrorist organizations and narco-traffickers each have their own reasons for wanting to see chaos in southern Kyrgyzstan. The Bakiyevs, whose stronghold was in the south, seek to return to power and reclaim their control over sources of wealth, Duishebayev said. The criminal groups believe it will be easier to move drugs through the region, while islamic militants want to expand their influence and overthrow secular governments, he said.

Kyrgyzstan 'weak link' for extremists - security chief. Reuters reports: Social, economic crises weaken Kyrgyzstan. Weak link could be exploited by terrorists. Kyrgyzstan is a weak link in Central Asia that could be exploited by extremists determined to create an islamic caliphate in the region bordering Afghanistan, the head of the country's security service said on Thursday. Keneshbek Dushebayev, head of the Kyrgyz National Security Service -- successor to the Soviet KGB -- said islamist militants have played a role in the wave of ethnic bloodshed that killed more than 250 people in Kyrgyzstan this month. "Over the last 20 years, Kyrgyzstan has been in a state of permanent social and economic crisis," Dushebayev said. "Because of this, Kyrgyzstan has been the weakest link for international terrorist organisations to carry out attacks."

The United States and Russia, which operate military air bases in Kyrgyzstan, are anxious the turmoil does not spread to other regions of Central Asia, a muslim but secular region lying on a drug-trafficking route from Afghanistan. Diplomats have said in private they are worried islamists could take advantage of Kyrgyzstan's lawlessness to gain strength but so far there have been no clear signs of such activity. No group has claimed responsibility for the violence. Several days of clashes in the south of the impoverished country has divided the Kyrgyz and Uzbek communities in the Ferghana valley where the two countries intertwine. About 400,000 fled, about a quarter of whom crossed into Uzbekistan. "International terrorist organisations have long sought to set up an islamic caliphate in Central Asia. All these problems we have in the south have offered fertile ground to carry out such attacks," Dushebayev told a news conference. But security analysts say the recent violence had nothing to do with islamist militancy and was unlikely to hand gains to extremist groups, because authorities in the region are on high alert and have kept such groups in check.

Coordinated attacks. The office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said on June 15 the violence began with coordinated attacks by unidentified individuals in balaclavas, which quickly spiralled into ethnic clashes between local Kyrgyz and Uzbeks. Dushebayev showed reporters automatic rifles, pistols, grenades and islamist literature that he said were seized this week during police raids on ethnic Uzbek communities in Osh, the epicentre of the violence. Security officials in Osh have said the raids were necessary to seize weapons and search for missing people. Ethnic Uzbeks and human rights officials have said the raids were heavy-handed and that residents were beaten and their homes looted. They also accused government troops of not protecting ethnic Uzbeks and sometimes even siding with the attackers. Reuters had no way of independently verifying the origin of the items on display, which included a large English-language poster saying "Prosperity and freedom for people of Uzbekistan".

Parts of Central Asia, gripped by poverty, have become more susceptible to extremist ideology in recent years. Banned groups, such as Hizb ut-Tahrir, enjoy some social support in the region, although they have little or no political weight. While saying extremists groups might have been involved, Dushebayev said he also believed forces loyal to Kurmanbek Bakiyev, the former president who was ousted in a popular revolt in April, had played a role in the violence. "Their pride has been hurt," the security chief said. "They want to regain their wealth and their power, no matter what." Bakiyev, in exile in Belarus, has denied these claims. Speaking in Minsk on Wednesday, he said it was impossible to determine who was responsible until a full investigation has been carried out. He said it was possible that drug traffickers and religious extremists could have been involved. "So far I have just been told that the spark was a simple fight between members of two ethnic groups," he said.

US pledges millions in aid for Kyrgyzstan refugees. BBC reports: The US government has pledged $48m (£32m) in aid to help ease the humanitarian crisis in Kyrgyzstan. The US state department said the money would be spent on serving the needs of some 400,000 people displaced by the recent ethnic violence in the south. Kyrgyzstan's interim authorities say as many as 2,000 people died in clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks. It is two weeks since violence began in the southern city of Osh. A state of emergency remains in force.

Volatile situation. The authorities say that of the estimated 100,000 who fled across the border into neighbouring Uzbekistan nearly all have returned to their homes. Many others have not, wary that more violence could be on the way. The authorities are under pressure to keep security tight in the build up to a referendum on constitutional reform planned for Sunday. Clearly not everything is going according to plan: the central election committee said six of its Uzbek workers were kidnapped briefly on Wednesday before being released unharmed. In all this, it is important to remember the volatile political situation this country finds itself in only three months since President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was overthrown after days of protests. The interim authorities - put to the test by the destabilising events of the last fortnight - now need to prove their worth by holding a peaceful referendum. The West has tentatively backed the vote.

Anarchist comment.

The Anarchist International, AI, and the Anarchist International Embassy, AIE, repeat the resolution of 18.06.2010: "In Kyrgyzstan, it is necessary that the antimilitarist corps, police and armed defense, concentrate on the fight against the militarist ultra-fascist gangs, including ethnic 'cleaners', mafia and jihadists, i.e. criminal ochlarchs/ochlarchists. Arrest the criminal ochlarchs/ochlarchists. Also get rid of 'brown elements' within the antimilitarist corps. An ultra-fascist 'strong man' must be avoided. AI and AIE once more remind about Antimilitarism - an anarchist approach, IJA 2 (38) and Direct action."

The AI and AIE also repeat the calls for 1. freedom for Azimzhan Askarov, 2. an independent investigation into the violent pogroms, 3. more international aid, 4. an action to get rid of the 'brown elements' within the Kyrgyz police and military, and 5. an international police corps. More information, see the reports of 18-23.06.2010.

25.06.2010. Uzbek refugees return to Kyrgyzstan, terrified of renewed violence. Tens of thousands of Uzbeks have been pushed out of refugee camps in Uzbekistan, where they fled after ethnic riots, to return to southern Kyrgyzstan. This week, a steady stream of Uzbek women and children trailed back into Kyrgyzstan through the border village of Suratash, carrying worn raffia bags full of possessions and sometimes food. But an estimated 1,800 houses have been destroyed by arson attacks in the main city of Osh alone. That leaves the returning Uzbeks in limbo, homeless and terrified of renewed violence.

26.06.2010. Referendum tomorrow. Kyrgyz self-appointed leaders take risky bet on referendum. Kyrgyzstan holds a referendum on a new constitution Sunday 27.06.2010, a risky gamble amid deadly ethnic tensions but one the self-declared interim government hopes will legitimize its power until new parliament elections in October. The Central Asian nation was on a high security alert for the vote, deploying almost 8,000 police officers and an equal number of defense volunteers to keep the peace. Checkpoints were set up throughout the capital, Bishkek, and in Osh and Jalal-Abad, two southern cities wracked by ethnic purges against minority Uzbeks earlier this month.

The vote - supported by the UN, the US and Russia - is seen as an important step on the road to democracy for the interim government. Still, questions remain about how successfully it can be held just weeks after violence left hundreds of Uzbeks dead and forced up to 400,000 to flee. The proposed constitution - the seventh that the former Soviet republic has seen in its 19 years of independence - does little to address the causes of the violence that swept the south. The document that has been touted by Kyrgyz officials as a transition from despotism to the region's first parliamentary democracy looks strikingly similar to the constitution drawn up by former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who was ousted in a bloody coup d'état three months ago.

It makes mostly cosmetic changes to parliament, limits the role of any one party to around 55 percent of the seats, and gives lawmakers some flimsy new levers of control over the presidency. But it does nothing to guarantee a greater role in politics for Uzbeks, who make up about 15 percent of the country's 5.5 million people but have long complained of being left out of the halls of power. For the leaders of the April coup d'état, and particularly for interim President Roza Otunbayeva, the vote is an effort to prolong and legitimize their rule. Otunbayeva's government proved incapable of quickly stopping the violence in the south and has done little to follow up on reports that security forces participated in the attacks on Uzbeks, who have been afraid to return to homes torched by mobs, i.e. ethnic 'cleaners', ultra-fascist ochlarchists/ochlarchs both within and outside the security forces.

Her government has accused Bakiyev's followers of instigating the violence to stop the referendum. Bakiyev, in exile, has denied any links to the purges, but his nephew has been charged with helping organize the deadly rioting. His son Maxim has also been arrested in Britain. Uzbeks have mostly supported the interim government, while Kyrgyz in the south backed Bakiyev.

It is hard to imagine a worse atmosphere for this experiment in democratic reform. Central Asia's Ferghana Valley, which stretches across Uzbekistan and parts of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, is a mosaic of dozens of ethnic groups, divided by Soviet dictator Josef Stalin's capricious re-drawing of the region's borders. Disputes over water and fertile soil in the valley have long fueled hostility among these groups, who have historically been restrained by one dictator or another. If the 2.4 million voters in Sunday's referendum further weaken Otunbayeva's government by voting 'no,' many fear another spasm of violence could erupt.

"All our elections turn into catastrophes," said Zainidin Kurmanov, the speaker of the Kyrgyz parliament. "The referendum is not the solution to the problem, and it is possible that the political fight will get much worse afterward." Whatever the results of the vote, various parties in the provisional government will likely begin jockeying ahead of parliamentary elections this fall, creating further divisions. Jan Nadolski, a top UN security adviser in Kyrgyzstan, said institutions like the World Bank cannot offer Kyrgyzstan support because no one can legally sign agreements. "We are interested in establishing a legal government or president as soon as possible, a partner for discussions with the international community," he said.

Attempts at unity have been made. Maj. Gen. Zamir Moldoshuyev addressed both Uzbeks and Kyrgyz at the central mosque in Osh on Friday, calling for national unity and urging people to vote. On Saturday, investigators began exhuming some bodies of those killed during rampages to identify them and help families seeking compensation. Some voters, like Zamira Koichiyeva, who heads a travel agency in Bishkek, remain hopeful that a 'yes' vote will bring true change. "People are tired of the totalitarian regime under the previous two presidents, who robbed practically the entire nation," Koichiyeva said. Both Bakiyev and his predecessor, Askar Akayev, who was overthrown during the so called "Tulip Revolution" of 2005, in reality a coup d'état and not really a revolution, filled top government posts with relatives and clansmen, enriching themselves while feeding popular anger against the government.

But other voters, say, communists and fascists, believe that only a strong hand, a 'strong man', can control the feuding clans and ethnic divisions that permeate public life in Central Asia. "There should be one person in charge," said Turdybek Osmanaliev, a civil servant in Bishkek. "We in Kyrgyzstan have not grown to the level of countries with parliamentary systems." Kyrgyzstan has seen a national ballot roughly once a year for the past decade, and many have long given up on the democratic process. Security guard Amir Abdurakhmanov said he will not vote. "What's the point," he said with a shrug. "It seems like we lose either way."

Experts warn proceeding with the vote could make the volatile situation in Kyrgystan even worse. In the southern city of Osh, the search continues for those killed in recent clashes between Kyrgyz and ethnic Uzbeks. There are 82 polling stations in the city – but none in Uzbek neighborhoods. Mobile ballot boxes will be delivered by the security forces – who many blame for the violence.

The anarchists 15.06.2010 declared "...The scale of the damage [in South Kyrgyzstan] is so vast ... that the AI and the AIE find it hard to see how a legitimate vote could be held in less than two weeks...". 22.06.2010 Human Rights Watch researcher Anna Neistat declared: "It's hard to imagine how they can hold a referendum now when half of the population [in South Kyrgyzstan] isn't here and others lack their IDs." The Anarchist International, AI, and the Anarchist International Embassy, AIE, agreed with Neistat.

27.06.2010. Kyrgyzstan approves new constitution. Anarchist comment. Kyrgyzstan on Sunday approved a new constitution following a nationwide referendum, the state-run Kabar news agency reported. The Kyrgyz government's interim head, Roza Otunbeava, told reporters that Sunday's referendum took place without any reported incidents, paving the way for democratic rule, the news agency reported. "We believe the referendum is valid. The new constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic has been approved," Otunbaeva said. According to Otunbaeva, the turnout was high at 65.1 percent or 1.7 million voters, Kabar reported. "It will not be an interim but a legal and legitimate government," she added. "We are leaving the word interim behind." In the city of Osh, the situation was tense Sunday. The Kyrgyz and Uzbek were out and about, but the Uzbek had not turned out to vote, according to witnesses.

"This was not a vote about the government or parliament, but about the constitution," the Anarchist International, AI, and the Anarchist International Embassy, AIE, declare. "The Otunbeava-government is still an interim self-appointed and self-declared government, and very far from an anarchist cabinet and central administration.

03.07.2010. Kyrgyzstan swears in caretaker president. Kyrgyzstan's provisional leader Roza Otunbayeva, was sworn in as president Saturday. She is not elected by the people in a president election, but came to power by angry mobs, ochlarchy, with a coup d'état. However in a national referendum last week, more than 90 percent of voters approved keeping her on as caretaker president and gave their support to the revamped constitution. Speaking after her inauguration, Otunbayeva, 59, hailed what she described as a momentous new era for Kyrgyzstan, which has endured months of political and ethnic violence since former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was deposed in a bloody uprising in April amid widespread anger over falling living standards and rampant corruption.

"In Kyrgyzstan, democracy is a system that has deep roots in the souls of the people," Otunbayeva told an audience of top government officials, diplomats and politicians. Over the course of her tenure as caretaker president, which lasts through to the end of 2011, Otunbayeva will oversee the implementation of a newly adopted constitution. The new founding law dilutes presidential powers in favor of a European-style parliamentary system, with less than 67% authoritarian degree, i.e. not totalitarian and extremist, as Kyrgyzstan today. But parliament rule and elections are not alone sufficient to achieve a non-totalitarian regime. Election of very significant rulers means a totalitarian and extremist system. "As president, I will spare no effort in creating a new political culture based on strict adherence to the rule of law," Otunbayeva said in a speech interrupted periodically by bouts of rhythmic clapping from the audience.

But before addressing some of her loftier ambitions, Otunbayeva will need to deal with the aftermath of ethnic clashes between majority ethnic Kyrgyz and the Uzbek minority last month, which left much of the southern city of Osh, Kyrgyzstan's second-largest, a smoldering ruin. "I promise that before the onset of cold weather, the Kyrgyz government will provide housing for all who lost the roofs over their head," she said. The official death toll from the violence that tore apart Osh and nearby Jalal-Abad currently stands at around 300, although Otunbayeva has said as many as 2,000 people may have died in the rioting. Most of the unrest involved mobs of ethnic Kyrgyz, ochlarchists/ochlarchs, trashing and setting fire to ethnic Uzbek neighborhoods, and some 400,000 people were displaced.

Over the coming week, Otunbayeva is set to form a new Cabinet. The new leadership will likely not feature top members of the current government, many of whom are expected to step aside as they prepare for parliamentary elections in October. Otunbayeva had appealed for prospective candidates in her interim Cabinet to resign, saying that is the only way to ensure a level playing field in the parliamentary vote. Otunbayeva, who will be prohibited from running for the presidency in elections planned for October 2011, started her political career in the twilight years of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev's rule as a low-level Communist Party functionary in Bishkek, formerly called Frunze. After the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, Otunbayeva quickly rose to influential positions, serving as her country's foreign minister and later as Kyrgyz ambassador to the United States and Britain. After returning to Kyrgyzstan, she became one of the leaders of the so called 2005 "Tulip Revolution", another coup d'état, that swept then-President Askar Akayev, a former physicist, from power and brought Bakiyev in. Within years, she grew disaffected with Bakiyev's increasingly authoritarian leadership and broke away to join the opposition.

04.07.2010. "The People's Democratic Republic of Kyrgyzstan", or was it North Korea? "In Kyrgyzstan, democracy is a system that has deep roots in the souls of the people," Roza Otunbayeva said 03.07.2010. The Anarchist International, AI, and the Anarchist International Embassy, remind a) the Kyrgyz mainly self-declared and self-appointed government, including the caretaker president Otunbayeva, b) international newsmedia and mandated persons in general, and c) anarchists, that authorities that speak most of democracy, often represent systems that are the quite opposite, totalitarian and extremist, say, the "People's Democratic Republic of Korea".

Ad Kyrgyzstan: The new rulers, oligarchy, of this totalitarian, extremist state will probably not move the system significantly in libertarian - real democratic - direction, from the long term structural estimate at ca 29,1 % libertarian degree, i.e. ca 70,9 % authoritarian degree, more than 666 per thousand authoritarian degree. The present dip of the libertarian degree, with chaos and bloodshed, seems however mainly to be over. But will there be a double dip? Continued rivaling oligarchy with ochlarchy?

16.07.2010. Brown Card to Constantino De Miguel and Euronews, that falsely report: "But people in your country [Kyrgyztan] are disappointed with democracy, after the rigged elections and the anarchy that followed, so how can you really gain their confidence?"

Rivaling oligarchy with ochlarchy (mob rule broadly defined), that has marred Kyrgyzstan, is a form of archy - authoritarian - at top down approach, and not anarchy - libertarian - a bottom up approach.

Chaos, disorder, mob rule (narrowly defined), lawlessness, the law of the jungle, criminality, riots, vandalism, arson, theft, corruption, drugs, mafia, terrorism, autocratic rule, the right to the strongest, antisocial tyrannic behavior, etc. i.e. different types of superiors and subordinates, a top - down approach, and thus not anarchy - a bottom up approach. The Greek rooted word for mob rule is ochlarchy. Ochlarchy is also used as a common word for all the authoritarian evils mentioned above i.e. mob rule broadly defined. Ochlarchy is clearly authoritarian, a top down approach - the opposite of anarchy, a bottom up approach - optimal order included.

To mix up opposites as anarchy and ochlarchy,  as outdated dictionaries and media often do, this time Constantino De Miguel and Euronews, is equally authoritarian as mixing up opposites as peace and war, as Big Brother did in Orwell's "1984" newspeak. It should be stopped, and the IAT-APT in such cases hands out a Brown Card, as free criticism of this authoritarian tendency, this time to Constantino De Miguel and Euronews. The Anarchist International, AI, and the International Anarchist Tribunal included the Anarchist Press Tribunal, IAT-APT, call on the international newsmedia and mandated persons to report fairly and objectively, and not with authoritarian newspeak, about anarchy, anarchism, anarchist and anarchists. More information about the Brown Card and anarchy vs chaos/ochlarchy, see the Oslo Convention and search for anarchy vs chaos at Anarchy-debate - Anarkidebatt . The IAT-APT homepage: Tribunal.

22.07.2010. OSCE will send an international police force to Kyrgyztan, after anarchists' and others request. Police in Kyrgyzstan have detained a brother of deposed President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, authorities said Thursday - the latest effort to solidify control over the country's tense south and dismantle the former leader's entourage. Hopes for sustained peace were further bolstered when the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe announced it would send an international police force to the southern region of the Central Asian nation. The Anarchist International, AI, and the Anarchist International Embassy, AIE, called for an international police corps 24.06.2010.

07.10.2010. Kyrgyzstan tense ahead of general election. Kyrgyzstan holds an election on Sunday 10.10.2010 that its leaders hope will unite the country – but which opponents fear could trigger volence and more islamist jihad extremism. The authorities outspoken aim is to create central Asia's first parliamentary democracy – a tall order in a country plagued by political and ethnic divisions. "It will probably take a long time before Kyrgyzstan becomes a semi-democracy, from the present ultra-authoritarian system, and even longer before the country achieves real-democracy, i.e. anarchy," says as pokespersom for the Anarchist International to AIIS.

Of the 29 parties in the running in Sunday's elections, at least half a dozen are expected to make it into a newly strengthened parliament, as an intensely fought and often ugly campaign draws to an end. Until a few months ago, only parties led by backers of the April coup d'état had any significant public profile and seemed destined to sweep any electoral contest. Although according to new election rules, no single party can win more than 65 of the 120 seats available, independent polls show that parties opposing the new constitutional arrangement could cobble together a workable majority.

In June 2010 as mentioned the tension erupted into clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks killing at least 400, mainly ethnic Uzbeks, and making many thousands homeless, and turned the once-bustling market town of Osh into a shadow of its former self. Interim leaders want a strong prime minister to unite the country. But there are fears the new model could expose the mountainous nation to further violence as rival factions struggle for power. Amid a volatile atmosphere, one opposition party said its headquarters was attacked by up to 50 men, some drunk, who smashed up equipment and roughed up guards. Neighbouring countries are watching nervously. Russia is suspicious of the new parliamentary model; China is also wary of mounting instability on its borders, and the Anarchist International also has doubts. Also, in an ominous warning of further possible unrest, New York-based Human Rights Watch warned on Thursday of the residual tension felt in the south.

Anarchist action! The coming new rulers, based on a parliament, of this totalitarian, extremist state, will probably not move the system significantly in libertarian direction, from the long term structural estimate at ca 29,1 % libertarian degree, i.e. ca 70,9 % authoritarian degree; ultra-authoritarian and extremist and with more than 666 per thousand authoritarian degree. As pointed out clearly in System theory and economic-political map - chapter V. B., parliament elections and a parliament are not sufficient conditions to do away with a totalitarian extremist economic-political system. The very significant dip of the libertarian degree in June, with ochlarchy, i.e. chaos and bloodshed, seems mainly to be over. But the Anarchist International warns against more ochlarchy, and calls on firm measures to avoid it.

It will probably be "business as usual" in Kyrgyzstan, and that will not be much in the interest of the people, seen as a class as opposed to the superiors in rank and/or income... The anarchists will however continue to support the people in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia in general, and world wide! Unite and fight!

The Anarchist International - AI/IFA and the Anarchist Confederation of Asia and the Middle East - ACAME, Kyrgyz section, call for direct actions by the people in Kyrgyzstan, for a movement of the social, i.e. economical and political/administrative, system in the country, in libertarian direction; and as part of a larger campaign: vote for the most libertarian parties and candidates, and boycott the most authoritarian, in the general election Sunday 10.10.2010! Fight now, tomorrow, and in the long run, with the aim to achieve anarchy in Kyrgyzstan, as, say, in Norway, the Swiss Confederation and Iceland, anarchies of low degree, and sooner or later even higher degree of anarchy! First it is a question of putting Kyrgyzstan on a road to anarchy, it will probably take years to achieve a significant higher libertarian degree...

10.10.2010. Kyrgyz vote in parliamentary election. Voters turned out in force Sunday in Kyrgyzstan for parliamentary elections to choose a new and somewhat empowered parliament that the government hopes will usher in a new era of democracy. The Anarchist International - AI/IFA and the Anarchist Confederation of Asia and the Middle East - ACAME, Kyrgyz section, have their doubts... The vote comes after an exhausting year of political turbulence and ethnic violence, i.e. severe ochlarchy, mainly in the south. Security has been tightened for the vote in the Central Asian nation in a bid to prevent any possible outbreaks of unrest. After casting her ballot in the capital, Bishkek, interim President Roza Otunbayeva said she was confident the vote would proceed without incident. "The whole election process has been transparent and open, which will deprive troublemakers the right to whip up political hysteria," she said.

Kyrgyzstan, which as mentioned hosts a strategically vital US air base near Afghanistan, is set to embrace a parliamentary system of governance. This may result in a departure from the strongman model exercised under President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who was ousted in April amid violent demonstrations over stagnant living standards and corruption. This severe ochlarchy was followed by a coup d'état, with interim President Roza Otunbayeva as new top ruler. Heading to cast his ballot a polling station at the agriculture institute in the southern city of Osh, 49-year old history teacher Ermek Suleimanov said the vote was a momentous turning point for the country. "If in the past voting was just a formality, now we will find out who the people really want to lead them," Suleimanov said. The Anarchist International - AI/IFA and the Anarchist Confederation of Asia and the Middle East - ACAME, Kyrgyz section, are noting that Suleimano is far from anarchist...

All eyes are on the southern cities of Osh and Jalal-Abad, where as mentioned violent clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and minority Uzbeks in June left more than 400 people dead, most of them Uzbeks, and displaced around 400,000 people. Truckloads of police drove into Osh throughout the night, boosting the presence of security forces in the city. In the ethnic Uzbek suburb of Sharq, a steady flow of voters headed to a local polling station Sunday morning on the site of a school burned down during the riots. "The elections are going on peacefully. The police are here to make sure everything goes calmly, so people can pick a party that will give them peace," said Lola Shermetova, an ethnic Uzbek campaign worker for the Ar-Namys party, which has campaigned on a law and order ticket.

International observers had worried that persisting tensions in the south could discourage many in the minority ethnic Uzbek community from casting their ballot. By the early afternoon, almost one-third of voters had turned out in Osh, indicating lively involvement in the poll. Speaking in Osh, Janez Lenarcic, who heads the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's election monitoring arm said he was encouraged by the peaceful conduct of the election. The risk going forward is that losing parties may refuse to address their electoral grievances through legal channels, but instead take to the streets. "It is important that [the voter's] will is reflected in the results and, ultimately, it is extremely important that everybody accepts such results," Lenarcic said.

Although voter turnout appeared high in Sharq, some were rather skeptical regarding the election. "I don't trust any of them. Nobody can assure safety," said Bakhrom Usanov, 34, adding that he chose to spoil his ballot instead of voting. In Uzbek neighborhoods, many of which devastated after being attacked and burned down by Kyrgyz mobs, many were hard at work Sunday rebuilding their homes - a key priority as winter approaches. The Anarchist International - AI/IFA and the Anarchist Confederation of Asia and the Middle East - ACAME, Kyrgyz section, are also skeptical...

Of the 29 parties in the running for the 120 seats available, around half a dozen are expected to gain seats. No party is likely to win much more than 15 percent of the vote or can be allotted more than 65 seats, meaning a coalition government is unavoidable. The arrangement was specifically designed from the outset to prevent any one party or leader acquiring a monopoly on power. However as mentioned, it is pointed out clearly in System theory and economic-political map - chapter V. B., that parliament elections and such a parliament are not sufficient conditions to do away with a totalitarian extremist economic-political system, typically with significant corruption and other forms of ochlarchy. A ruling oligarchy based on a parliament, say, with a strong prime minister, may very well be as ultra-authoritarian and totalitarian as a strongman presidential rule. The basic parameters of the Kyrgyz system, including the libertarian degree (= 100% - the authoritarian degree) may be hard to change significantly...

"For the first time, we have a wide choice of parties and candidates. Now nobody will be able to grab power," a somewhat naive 22-year old student Dinara Madumarova said at a polling station in the capital, Bishkek. For some, however, such a parliamentary system is a guarantee only of more chaos/ochlarchy. "With this parliament, it is going to be an even bigger mess. Everyone will try to grab what they can for themselves," said Adakhan Satybaldiyev, 65. The AI and ACAME, Kyrgyz section, fear Satybaldiyev is right.

Under the new system, the parliament will pick a prime minister and play a key role in forming the government. The elections have pitted a group of parties backing the recently amended constitution boosting the power of the legislature against parties that aim to restore the authority of the presidency. The pro-constitution camps include Ata-Meken and Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan, while their most prominent opponents are Ata-Zhurt, who are particularly popular in the south. Polls show both potential camps are running a close race, although the final makeup of the coalition may be subject to protracted negotiations. "In Kyrgyzstan, there is a very strong tribal system, and these different clans have yet to learn how to negotiate," said Bishkek-based political analyst Mars Sariyev. "Reaching a compromise is going be difficult." The AI and ACAME, Kyrgyz section, agree with Sariyev...

Within hours, transparent ballot boxes were filled with the two-foot-long voting sheets listing the dozens of parties taking part. International observers had worried that persisting tensions in the south could discourage many in the ethnic Uzbek community from casting their ballot. The Central Election Commission announced that by the closing of the polls more than 55 percent of eligible voters had cast their ballot. "That turnout is lower than usual in Kyrgyzstan, and you may wonder how representative this election is, and if the parliament operates inefficiently, Kyrgyzstan can expect a third coup d'état, or even a revolution by the people in libertarian direction. The latter is however not very likely, due to lack of significant and sufficient grassroots organizations, i.e. confederations of the people, seen as a class as opposed to the superiors economically and/or political/administrative - in income and/or rank, " a spokesperson for the Anarchist International - AI/IFA and the Anarchist Confederation of Asia and the Middle East - ACAME, Kyrgyz section, says to AIIS.

11.10.2010. General election - preliminary results. Kyrgyzstan's attempt to bring a parliamentary system to Central Asia got off to a rocky start Monday with an election surprise that handed a leading position to a nationalist party opposed to the country's new constitution. Kyrgyzstan, which as mentioned hosts a US air base vital to the Afghan war effort, voted Sunday to elect a new and empowered parliament with the right to approve a government and appoint a prime minister. However the success of the nationalist Ata-Zhurt party could set the stage for the reversal of recent successful efforts to dilute the powers of the presidency. Confounding expectations, the party pulled ahead with around 8.6 percent of eligible votes, with less than 3 percent of ballots left to count. The other four parties that appear to have overcome the 5 percent threshold of votes required to enter parliament were trailing slightly.

The authority of parliament was boosted after changes to the constitution were overwhelmingly approved in a nationwide referendum in June. That model sets the country apart from the other former Soviet republics in Central Asia, where power is usually held in the hands of ultra-authoritarian presidential rulers. But with Ata-Zhurt and other opponents of the new constitution faring well in the elections, there is a chance those changes could now be reversed. "The results of this election have set a bomb under the new parliamentary system," political analyst Toktogul Kakchekeev said. As mentioned, more than 55 percent of the country's 2.8 million eligible voters cast their ballot. The Central Election Commission has provided information on the percentage of votes based not on ballots cast but on the overall number of eligible voters.

The pro-Russia Ar-Namys party, which garnered 7.6 percent of eligible votes, is another vocal opponent of the parliamentary system and views it as a recipe for instability. Ar-Namys leader Feliks Kulov has been courted assiduously by Moscow, and his pre-eminence could spell trouble for the US base, whose presence in the former Soviet country has long been an irritant to Russia. Ata-Zhurt party leader Kamchibek Tashiyev has also spoken strongly against the US base, which serves as a key hub for fuel supplies and a transit point for troops traveling to Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the leader of the Respublika party, which came fourth with 7.1 percent, indicated that he was open to working in parliament. "There are no parties that we would rule out joining in a coalition," said Omurbek Babanov, a successful businessman who enjoyed a brief and troubled period as deputy prime minister under the Bakiyev regime.

Bartering and negotiations will be the order of the day in the coming days and weeks, and further surprises and shifts should be expected. Another surprise in the election was the mediocre performance of the parties that came to power and formed an interim government immediately after Bakiyev's ouster via a coup d'état. The Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan was trailing in second place with 8.2 percent of the eligible vote. The mainly socialist party Ata-Meken, which also backed Bakiyev's ouster and had been seen as the most likely winner of the election, was trailing others with only 5.8 percent of the eligible vote. The failure of these parties to claim a bigger share of the vote suggests popular disillusionment with the often stumbling and erratic style of crisis management they demonstrated while forming part of the interim government. Despite their lackluster showing, some major compromises might enable one or both parties getting into power, possibly by forging an alliance of convenience with Respublika.

Analysts have predicted that Ata-Zhurt could form an alliance with Ar-Namys and Respublika, although those parties will be eager to keep a comfortable distance from a party that is comprised in great part by former Bakiyev loyalists. Ata-Zhurt has vehemently denied receiving any funding from Bakiyev, who now lives in exile in Belarus, and insists that despite its nationalist credentials, it will work to pacify ethnic tensions. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's election-monitoring arm praised the elections Monday, saying they were marked by political pluralism that further entrenched democracy in the Central Asian nation. "I have observed many elections in Central Asia over the years, but this is the first election where I could not predict the outcome," said Morten Hoglund, who coordinated the short-term OSCE observer mission. Although the preliminary assessment was glowing overall, the OSCE noted some shortcomings in election laws and called on the Kyrgyz government to carry out comprehensive reforms.

"We see no indication of a significant shift in the fundamental parameters of the Kyrgyz system, including the libertarian degree at ca 29,1 %, i.e. ca 70,9 % authoritarian degree, due to this election so far," a spokesperson for the Anarchist International - AI/IFA and the Anarchist Confederation of Asia and the Middle East - ACAME, Kyrgyz section, says to AIIS.

12.10.2010. Forming a new government. As mentioned only five of the 29 participating parties won seats in parliament, and the most successful, Ata Zhurt, scored less than 10 percent of the total vote. Almost two-thirds of the electorate voted for parties that will not be represented. The 120 seats in parliament will be split proportionately between the five parties that passed the entry threshold. The fragmented result means the country is likely to be led by a coalition after much horse-trading. Even a coalition between two parties would not produce a majority. Mars Sariyev, an independent political analyst in Bishkek, said the three pro-parliamentary parties, the Social-Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan, Respublika and Ata Meken, could form a coalition in support of a strong prime minister. Ata Zhurt, whose members include former colleagues of exiled former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, and the Ar-Namys party of former Prime Minister Felix Kulov have both said they are opposed to weakening presidential powers. Kyrgyzstan's parliament must meet for its first session no later than 15 days after the final results of the election are known. Within a further 15 days, a parliamentary majority must put forward a candidate for prime minister.

Threat of violent ochlarchy. Critics of the vote say the threat of violence persists, particularly if parties believe they have been excluded from the new parliament or fail to win fair representation. A relatively free and transparent election has cut this risk significantly. The nationalist Ata Zhurt, popular among ethnic Kyrgyz in the south, won enough votes elsewhere to meet the stipulation that parties must score more than 0.5 percent in every region. "Had Ata Zhurt or Ar-Namys failed to get into parliament, there was a risk of disorder," Sariyev said. "The battle now will be inside parliament, and not on the streets." Ethnic Uzbeks see Kulov as their main representative. His close ties to Russia and his Ar-Namys party's promise of "the iron shield of the law" won many votes among Uzbeks living in burned-out regions of Osh. Nevertheless, attempts by criminal groups to foment violence or any visible rise in Kyrgyz nationalism could spark clashes. "If the Kyrgyz put the national issue to the forefront again, it will only get worse," said ethnic Uzbek Mairam Ibragimova, a 44-year-old single mother of two in Osh.

Superpower politics. The fate of the Manas US military air base, a vital cog in the NATO war effort in Afghanistan, will not be decided before the new parliament is formed and is likely to be the subject of much debate among rival parties. "A final decision will depend on the composition of the coalition government," said Omurbek Tekebayev, leader of the Ata Meken party. "Our party proposes to agree all positions with our partners in the government." Russia has been a strong critic of the parliamentary model, saying it would create factionalism as rival parties vie for power and leave the south of Kyrgyzstan vulnerable to a power grab by ethnic extremists or islamist militants. But Moscow will be encouraged by the strong performance of Kulov, whose Ar-Namys party finished a close third in the polls after campaigning on the platform of strong relations with the Kremlin. Moscow's voice will likely be heard in parliament.

Central Asian politics. Kyrgyzstan's neighbors, already uncomfortable with a restive neighbor on their doorstep, may feel threatened by the emergence of a parliamentary based system in the region. Such a government is likely to be unpredictable and subject to change, in stark contrast to the unflinching rule of veteran powerful presidents in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. A relatively successful parliamentary system in Kyrgyzstan might embolden opponents of the regimes in those countries to be more vocal. "It is a strong message and a political message, and it cannot be underestimated," said Morten Hoeglund, head of the delegation of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

"Due to a) the low turnout, loosely estimated to about 55%, and b) that almost two-thirds of the electorate voted for parties that will not be represented in the parliament, you may c) really wonder how representative this election is. And as mentioned, if the parliament operates inefficiently, Kyrgyzstan can expect a third coup d'état, or even a revolution by the people in libertarian direction. The latter is however not very likely, due to lack of significant and sufficient grassroots organizations, i.e. confederations of the people, seen as a class as opposed to the superiors economically and/or political/administrative - in income and/or rank. In Kyrgyzstan, there is a very strong, hierarchical, tribal system, with different clans, i.e. vertically organized, and very little real confederalist grassroots-organizations, i.e. horizontally organized," a spokesperson for the Anarchist International - AI/IFA and the Anarchist Confederation of Asia and the Middle East - ACAME, Kyrgyz section, says to AIIS.

13.10.2010 Later Tuesday Ata-Zhurt, a Kyrgyz nationalist party that won the most votes with 8.8 percent, urged all the parties that won the minimum 5 percent required to gain representation to join forces. "For our country to be united and not to collapse, and in order to stop recriminations, we should create a single and broad coalition with all the parties," Ata-Zhurt leader Kamchibek Tashiyev told a news conference. The anarchists predict heated horse-trading, especially since parliament will be the country's main decision-making body, wielding more power than the president. Interim President Roza Otunbayeva, in power since a bloody coup d'état which deposed then President Kurmanbek Bakiyev in April, said she will remain in office until December 31, 2011. Tashiyev said he was ready to cooperate with her, but suggested he could try to call another plebiscite "to ask the nation what it thinks." "We will prepare a constitution, depending on the form of government chosen by the people," he said without elaborating. Ata-Zhurt will have "a strong state power" to achieve stability and [much less likely] to overcome abject poverty.

Underscoring the discontent and potential for violence among voters of some parties that lost out, supporters of one movement rallied in the southern city of Osh, the scene of the worst ethnic violence in Kyrgyzstan's modern history. Wednesday the five Kyrgyz political parties that won seats in the new parliament have agreed to hold a vote recount that could permit a sixth party to government, an official from one of the parties said. "We will announce a vote recount by archaic means, as our grandfathers did, with abacuses in our hands," said Akylbek Zhaparov, one of the leaders of former Prime Minister Felix Kulov's Ar-Namys party. He said the results would be known in one or two days and that he did not rule out that the Butun Kyrgyzstan party, which came sixth in Sunday's election, could win parliamentary seats.

"As pointed out clearly in System theory and economic-political map - chapter V. B., parliament elections and such a little representative parliament are not sufficient conditions to do away with a totalitarian extremist economic-political system, typically with significant corruption and other forms of ochlarchy. A ruling oligarchy based on a little representative parliament, say, with a strong prime minister, may very well be as ultra-authoritarian and totalitarian as a strongman presidential rule. We see no indication of a significant shift in the fundamental parameters of the Kyrgyz system, including the libertarian degree at ca 29,1 %, i.e. ca 70,9 % authoritarian degree, due to this election. The basic parameters of the Kyrgyz system, including the libertarian degree (= 100% - the authoritarian degree) may be hard to change significantly," a spokesperson for the Anarchist International - AI/IFA and the Anarchist Confederation of Asia and the Middle East - ACAME, Kyrgyz section, says to AIIS.

19.10.2010. Butun Kyrgyzstan party rallied in Bishkek on Tuesday, accusing authorities of cheating it of seats in parliamentary elections and warning of possible upheavals in the former Soviet Central Asia state. The protest by some 2,500 supporters of the Butun Kyrgyzstan party underscored volatility in the impoverished nation after the violent overthrow of its president in April and the worst ethnic violence in its modern history in which 400 people were killed in June. Only five of 29 parties won seats in parliament in the October 10 poll. Over 60 percent of voters cast ballots for parties that failed to cross the five percent threshold qualifying them to enter parliament.

Butun Kyrgyzstan, which came sixth in the election, rallied in the center of the capital Bishkek, calling on authorities "to take a just decision." "We have been cheated by the authorities, but we will hold our actions within the framework of the law," Marat Kayipov, a Butun Kyrgyzstan leader, said through a loudspeaker from the back of a truck parked in a central square. "But if there is an unjust decision, we will change the authorities. We will give them one more day." Kyrgyzstan's central election commission, which has yet to announce final official results, called last week for verification of protocols from many polling stations after Butun Kyrgyzstan said it had been robbed of seats in the legislature. The new parliament must meet for its first session no later than 15 days after the final results of the election are known. Within a further 15 days, a parliamentary majority must put forward a candidate for prime minister.

The mainly muslim nation, divided regionally and ethnically and lying on a drug trafficking route out of Afghanistan, has shown in the past five years how easily it can slide into violence and severe ochlarchy. June as mentioned saw serious clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in the south. Threatening nationwide protests, Butun Kyrgyzstan, a.k.a United Kyrgyzstan, leader Adakhan Madumarov argues that his party passed the 5 percent threshold needed to enter parliament. The initial count showed it had 4.8 percent of the vote. Madumarov says his party lost merely because the total of 2.85 million voters previously announced appeared to have swollen by nearly 200,000 to more than 3 million. "I am warning -- the mood of the people is serious, their patience has run out," he told a news conference on Tuesday. "If [Akylbek] Sariyev and [Roza] Otunbayeva need great upheavals, if they carry on like this, they will get an adequate response," he said in a reference to the central election commission head and the country's interim leader.

A Butun Kyrgyzstan official said around 100 party activists had gone on hunger strike in Osh, the largest city in the south and the epicenter of the June ethnic violence. Alluding to violent ochlarchy when angry crowds and opposition leaders toppled veteran leader Askar Akayev in March 2005 and then President Kurmanbek Bakiyev in April this year, one protestor shouted at the rally: "If the election commission takes no just decision by the morning, there will be a third revolution [there have been two coup d'état based on ochlarchy, not any revolution yet]."

22.10.2010. Twelve supporters of the United [Butun] Kyrgyzstan party have started a hunger strike in Bishkek, demanding the party be recognized as having garnered enough votes to enter parliament. United Kyrgyzstan activists told RFE/RL that the hunger strikers are women. The hunger strike is being held in the apartment of one of the protesters. United Kyrgyzstan activists have been holding protests since October 13, the day after Kyrgyzstan Central Election Commission (CEC) chairman Akylbek Sariev announced that the party received votes from 4.84 percent of all registered voters, short of the minimum 5 percent required to enter parliament.

Meanwhile, United Kyrgyzstan officials claim that according to the CEC original announcement, 5 percent of total eligible voters is equal to 142,000 votes. United Kyrgyzstan officially received 145,455 votes. But on October 12, the CEC stated that 5 percent of total eligible voters is actually equal to 149,000 votes. United Kyrgyzstan members and supporters denounced the discrepancy and said they suspect the total number of eligible voters was changed to keep their party out of the parliament.
United Kyrgyzstan representatives told RFE/RL the protests will continue until the party's deputies receive their parliament mandates. International election-monitoring organizations and foreign governments assessed the election as free and fair, the first time parliamentary elections in Central Asia have received such a positive rating. "Arithmetic and technical errors were disclosed during verification of protocols, where human factor played a big role. These errors can not impact the results of the elections," CEC Chairman Akylbek Sariev said at the forum "Respect for Laws as Guarantee of Safety" held today in Bishkek. "After recount of all ballots, some parties may lose votes," the CEC Chair said.

The Central Election Commission is not ready to announce final election results yet. The statement was voiced by the CEC Chairman Sariev. He said "now the CEC must bring all these protocols in compliance with the law". He also stressed that representatives of political organizations recorded many violations during the comparing of test protocols with summary table. "There were cases when members of precinct election commissions mixed up numbers due to lack of experience. Now, we will bring all the things in compliance. Besides, a recount of votes will be made possible only on the basis of solid grounds. However, I do not see them," he stated. The Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan says violations were disclosed during verification of protocols of precinct election commissions. Justice Minister Salianova does not think that protraction in announcement of election results will lead to chaos, according to AKI-Press. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan calls for international investigation into June violence in southern Kyrgyzstan.

10.11.2010. A new and more powerful parliament convened for the first time in Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday, a small step in the former Soviet nation's rough path toward democratic reform. The president called for a government to be formed within two weeks but progress will be difficult: the fractious parties in parliament appear unlikely to settle on the make-up of a new coalition anytime soon. Kyrgyzstan, as mentioned a poor nation of some 5.5. million people bordering China, has been wracked by instability since the violent overthrow in April of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who was widely accused of corruption and despised for suppressing opposition. In June, voters approved a new constitution that develoved many presidential powers to the parliament and that increased the number of seats in the legislature, a small step toward transforming Kyrgyzstan from a strong presidential style of rule to a parliamentary system.

Events in the country are carefully scrutinized by the United States, which as mentioned has an important base outside the capital that acts as a vital supply stop for the war effort in Afghanistan. Russia also has a military facility in the country around 30 miles (50 kilometers) away from the US base. While trumpeting the virtues of democratic reform, the interim government that has ruled the country since Bakiyev's fall has struggled to maintain order. Clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and minority Uzbeks in the south of the country in June left more than 400 people dead, most of them Uzbeks, and displaced around 400,000 people. Although the powers of the head of state have been drastically neutered, interim president Roza Otunbayeva said earlier this week that her office still reserves the right to appoint the defense minister and the chief of the security services. The move indicates reluctance to relinquish complete presidential authority over the armed forces, whose role would become crucial in the event of renewed public unrest.

Speaking at the inaugural session, Otunbayeva called on deputies to form a government by the end of the month and to refrain from favoring partisan concerns."Party leaders must not act only in the interest of their parties and leadership, but also in the interests of the people," she said. The final results of October's vote, which were published last week, showed five parties claiming seats in the single-chamber parliament. The protests of United [Butun] Kyrgyzstan party were in vain. The avowedly nationalist Ata-Zhurt party, which includes several of Bakiyev's former colleagues among its ranks, unexpectedly won most seats. But with only 28 of the 120 seats, Ata-Zhurt will have to reach out for partners with which to form a coalition if it stands any chance of governing.

11.11.2010. Interim president of Kyrgyzstan Roza Otunbaeva tasked leader of the parliamentary faction of the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan (SPDK), Almazbek Atambaev, to form the coalition of majority in the Parliament, President's spokesman Sultan Kanazarov told AKIpress. Otunbaeva will task Ata Meken to form coalition in case the Social Democratic Party fails to do so in time.

PS. Government formation. The result was seen as setting the stage for a fractured legislature without much capacity for decision-making, with Ar-Namys likely to play the role of kingmaker. Following the election, SDPK, Respublika and Ata-Meken agreed on a coalition in late November. However, as soon as the coalition was officially agreed to on 2 December, it collapsed when it failed to elect a speaker of parliament (with only 58 of the 67 coalition MPs voting for the desginated speaker in a secret vote). On 15 December, Respublika announced it had successfully negotiated the creation of a coalition government with SDPK and Ata-Zhurt. SDPK's Almazbek Atambayev became Prime Minister with 92-seats in the 120-seat chamber, Ata-Zhurt's
Akhmatbek Keldibekov was chosen as Speaker of Parliament with 101 to 14 votes and Respublika's Omurbek Babanov would then become Deputy Prime Minister. The new government was approved later on the same day.

17.11.2010. Trial opens against deposed Kyrgyz president. A court in Kyrgyzstan has begun hearing the trial of the exiled former president on charges he ordered the deadly shooting of a crowd of demonstrators. Almost 90 people were killed during street violence in April that led to the overthrow of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who has since fled to Belarus. Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday outside a makeshift court in the capital of the Central Asian nation calling for retribution against Bakiyev and 27 other former officials on trial for involvement in the attempt to suppress the uprising. Prosecutors say Bakiyev ordered troops to open fire on the protesters. Defense lawyers are asking for 40 days' postponement to better prepare for the trial. Meanwhile parliamentary factions still hold consultations concerning formation of coalition majority, according to the acting Speaker.

12.12.2011. Presidential elections were held in Kyrgyzstan on 30 October 2011 to replace Interim President Roza Otunbayeva. It was won in the first round by the former Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev of the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan (SDPK). Under the new constitution, the presidential term is six years long, but re-election is barred. The election date was announced on 22 April 2010; a constitutional referendum to reduce presidential powers and strengthen democracy was held on 27 June 2010. On 19 May 2010, it was announced that the presidential elections would not be held on 10 October 2010 together with parliamentary elections, but rather in October 2011, and that Otunbayeva would remain president until 31 December 2011.

The Central Election Commission announced that eighty-three candidates filed to run in the election by the deadline of 16 August. 16 candidates were nominated by parties, while the rest self-nominated. The candidates would have to collect 30,000 signatures, pay a fee of 100,000 Kyrgyzstani soms and pass a televised language test to run for the office of president. Sixteen candidates then qualified to run in the election. The candidates included: Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev, party leader of the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan, who resigned his post in September to run for president. He is seen as the "flagbearer of reforms" that resulted in and from the new constitution. Former Emergency Situations Minister Kamchybek Tashiyev, party leader of Ata-Zhurt, Former head of State Security Adakhan Madumarov, Former Prosecutor-General Kubatbek Baibolov, Sooronbay Dyikanov, Former President of the Supreme Court Kurmanbek Osmonov and Former Mayor of Bishkek Marat Sultanov, The incumbent Otunbayeva has stated she would not run in the election. Omurbek Tekebayev, party leader of the opposition Ata Meken Socialist Party, declared he would not be a candidate for the presidency on 22 September.

Atambayev had the most funds for his campaign and gained a significant share of exposure, thus he said the election could be over in one round itself. He added that "I have bright hopes; it is time for our country to live, achieve harmony and flourish. People are tired of political battles and meetings." However Tashiyev and Adakha Madumarov have on multiple occasions suggested that there could be vote-rigging during the election. Tashiyev said that: "The main thing is that there should be no evidence of fraud and the election results must not be falsified."

Former Prime Minister Atambayev won the presidential election by a large margin in the first round and will become new President of Kyrgyzstan. Turnout was over 57%. Summary of the 30 October 2011 Kyrgyz Presidential election results:
CandidatesPartiesVotes
Almazbek AtambayevSocial Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan1,175,34463.24
Adakhan MadumarovUnited Kyrgyzstan274,43414.77
Kamchybek TashievAta-Zhurt266,19214.32
Temirbek AsanbekovMeken Yntymagy17,2010.93
Omurbek Suvanaliev16,1690.87
Tursunbai Bakir UuluErkin Kyrgyzstan15,5580.84
Kubatbek Baibolov15,3840.83
Anarbek KalmatovAr-Namys13,6230.73
Arstanbek AbdyldayevEl Uchun8,7590.47
Marat Imankulov5,7360.31
Kubanychbek Isabekov3,2880.18
Kurmanbek Osmonov2,4520.13
Akbaraly Aitikeyev2,1030.11
Torobaev Kolubaev1,9470.10
Sooronbai Dyykanov1,3580.07
Almazbek Karimov1,3100.07
Against all 9,4380.51
Total votes (turnout: 61.28%)1,858,596100.00
Source: IWPR, Central Election Commission

After voting, Atambayev said that: "A parliamentary system is more suited to the nomadic spirit of the people." Atambayev had more than 60% of the vote. His campaign spokesman Kadyr Toktogulov said that "Atambayev secured a national victory. There is a very small split in the amount of votes he got in the north and the south.

Irregularities: Douglas Wake, a monitor from the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, said that the election was competitive but there were some issues in regards to the voter lists and the transparency of the process. Sooronbay Dyikanov said that he could not vote because his name was not on the voter list: "The central election committee says this is a mistake, and regional election commissions are the ones who are responsible for this. At the same time he [Dyikanov] says that this is done
deliberately." There were numerous other voters who could not vote for the same reason. Adakhan Madumarov and five other candidates said they would reject the result as several people could not vote according to their"constitutional rights" and that there had been multiple voting.

16.12.2011. INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION - ITUC. Confrontation in Kazakhstan. The ITUC strongly condemns the acts of violence that occurred today in Zanaoen, Kazakhstan, and urges the authorities to take all necessary measures to settle the conflict peacefully. According to the information received by the ITUC, at least 10 people were killed Friday in violent clashes in an oil town in western Kazakhstan where workers have been protesting for higher wages for months, authorities said. Prosecutor General Askhat Daulbayev said in a statement that the mayor's office, a hotel and vehicles were set afire in Zhanaozen, a city of 90,000 in the far south-western corner of the energy-rich Central Asian nation.

"Several months' confrontation in Western Kazakhstan shows the failure of current institutional labour conflict resolution framework in the country," said ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow. "Such an extreme situation of tension and despair has provoked unrest, panic and chaos. Violence must stop immediately, and all the parties must recognise that the only way for the conflict resolution is open dialogue and negotiation. The government must move immediately to start that process." The ITUC represents 175 million workers in 153 countries and territories and has 308 national affiliates. The International Workers of the World mostly agrees with ITUC in this case.

10 killed in clashes in Kazakhstan oil town. At least 10 people were killed Friday in violent clashes between police and demonstrators in an oil town in western Kazakhstan where workers have been protesting for higher wages, authorities said. Prosecutor General Askhat Daulbayev said in a statement that the mayor's office, a hotel and vehicles were set afire in Zhanaozen, a city of 90,000 in the far southwestern corner of the energy-rich Central Asian nation. The clashes appear to be some of the largest unrest to hit the former Soviet republic since it gained independence in 1991. Contradictory accounts have emerged as to what precipitated the confrontation.

Daulbayev said police officers were attacked as they sought to quell a disturbance in the city center and were forced to fire their weapons on protesters. He said 10 people were killed. Roza Teletayeva, who said she was a former oil worker dismissed in June for taking part in a long-standing strike, told The Associated Press that a peaceful meeting of several hundred demonstrators was surrounded by police in the morning. "We had no idea what was going to happen, we were just standing peacefully and doing nothing," she said.

Teletayeva said police opened fire on the crowd and that she personally had seen at least five people who had been killed. Teletayeva said groups of angry young men later marched on the mayor's office and set it ablaze. Footage broadcast by satellite channel K+ showed men in worker's outfits charging a stage erected for festivities to mark the 20th anniversary of Kazakhstan's independence Friday. Daulbayev said the headquarters of OzenMunaiGaz oil company, where the demonstrators were formerly employed, was also set alight. A team of Interior Ministry investigators has flown to the town to identify and punish the organizers of the unrest and restore order, Daulbayev said.

Hundreds of workers at an oil facility controlled by the state-owned energy company KazMunaiGas in Zhanaozen have been protesting for better salaries and working conditions for more than six months. Almost 1,000 workers were fired in the summer for striking, but demonstrations have continued. President Nursultan Nazarbayev has kept a tight lid on any signs of public discontent during his 20 years of rule. The apparent scale of unrest in Zhanaozen will come as a shock to Nazarbayev's government, which has also been combating an unprecedented surge in radical Islamist-inspired violence in recent months.

In a sign that Kazakhstan's authoritarian government were attempting to contain information on developments in Zhanaozen, Internet users reported being unable to open independent news websites or Twitter. Virtually all domestic media failed to cover the events throughout Friday as lavish celebrations were taking place in the capital, Astana, several hundred kilometers (miles) away to mark the independence anniversary. Source: AP.

18.12.2011. Police fire on rioters in Kazakhstan, 1 killed. Authorities in Kazakhstan say police have opened fire on rioters in a town in the tense southwest of the country, leaving one person dead and 11 wounded. A statement from the prosecutor-general's office said the violence occurred Saturday in Shetpe, in the same region as the city of Zhanaozen where 11 people died in a clash with police on Friday. The statement said about 300 demostrators supporting the Zhanaozen victims blocked railroad traffic for several hours and after police tried to force them away, a group pf about 50 set a locomotive on fire, then moved into the town where they broke windows and set the municipal Christmas tree ablaze. The statement did not specify at what point police opened fire. Zhanaozen has been the site of a monthslong strike by oil workers. Source: AP.

This resolution will be updated. Follow the news, analysis and comments. Also feel free to distribute this resolution to your own network. Anarchist greetings - AIIS.

---

THE ANARCHIST INTERNATIONAL
www.anarchy.no

Qatar, Tunisia, Egypt and other Arab countries on the economic-political map

The popular revolt in Egypt - frequently updated...

International Action Day Tuesday February 8

The Anarchist International - AI/IFA, the Anarchist Confederation of Africa - ACA, the International Anarchist Tribunal - IAT-APT, the World Economic Council - WEC, the International Workers of the World - IWW and many other labor confederations are mobilizing for democracy in Egypt Tuesday February 8: International Day of Action for Democracy in Egypt. Join in with, say, a) demonstrations at Egyptian embassies, b) press on politicians to demand a development towards democracy in Egypt and to ensure that those responsible for the violent repression of peaceful demonstrations are brought to justice, c) send solidarity & protest-mails, d) etc.- direct actions in general - and e) most of all demand the departure of the present President and chaos-ruler Hosni Mubarak: Mubarak Out NOW!

"We will continue to push the international community to put pressure on the Egyptian regime to respect the wishes of the Egyptian people. Our support for a) Egypt's independent labor confederations, human rights organizations, anti-government protesters, our fellows in the Egyptian sections of ACA & IWW and the other forces for democracy, b) united in a People's Front against the present totalitarian fascist autocratic regime, c) is unwavering, and we are determined that there shall be no impunity for the persons, including the top ruler Hosni Mubarak, responsible for the killings, assaults and intimidation of innocent people," said L. Jakobsen S.G. ICC of IWW.

Full report from the Action Day, and the latest news...
Click here - Qatar, Tunisia, Egypt and other Arab countries on the economic-political map

This resolution has been discussed and analyzed since the first version was published in 2007, and was 15.02.2011 moved to IJA no 1 (41) - Click on the link below to see the updated resolution:

IJA 1/11 (41) Qatar, Tunisia, Egypt and other Arab countries on the economic-political map

---

THE ANARCHIST INTERNATIONAL
www.anarchy.no

The Anarchist International condemns Libyan dictator colonel Moammar Gadhafi's attempt to 'abolish' the Anarchy of Switzerland

Gadhafi [a.k.a. Gaddafi; Muammar al-Qaddafi] has asked the United Nations to 'abolish' Switzerland and share the land among its neighboring countries. The eccentric dictator has filed a motion with the UN saying the Alpine state should be wiped off the map and split among France, Italy and Germany. Gadhafi was set to present his bizarre plan when Libya took over the year-long presidency of the UN general Assembly on September 15 2009. He first mentioned his idea at the G8 summit in Italy in July. "Switzerland is a world mafia and not a state," he declared. It is true that Switzerland is not a state, but a confederation with a lot of direct democracy and an anarchy of low degree, but it is not an ochlarchy a.o.t. mafia. The degree of anarchy in Switzerland is about 53 %, and the authoritarian degree about 47%.

"It [Switzerland] is formed of an Italian community that should return to Italy, another German community that should return to Germany, and a third French community that should return to France", Gadhafi postulated. The Swiss Foreign Ministry described it as a single-minded campaign against Swiss interests. Swiss MP Christa Markwalder told the Swiss TV news programme 10 vor 10: "We are concerned that Libya will attempt to use its year-long presidency of the UN General Assembly to damage Switzerland's reputation." Relations between Switzerland and Libya crumbled after Gaddafi's son Hannibal, 33, and his pregnant wife were arrested in Geneva a year ago accused of assaulting a hotel chamber maid.

The Anarchist International condemns the Libyan dictator colonel Moammar Gadhafi's attempt to 'abolish' the Anarchy of Switzerland and his lies and smearstories that Switzerland is a mafia. Dictator colonel Moammar Gadhafi is the ruler of a left fascist totalitarian system in Libya, a lawless ochlarchy where the boss is always right, with about 67,5 % authoritarian degree (32,5% libertarian degree), and he is lying about direct democracy in his country. The Anarchist International condemns both dictator colonel Moammar Gadhafi and his left fascist totalitarian system, and calls for protests and revolt against him and his system, and support for the Anarchy of Switzerland in this matter. 03.09.2009.

More information, see http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1210936/Now-Colonel-Gaddafi-wants-abolish-Switzerland-Dictator-files-bizarre-motion-U-N.html

PS. 26.02.2010. Swiss face 'holy war' with Gadhafi's Libya. After two centuries of neutrality, Switzerland found itself in a bizarre and unprecedented situation Friday, facing a would-be "holy war" announced by Libya's Moammar Gadhafi. The Swiss cabinet declined to comment on Gadhafi's latest salvo in a simmering diplomatic saga stemming from the Geneva police's 2008 arrest and brief detainment of his son, Hannibal, and his wife for allegedly beating up their servants. Although Gadhafi's jihad declaration late Thursday was widely viewed as a stunt by a leader given to outlandish behavior, the danger is perhaps difficult to dismiss 100% in an era of islamic-Western foment over issues ranging from headdress bans in Europe to faraway Middle East disputes, Iran's nuclear program and Nordic newspapers' caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. But the Anarchist International so far see this as a bad joke from Gadhafi, and will thus not take any action at the moment.

The Swiss referendum suggesting a ban of minarets is condemned and declared not valid by the International Anarchist Tribunal and the Anarchist International

Anarchists are for real democracy, also direct democracy, i.e. voting not violating freedom and human rights interpreted in a libertarian way, see http://www.anarchy.no/anrights.html  . Swiss voters have supported a right populist (moderate fascist) referendum proposal to ban the building of new minarets, official results show 29.11.2009. More than 57% of voters and 22 out of 26 cantons voted in favour of the ban. The Swiss referendum suggesting a ban of minarets is clearly violating freedom and human rights and is thus condemned and declared not valid by the International Anarchist Tribunal and the Anarchist International. Nobody should pay attention to this unlawful referendum, a mockery of real democracy and direct democracy. Just build minarets, and let the right populists try pull them down, if they dare in front international condemnation! The authoritarian degree of the Swiss system, estimated to about 47%, may soon be adjusted up if the right populist tendency increases.

[ More information about the Swiss economic-political system, see "NORWAY AND SWITZERLAND: ANARCHIES OF LOW DEGREE", IJA 1 (37) , http://www.anarchy.no/ija137.html ]

---

The situation in Iran

Release the political prisoners in Iran! Do away with the fascist regime!

See (clik on) : http://www.anarchy.no/ija239.html

---

The situation in Georgia

A NOTE FROM THE
Anarchist International Embassy in Oslo
l'ambassade du monde libertaire
http://www.anarchy.no/embassy.html

After several days of protests, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has said that Presidential elections will now be held next January, however the state of emergency he imposed on Wednesday 07.11.2007 remains in force.  Demonstrations on Wednesday were brutally repressed by the authorities, leaving hundreds injured. The tremendous discontent in Georgia is a direct result of the misguided and failed policies of the government, which leaves no space for dialogue and has seriously undermined fundamental workers' rights. President Saakashvili must lift the state of emergency immediately, and ensure that human rights including the fundamental labor standards are fully respected.

At least one-third of the Georgian population lives below the poverty line, the official unemployment level is 16% (real unemployment is said to be considerably higher) and the pension is Euros 16 per month. Changes to the labor law mean that workers can be fired without any explanation or effective recourse, leading to widespread dissatisfaction over the government's performance. The labor laws are leading to fear and uncertainty amongst working people and their families, and the absence of social dialogue and basic rights and freedoms compounds this.  Unless Georgia fundamentally changes direction to become a stable democracy, and preferably a real democracy , i.e. anarchy, the situation will only get even worse. Again: The government of Georgia  must lift the state of emergency immediately and guarantee fundamental rights.

Regards ... Chargé d'affaires A. Quist of AIE

More information about the situation in Georgia, see (click on) http://www.anarchy.no/ija139.html

---

Ukraine on the economic-political map - Solidarity with Ukrainian miners and NPGK

by IIFOR 29.11.2008 - Updated

Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kyivan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent centuries. A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th century, most Ukrainian ethnographic territory was absorbed by the Russian Empire. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917, Ukraine was able to bring about a short-lived period of independence (1917-20), with a.o.t. a wide spread anarchist movement, but was reconquered and forced to endure a brutal Soviet rule that engineered two artificial famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for some 7 to 8 million more deaths.

Although final independence for Ukraine was achieved in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR, democracy remained elusive as the legacy of state control and endemic corruption stalled efforts at economic and political progress and civil liberties. A peaceful mass protest, the so called "Orange Revolution" in the closing months of 2004, forced the authorities to overturn a rigged presidential election and to allow a new internationally monitored vote that swept into power the nationalist-fascist Viktor Yushchenko. Yushchenko promised reforms, but little happened. Subsequent internal squabbles in the Yushchenko camp allowed his rival, the left-fascist Viktor Yanukovych, to stage a comeback in parliamentary elections and become prime minister in August of 2006.

An early legislative election, brought on by a political crisis in the spring of 2007, saw Yuliya Tymoshenko, as head of a right-fascist "Orange" coalition, installed as a new prime minister in December 2007. The left-fascist Viktor Yanukovych was elected president in a February 2010 run-off election that observers assessed as meeting most international standards. The following month, the Rada approved a vote of no-confidence prompting Yuliya Tymoshenko to resign from her post as prime minister.

Despite elections, Ukraine is very far from a real democracy, it has considerable authoritarianism. (Remember also Adolf Hitler was democratically elected...) Ukraine is a democracy in the name only, it is in reality a totalitarian economic-political system, with no real autonomy for the people as opposed to the upper classes, and no real socialism.

Ukraine is bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Romania, and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east. Environmental problems are: Inadequate supplies of potable water; air and water pollution; deforestation; radiation contamination in the northeast from 1986 accident at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Average life expectancy at birth for the total population is 68.06 years. Ethnic groups are: Ukrainian 77.8%, Russian 17.3%, Belarusian 0.6%, Moldovan 0.5%, Crimean Tatar 0.5%, Bulgarian 0.4%, Hungarian 0.3%, Romanian 0.3%, Polish 0.3%, Jewish 0.2%, other 1.8% (2001 census). Literacy above 15 years of age is 99.4% (2001 concensus).

The unemployment ratio is 2.3% officially registered; but there is a large number of unregistered or underemployed workers; the International Labor Organization calculates that Ukraine's real unemployment level is nearly 7% (2007 est.). Official (and probably far too low) estimates of the unemployment rates were 8.8% in 2009 and 8.4% in 2010. Gininindex, offical estimate, is 29 (2003), 31 (2006), however widespread corruption indicates a real Gini-index above 35. Population below poverty line was 35% (2009). In 2003 the GDP per capita at current exchange rate was estimated to 1 024 US $ and  the PPP at 5 491, according to UN statistics. In 2007 the figures were 3 028 and 7 000 according to the CIA-factbook. These figures, indicating an incredible growth rate, can hardly be trusted, but in any case the GDP per capita is relatively low, indicating low efficiency, a typical capitalist/economical plutarchist tendency.

There was however some real GDP growth in 2006-07, fueled by high global prices for steel - Ukraine's top export - and by strong domestic consumption, spurred by rising pensions and wages. The drop in steel prices and Ukraine's exposure to the global financial crisis due to aggressive foreign borrowing lowered growth in 2008 and the economy contracted more than 15% in 2009, among the worst economic performances in the world; some growth resumed in 2010, buoyed by exports. External conditions are likely to hamper efforts for economic recovery in 2011.

Labor legislation incompatible with international standards remains in place. Interference intensified in 2007-2008 both on behalf of the employers and the authorities. Several anti-union discrimination were reported. Although the government has made an effort to resolve some past violations, further cases of severe ochlarchy (mob rule broadly defined), i.e. harassment, intimidation and even physical assault, of trade union activists were reported. Labor union members are often subject to pressure and discrimination. This includes dismissals, transfers, demotions and deteriorating trade unionists' working conditions.

The figures and other data are quite uncertain, but all in all indicating a system with very large rank differences - and large, but somewhat less income differences, and it is relatively inefficient. The degree of capitalism is estimated to about 50,1% and the degree of statism is estimated to 82,6%, and thus the authoritarian degree is about 68,3%, and the libertarian degree about 31,7% . This is indicating a totalitarian left fascist system on the economic-political map. Totalitarian societies have systems with more than 66,7 % authoritarian degree. The system in Ukraine is however somewhat less authoritarian than in Georgia.

Solidarity with Ukrainian miners and NPGK

The authorities of Ukraine, political/adminstrative and/or economically, i.e. the capitalists/economical plutarchists, continue to attack the rights of the working class and independent labor confederations. The working class is the people, seen as a class as opposed to the superiors, the authorities, political/administrative and/or economically, i.e. in rank and/or income/wealth.

One of the independent labor confederations being severely attacked is the Independent Trade Union of Miners of Krivbass (NPGK), operating in the Dnipropetrovsk region, primarily in the mine "October" Krivoy Rog iron ore (KZhRK). The union brought together nearly 500 miners and actively defended the interests of the workers. However NPGK's main secretary Nikita Stotsky has not given in, he has already passed two dozen trials, requiring compliance with the legal rights of NPGK, and challenging the rulers, i.e. the administration and owners, of KZhRK.

The rulers of KZhRK, of which several are members or recently were the deputies of local authorities from the nationalist-fascist party "Our Ukraine", headed by former President Viktor Yushchenko, have actively supported the union leadership of NPGU. This corrupt union, NPGU, is closely associated with one of the largest financial and political groups in Ukraine, the right-fascist team around Yulia Tymoshenko, and is conducting an active policy of supporting "their" businessmen and politicians. On this background, the rulers of KZhRK and the bosses of NPGU by force seized the office of NPGK with all union possessions.

Hundreds of workers at KZHRK are struggling to restore the rights of their independent trade union. But the rulers, i.e. the company management, local government and the corrupt courts, do not back down. The International Workers of the World (IWW) demands that the rulers of "October" Krivoy Rog iron ore (KZhRK) restore all legitimate rights of NPGK, stop interfering in union activities, and return the union's rightful possessions! Hands off NPGK's main secretary Nikita Stotsky!

The International Workers of the World and its Ukrainian section call for an end of the present totalitarian left fascist regime with severe ochlarchy in Ukraine, and a steady and orderly movement of the social, i.e. economic and political/administrative - system towards real democracy, i.e. anarchy - a real revolution and a velvet revolution; and continued increased libertarian degree, see System theory - Chapter V. B.!

A development towards real democracy must be done by the people's actions - more and more, i.e. act with dignity, use real matter of fact arguments and add weight behind via direct actions, including mass actions & industrial actions, and via organization, dialog and elections! Junctions in this connection are the International Workers of the World and its Ukrainian section, as well as the independent labor movement in Ukraine in general, e.g. the Coordination Council of Workers' Movement of Ukraine (KSRD). This resolution is sent to a) the Ukrainian authorities, b) to international newsmedia and mandated persons in general, and c) to anarchists and syndicalists etc. world wide, 28.04.2011. The part of the resolution 'Solidarity with Ukrainian miners and NPGK' is also published at the homepage of IWW - Click here!

---

The Anarchist International Embassy in Oslo
l'ambassade du monde libertaire
http://www.anarchy.no/embassy.html

Yes - we have standards. USA however does not see the difference between
rotten brown economic-political apples and fresh apples

No membership in NATO for Georgia and Ukraine (brown)
from Antimilitarism - an anarchist approach
http://www.anarchy.no/ija238.html

Resolution unanimously decided upon by the
The International Anarchist Congress
The 10th Anarchist Biennial 29-30.11.2008

The AI and the AIE  have always, and still are, supporters of NATO-membership of Iceland, Norway, Denmark, etc., but at the same time have been against NATO and USA's support to fascist regimes as historically in Turkey, Greece, and Spain (Franco). The NATO and USA's support to Saakashvili's totalitarian right fascist regime in Georgia, with about 71,2% authoritarian degree, is a disgrace and must stop immediately. We declare no membership in NATO for Saakashvili's fascist regime in Georgia.  The totalitarian left fascist regime in Ukraine, with about 68,3 % authoritarian degree, is also too authoritarian for NATO membership. NATO should have no totalitarian regimes as members, i.e. with more than 66,7 % authoritarian degree.

We send the assurances of our greatests appreciations

Yours sincerely

Chargé d'affaires G. Johnson of AIE

---

Anarchist International protest against repression in Belarus

Belarus: The Anarchist International denounces brutality against demonstrators and arrests of labor activists and human right advocates. The Anarchist International (AI/IFA) has denounced the violent attacks by the police and the special security forces on demonstrators protesting over disputed presidential elections on Sunday 19.12.2010 in Minsk. Of the 20,000 people who took to the streets, more than 600 were arrested and detained, including labor activists, human rights advocates and journalists. 

The Anarchist International demands that all those detained be released without delay and the Lukashenko regime respect fundamental human rights, including freedom of association and freedom of assembly.  This kind of repression is totally unacceptable, and the international community must not let it go unchallenged! The Lukashenko regime's appalling record on trade union and other human rights has already led to an ILO Commission of Inquiry and the withdrawal of EU trade preferences under the GSP+ system.

---

The situation in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe  has a powerful president  and a parliamentary system that is democracy only in the name, not in reality. The president is both the chief of state and head of government. Cabinet is appointed by the president, it is however responsible to the House of Assembly. Another part of parliament is the Senate. Ethnic groups are African 98% (Shona 82%, Ndebele 14%, other 2%), mixed and Asian 1%, white less than 1%. Compared to, say, Kenya, Zimbabwe has now less of tribal hierarchies, discrimination and conflicts. A life expectancy at birth at only 36,9 years (1.8 million living with HIV/AIDS, 2001 estimate) combined with a very repressive political/administrative system in general, contribute to a low degree of autonomy. However a relatively high adult literacy rate at about 90%, (Kenya has 73,6%)  according to African standards, contributes to increase the degree of autonomy. The economic-political system of Kenya however  works very significantly  from the top downwards to the bottom, grassroots, all in all very significantly vertically organized economical and political/administrative.

The gini-index  is estimated to ca 56,8  indicating it is very significantly a capitalist country (more capitalist than the USA with a gini-index at 40,8 and Kenya at 42,5). The system has however been quite efficient (which lower the degree of capitalism) according to African standards, with a relatively high GDP per capita measured in US $ at current exchange rate, but this is partly due to an articificial high official exchange rate. The real efficiency is thus difficult to tell. (In 2005 the gini-index was 50,1, but the efficiency has fallen. In 2001 the PPP GDP per capita was 2 443 US $, compared to 1 037 US $ for Kenya in 2003. In 2007 the PPP GDP per capita in Zimbabwe was as low as 500 US $) . Environmental problems: Deforestation; soil erosion; land degradation; air and water pollution; the black rhinoceros herd - once the largest concentration of the species in the world - has been significantly reduced by poaching; poor mining practices have led to toxic waste and heavy metal pollution, also contribute to a high degree of capitalism.

The degree of capitalism is estimated to ca 78,5 %  (ca 21,5% socialism) and the degree of  statism is estimated to ca 76,1 % (degree of autonomy is ca 23,9 %), and thus the libertarian degree is estimated to ca 22,7% (the authoritarian degree is ca 77,3%). The system is all in all clearly  totalitarian, located in the ultra-fascist sector of the fascist quadrant of the economic-political map, see  http://www.anarchy.no/a_e_p_m.html . Zimbabwe is no 153 on the ranking of countries according to libertarian degree, see http://www.anarchy.no/ranking.html . In comparision Kenya has a libertarian degree at 20,3% (the authoritarian degree is ca 79,7%), and is ranked as no 181. These structural estimates are mostly based on the UN-HDI statistics from 2005, with data from 2003. At present the system of Zimabwe is probably even more authoritarian, closer to 80% authoritarian degree, and the country is probably among the 20 worst of countries with respect to libertarian degree. Even if the opposition comes into position in Zimbabwe it will take many years to make the system significantly less authoritarian.

Under government pressure, court denies bail to union leaders adopted as Amnesty International prisoners of conscience

IIFOR, the Anarchist International (AI) and the International Workers of the World (IWW/AI) criticize a Magistrate's decision on 12 May to keep labor confederation activists Lovemore Matombo and Wellington Chibebe in detention in Harare Remand Prison until 23 May.  The decision followed threats made by the Mugabe regime to overrule the court's decision if it granted bail to the union leaders, President and General Secretary respectively of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU). Matombo and Chibebe have been adopted by Amnesty International as prisoners of conscience. The two were arrested and interrogated for six hours, after voluntarily attending a police station on 8 May after armed police raided their homes. The arrests arise from May Day speeches made by Matombo and Chibebe.Yet again, the Mugabe regime is showing blatant disregard for the rule of law and fundamental labor rights enshrined in International Labour Organisation Conventions. The international anarchist movement condemns this latest act of aggression by the Zimbabwean authorities, which is intended to keep Robert Mugabe and his close cohort of hardline supporters in power in defiance of the will of the Zimbabwean people.

General Secretary of the Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) arrested

16.05.2008 - Pressure is high for labor activists in Zimbabwe. Raymond Majongwe, the General Secretary of the Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) and a member of the General Council of the ZCTU, has been arrested while ZCTU President Lovemore Matombo and Secretary General Wellington Chibebe are still in detention. Raymond Majongwe was apprehended by the police at the High Court of Zimbabwe in Harare today while he was attending the bail hearing of Lovemore Matombo and Wellington Chibebe. According to the information received, his arrest might be linked to PTUZ material concerning the violence and harassment of teachers at their workplaces during the current wave of political violence in the country.

Zimbabwe has an obligation to include a representative of the most representative workers' organization in this country to the 97th session of the International Labour Conference beginning on 28 May 2008. As the leaders of the ZCTU, the most representative international labor organization in Zimbabwe, Lovemore Matombo and Wellington Chibebe should be freed in order that they may fulfill their role as part of the Zimbabwe delegation. The international anarchist movement is monitoring the situation in Zimbabwe very closely, and calls for the immediate release of all detained trade unionists.

We IIFOR, AI and IWW/AI in this letter (e-mail) to the Ministry of Foreign Affaires of Zimbabwe and the Embassy in Stockholm, strongly urges President Mugabe to immediately release Mr. Lovemore Matombo, Mr. Wellington Chibebe and Raymond Majongwe and drop all charges against them.

Regards P. Johansen for IIFOR, A. Quist for AI and L. Jakobsen for IWW/AI

Reply from USUN

From: USUN, Public Affaires
To: IIFOR
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2008 10:57 PM
Subject: RE: Zimbabwe on the economic-political map. Release Matombo, Chibebe and Majongwe and drop all charges against them.

Thank you for sharing your concerns:

The United States remains troubled by election irregularities and growing incidents of reported violence and intimidation in Zimbabwe by state security forces and ruling party supporters against regime opponents.

The elections of March 29 underscore our grave cause for concern.  Based on publicly posted results, it is clear that the people of Zimbabwe voted overwhelmingly for change.  The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission must release the presidential election results and ensure their veracity in a transparent manner. 

Reports from our embassy in Harare cite unacceptable incidents of violence and intimidation, particularly in the rural areas.  These attacks appear to target individuals who voted for opposition party candidates.  Additionally, the government has imposed a ban on all rallies and demonstrations, which provide further evidence that the regime once again exerts a chokehold on Zimbabweans' basic right to constructively express justifiable grievances. Such brutality and coercion is unacceptable and has no place in a democratic society.

We call upon the government and all other parties to desist from violence and intimidation, act with restraint, respect human rights and allow the electoral process to continue unfettered.  We will hold accountable those responsible for violence.  We commend the Zimbabwean people for their patience during these delays and strongly urge that their views and democratic preferences be accurately reflected in the outcome of the elections.

Thank you again for your active interest and engagement on this issue tremendous of global importance.  For more on the United States Mission to the United Nations, please visit www.usunnewyork.usmission.gov .  

Respectfully,
United States Mission to the UN
Office of Press and Public Diplomacy

Labor activists granted bail, but denied right to adress "political gatherings"

19.05.2008 - Zimbabwean High Court Judge, Justice Ben Hlatshwayo today granted Z$20 billion bail each to two Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) leaders' who were are facing charges of "inciting the public to rise against the government and communicating falsehoods".  The judge's decision comes after a Harare Magistrate, Olivia Mariga, had on Monday 12 May 2008, kept ZCTU President Lovemore Matombo and ZCTU General Secretary Wellington Chibebe in detention claiming that they were not suitable for bail. As part of the conditions for granting bail, Justice Hlatshwayo said the two were being barred to "address any political gathering until this matter is finalized". They were also ordered to reside at their given home addresses and not to "interfere" with any state witnesses.

We welcome the decision to grant bail to the two ZCTU leaders, however the decision to forbid them to attend "political gatherings" as a condition of their bail is completely unacceptable. The ZCTU leaders were charged with inciting people to rise against the government and falsehoods after they told workers gathered at Dzivaresekwa Stadium on May 1, 2008 that people were being killed during the current wave of political violence in the country.

The two ZCTU leaders were arrested after they presented themselves to the police on Thursday 8 May 2008 where they were initially interrogated for more than six hours before charges were laid against them. They had availed themselves to the police after armed police had visited their residences searching for them. The leaders were held at Harare Remand Prison. The High Court Judge heard the bail application on Thursday 16 May 2008, but deferred the verdict to today. The matter will be heard on 23 May 2008 at Harare Magistrate's Courts. The international pressure in this matter has probably worked, and we are keeping up the pressure.

23.05.3008 - The trial of Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions' (ZCTU) President Lovemore Matombo and Secretary-General Wellington Chibebe was today scheduled for 23 June by the country's High Court, after the union leaders provided proof that they were scheduled to attend the ILO's International Labour Conference which runs from 28 May to 13 June in Geneva. The two remain barred from addressing any political gathering.

IIFOR, AI and IWW/AI have also expressed support for a campaign to end violence in Zimbabwe and show solidarity with its people. The campaign will be launched at a series of national events in Africa and elsewhere on Africa Day, 25 May, when people are being asked to "Stand Up For Zimbabwe".

23.06.2008 - International criticism is mounting on Zimbabwe after opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out of a presidential run-off because of pre-poll violence. Saying he could not ask his voters to risk their lives, Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out of the race, a move that seemed intended to force action from other nations and organizations. We strongly urge UN and other actions over president Robert Mugabe's illegitimate regime.

The trial of Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) President Lovemore Matombo and Secretary General Wellington Chibebe, scheduled for a hearing today, has been delayed by a week.  The two labor activists, charged with "communicating falsehoods" and "inciting the public to rise against the government", appeared today at Harare Magistrates' Court only to find that the magistrate expected to hear the case, and the state prosecutor, were absent. After several hours wait, another magistrate took up the matter and postponed the hearing until 30 June.

Labor confederations in southern Africa and several other countries protested to Zimbabwe embassies today over the trial of Matombo and Chibebe, as the crisis in Zimbabwe deepened and MDC opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew from the presidential election.  

The MDC cited a campaign of violence and terror by the Zimbabwean military and militia aligned with the ruling party of Robert Mugabe.  According to the MDC, some 3,000 militia bases have been set up around the country to stop the opposition's election campaign through beatings and intimidation, the opposition is being denied media coverage by the authorities, and a series of steps have been taken by Mugabe's ZANU-PF Party to exert total control over the election process.  Some 200,000 Zimbabweans are believed to have been displaced during the latest round of violence, and around 2,000 MDC officials and members are believed to be currently in detention.

Citing the dozens of politically-motivated killings, ZCTU General Council members meeting last Friday stated that the level of violence has reached "alarming if not catastrophic proportions" and declared that the ZCTU "would not accept the outcome of a flawed election".

The U.N. Security Council has unanimously condemned the Zimbabwean government because of violence that has marred the campaign leading up to a scheduled presidential election runoff, which forced the withdrawal of the opposition candidate from the race. Tsvangirai took refuge at the Dutch Embassy in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare on Sunday night. The council's statement - issued late Monday - questioned the legitimacy of any election held under such circumstances but did not directly call for the runoff, scheduled for Friday, to be postponed. Earlier, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon made that appeal, saying the vote runoff as currently scheduled "would only deepen divisions within the country and produce a result that could not be seen as credible."

24.06.2008 - Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai says he will leave the Dutch embassy in Harare in the next 48 hours. He said the Dutch ambassador had received assurances from the Zimbabwe authorities about his safety. Meanwhile, an African election observer said torture was "the order of the day" in Zimbabwe.

ANC 'dismayed' by Zimbabwe crisis: South Africa's governing ANC party has accused the Zimbabwean government of "riding roughshod" over democracy and said a fair election is not possible. This is the strongest statement so far by the ANC on Zimbabwe and a sign of mounting diplomatic pressure on its government. The ANC said it was "deeply dismayed by the actions of the Zimbabwean government - which is riding roughshod over hard-won democratic rights". It said it could not remain "indifferent to the flagrant violation of every principle of democratic governance". And the party referred to "compelling evidence of violence, intimidation and outright terror". The comments come a day after the UN Security Council unanimously agreed to condemn the violence in Zimbabwe and said a fair election would be "impossible". Coming from South Africa - the most powerful country in the region - the ANC statement is a further sign of President Mugabe's growing isolation. Zimbabwe's opposition is hoping neighbouring countries will put pressure on President Robert Mugabe to step down. In the past they supported him. How are relations now? 

South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki is the key Zimbabwe mediator. He has refused to criticize Robert Mugabe but the ruling ANC and trade unions have urged him to take a stronger line. Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa has taken the region's strongest line on Zimbabwe. He says Zimbabwe is a regional "embarrassment". Angola's President Jose Eduardo dos Santos is one of Robert Mugabe's closest allies - they fought colonialism together in the 1970s. He has urged Mr Mugabe to stop the violence. Botswana has summoned a Zimbabwean envoy to complain about the political violence. It has been supportive of Zimbabwe's opposition. Namibia is a close ally of Zimbabwe - it, too, is planning to redistribute white-owned farms to black villagers. It has not criticized the election violence. Mozambique has hosted some white farmers forced from Zimbabwe and is seen as relatively sympathetic to Zimbabwe's opposition. Tanzania's ruling party has a long history of close ties to Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party and its foreign minister has condemned the violence. DR Congo's President Joseph Kabila is an ally of Robert Mugabe, who sent troops to help his father, Laurent Kabila, fight rebels. Malawi is seen as neutral. But some 3m people of Malawian origin are in Zimbabwe, mostly farmworkers who have lost their jobs and were often assaulted during farm invasions.

25.06.2008 - Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai called Wednesday for armed international peacekeepers to secure a new presidential election in the country where violence has marred a runoff set for this week. "We do not want armed conflict, but the people of Zimbabwe need the words of indignation from global leaders to be backed by the moral rectitude of military force," Tsvangirai wrote in Wednesday's edition of the British newspaper The Guardian. "Such a force would be in the role of peacekeepers, not troublemakers. They would separate the people from their oppressors and cast the protective shield around the democratic process for which Zimbabwe yearns." Tsvangirai  said also Zimbabwe would "break" if the world did not come to its aid.

Southern African leaders will hold an emergency meeting in Swaziland's capital Mbabane on Wednesday to discuss the crisis in Zimbabwe, officials said.The Mbabane meeting has been called by the leading regional body, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), amid mounting international pressure on Mugabe to resolve his country's political turmoil and economic meltdown. The leaders of Tanzania, Angola and Swaziland would attend the meeting in their capacity as the SADC's troika organ on politics, defense and security, the Tanzanian government said in a statement. "Others who have been invited to attend the meeting are the current SADC chairman, [ President] Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia, and the SADC mediator for Zimbabwe, [President] Thabo Mbeki of South Africa," said the statement. "The meeting will discuss how the SADC and its troika organ on politics, defense and security can help Zimbabwe to get out of its current state of conflict."

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission ruled later on Wednesday that Friday's presidential runoff will proceed as planned despite the withdrawal of opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai, according to the panel's chairman. "The commission met today to deliberate on the contents and letter [from] Tsvangirai," Election Commission Chairman George Chiweshe told reporters at a news conference. "It was unanimously agreed that withdrawal was well out of time and for that reason, the withdrawal was of no legal force." Despite his withdrawal, Tsvangirai's name will remain on the ballots because they are already printed, the commission said. Tsvangirai has however made it clear he does not participate in the election. He returned to the Dutch Embassy after leaving briefly Wednesday and holding a news conference at his home. It was the first time he had left the embassy since Sunday, when he arrived there seeking refuge. Tsvangirai has said he would be open to a range of political options -  including a postponed election under "acceptable" conditions or a negotiated transition of power. At his news conference Wednesday, the MDC leader made four demands: - The violence must stop immediately; - Emergency humanitarian organizations must be allowed to operate freely and without hindrance throughout the country; - All political prisoners must be freed immediately; and - Parliament and Senate must be sworn in and begin working on the people's business. He called on international leaders to intervene, specifically the African Union and the Southern African Development Community, a regional body of 14 southern African nations.

Tsvangirai also has as mentioned asked the United Nations to send a peacekeeping force to Zimbabwe. The United Nations has not responded to his request, he said Wednesday, asking the international body to "urgently" consider it. Nobel peace laureate Desmond Tutu labeled Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe "Frankenstein" and called for other countries to intervene before the country descended into bloodshed. Former South African President Nelson Mandela called the violent political crisis "a tragic failure of leadership." The Southern African Development Community (SADC) warned that the violence in Zimbabwe may "undermine the credibility and legitimacy" of the runoff, and the group urged Zimbabwean authorities to "consider" postponing it.

On Wednesday morning, the British newspaper The Guardian published an editorial it said was penned by Tsvangirai that called the situation in Zimbabwe, see above. But later Wednesday, Tsvangirai denied having written it and said that although "credible sources" had told The Guardian he was the author, "this was not the case." "An article that appeared in my name, published in the Guardian ... does not reflect my position or opinions regarding solutions to the Zimbabwean crisis," he said.

26.06.2008 - The anarchists, anarcho-syndicalists included, strongly support Tsvangirai's position. - Mugabe rejects poll delay calls. Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has brushed aside last minute calls for Friday's disputed presidential run-off election to be postponed or called off. Amid continuing violence on its supporters, the MDC has as mentioned withdrawn from the contest. However, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai said his supporters should vote rather than face violent reprisals. The government blames the MDC for the violence, and on Thursday the police accused Britain and the US of backing MDC plans to disrupt Friday's voting. MDC secretary-general Tendai Biti went free on bail Thursday after more than two weeks behind bars.

27.06.2008 - Zimbabweans vote under threat of violence. Zimbabweans in a Harare township were being forced to vote by members of Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party in Friday's presidential runoff election.  People in Harare's Mbare township were being told that they would be removed from their homes if they didn't vote. Early reports from some polling stations seemed to indicate low voter turnout. The vote comes three months after Mugabe finished second to Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), in the initial ballot. Tsvangirai scored nearly 48 percent of the vote to the president's 43 percent. The MDC has said at least 86 of its supporters have been killed, 10,000 wounded and 200,000 displaced. Robert Mugabe is the sole candidate in the election, and will thus win. The European Union dismissed the vote as a "sham" and the US and Germany say the UN will consider sanctions. The anarchists agree with EU that the election is a sham.

28.06.2008 - Mugabe 'preparing to be sworn in'. Robert Mugabe is expected to be sworn in as Zimbabwe's president on Sunday, following his victory in an election boycotted by the opposition candidate. Government sources say Mr Mugabe has won by a huge margin in the vote, which has been widely condemned as a sham. Reports suggest a large number of spoiled ballot papers. President Bush today called Zimbabwe's runoff presidential election a "sham" and said he would push for additional sanctions against the country's government.

29.06.2008 - Robert Mugabe has been sworn in for a new five-year term as Zimbabwe's president after election officials declared a landslide victory for him. The ceremony took place at Mr Mugabe's State House residence in the capital Harare. Results showed Mr Mugabe won 85% of the vote, but many ballots were spoiled. Official results were: Robert Mugabe: 2,150,269; Morgan Tsvangirai: 233,000; Spoiled ballots: 131,481; Voter turnout: 42.37% - Source: Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. Mr Mugabe is expected to fly to Egypt to attend an African Union summit which opens on Monday. Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr programme, former Archbishop of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu, said that African Union leaders should refuse to recognize Robert Mugabe as legitimate president of Zimbabwe. "If you were to have a unanimous voice, saying quite clearly to Mr Mugabe... you are illegitimate and we will not recognize your administration in any shape or form - I think that would be a very, very powerful signal and would really strengthen the hand of the international community." Tutu said. The anarchists support Tutus point of view and do not recognize Mugabe as legitimate president.

02.07.2008 - No AU sanctions. This week's African Union summit in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el Sheikh was dominated by the problems of Zimbabwe. Coming just three days after the country's highly controversial second-round vote, this was Robert Mugabe's first international appearance since being re-elected president. In public, most of his colleagues simply ignored him, but behind closed doors he was obliged to sit and listen to trenchant criticism of the way he had been returned to power. Delegates who attended the closed debate said that Mr Mugabe was given the chance to respond to the criticisms, which he did at considerable length. He must have been persuasive, since the resolution which emerged at the end of the session was as favourable as he could have wished. It expressed concern about the criticism by observer groups of the conduct of the elections, but did not pronounce them illegitimate. It made no mention of any sanctions against Mr Mugabe's government, only encouraging the parties to honour their commitment to participate in dialogue, and supporting the call for a government of national unity. It also warmly endorsed the role of intermediary held by South African President Thabo Mbeki. The African Union proceeds by consensus, not majority vote, and there was clearly no consensus for any kind of sanctions.

15.07.2009 - Tsvangirai seeks wider mediation. Mr Tsvangirai reiterated his earlier claim that Zimbabwe was under the control of a military junta as reports of violence continue. The MDC leader said the Joint Operations Command (JOC) - a committee of Mr Mugabe's military chiefs - was running the country. He again called for more African Union (AU) input at talks aimed at forming a unity government after disputed polls. South African mediators want the two sides to start full negotiations before the head of African Union Commission Jean Ping visits Pretoria later this week. The opposition says it will not enter full talks until the violence stops.

16.07.2008 - Inflation etc. Official figures show that inflation has soared to an annual rate of 2,200,000%. The prospect of wider international sanctions that probably would have forced Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF's government to deal with the opposition was derailed by Russia and China. Last week, Russia and China vetoed a resolution at the UN Security Council to impose targeted sanctions on Mr Mugabe and 13 of his allies. South Africa said sanctions would interfere with attempts to form a national unity government. The MDC says 113 of its supporters have been killed, some 5,000 are missing and more than 200,000 have been forced from their homes since the first round of voting in March. The anarchists strongly condemn the bloody ochlarchy of the military dictatorship.

17.07.2008 - Zimbabwe faces new EU sanctions. European Union member states will agree on Tuesday to impose tougher sanctions against Zimbabwe, diplomats have said. They are set to increase the number of officials and businessmen associated with President Robert Mugabe subject to visa bans and financial sanctions. The anarchists support the sanctions.

18.07.2008 - A group of senior diplomats are to help South African President Thabo Mbeki in his efforts to solve Zimbabwe's political crisis. Envoys will be drawn from the UN, African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community (Sadc). In a statement, Mr Tsvangirai welcomed the "appointment of a reference group of eminent Africans who will work with President Mbeki and the main parties in Zimbabwe to find a peaceful negotiated solution to the Zimbabwean crisis".

21.07.2008 - President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai have signed a deal outlining a framework for talks on Zimbabwe's political crisis. It says that talks on a power-sharing arrangement should be completed within two weeks of its signing. Discussions will focus on security, and the political and economic priorities of the new government. Under the terms of the agreement, each party will be expected to do everything possible to stop all forms of political violence and refrain from making inflammatory statements.

17.10.2008 - Zimbabwe power-sharing talks fail. Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has said he has failed to agree on a new cabinet at power-sharing talks with President Robert Mugabe. After a fourth day of negotiations in the capital, Harare, Mr Tsvangirai said he and Mr Mugabe had agreed to refer the dispute to the Sadc regional group. Reuters quoted him as saying that "we have failed to agree on the allocation of ministerial positions". Earlier, the state-owned media accused the MDC leader of blocking the talks. The US meanwhile said it would consider further sanctions against Mr Mugabe and his government if the deal collapsed. The Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Jendayi Frazer, said she was not optimistic that talks aimed at breaking a deadlock on how cabinet posts should be handed out would be successful. The talks in Harare are being mediated by the former South African President, Thabo Mbeki.

30.01.2009 - Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has said his party will join a unity government with President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF next month. The deal, proposed by Southern African leaders, would see Mr Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister on 11 February. A power-sharing accord between his MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) and Zanu-PF was signed last September, but got mired in ever more bitter disputes. Zimbabwe is enduring rampant inflation and an escalating food crisis. Meanwhile the World Health Organization (WHO) says an outbreak of cholera, fuelled by the collapse of infrastructure, has now infected 60 000 people and killed more than 3 000. Donors have said they would only provide aid once a unity government is in place. Among others the anarchists and USA are a bit sceptical about the deal: "What's important here is actions and not words, and we want to see real, serious power-sharing by the Mugabe regime. So we think the jury is still out on this one."

11.02.2009 - Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe Wednesday as part of a new unity government that Zimbabweans hope will signal an end to the political and economic crises that have gripped the nation for months. Attendees applauded as Mugabe administered the oath of office to his once-bitter rival. Zimbabweans and outsiders alike are hopeful the new government will help heal the country's crippling economic crisis and eroding humanitarian situation, both seen as the worst since the once-prosperous nation gained its independence from Great Britain in 1980. A cholera epidemic has claimed close to 4,000 lives and infected about 65,000 people since August, aggravated by a lack of water treatment chemicals and a problem with waste disposal in much of the country. The United Nations says more than 5 million people are in need of food aid, in a country that has shortages of all essentials, including fuel, electricity and cash. The shortages have created a fertile environment for inflation. The country recorde