Villagers obstructing Chinese firm's operations in southern Kyrgyzstan
OSH. May 16 (Interfax) - People from several villages of the Chong-Alay district in Kyrgyzstan's southern Osh region are holding a rally, which is paralyzing the operations of the Chinese gold mining company Kaidi.
"We learned yesterday that our authorities had allegedly allowed them to resume operations starting from today, after which we decided to take to the streets again and resume rallies," action participants told Interfax.
The Kaidi company was banned from exporting gold ore from Kyrgyzstan after similar protests in August 2012.
The action organizers have said that rallies, each involving 500 people, are taking place on roads in the Chak and Altyn-Mazar valleys, as well as outside the district administration building.
"We have sent extra forces to the area after being alerted about villagers' plans to seize and burn down the Chinese company's assets," an Osh region police spokesman told Interfax.
Representatives of the district administration and the Chinese firm will hold negotiations with the protesters, law enforcement agencies said.
Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev said on May 14 that "the time has come to stop the practice of obstructing foreign companies' work."
