Bishkek, Day 2

I was informed today that there will be mass actions on Wednesday, 11 April. Like us Filipinos, the Kyrgyz seem to have a penchant for holding People Power whenever they want change in government. They've had two previous People Powers-- in March 2005 and in November 2006. I won't go into the political issues, but here's what happened:

March 2005-- There were some riots in the street and looting of stores, though not widespread. Kyrgyzstan's land borders were closed and all flights were cancelled. Communication with the outside world was severly limited. Then Pres. Akaev eventually stepped down from office and was replaced by the current president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev. This episode in Kyrgyz history is called the Tulip Revolution.

November 2006-- There were no riots and no looting, and the rallies remained peaceful. Land borders with Kazakhstan and Tajikistan were closed, but Manas International Airport (FRU) remained open. Communication via the internet was difficult. Pres. Bakiyev, who was nearly booted out of office, eventually agreed to implement the constitutional changes demanded by the opposition.

Hopefully, the mass actions on Wednesday will not turn out like March 2005. My flight out of Bishkek to Dushanbe is on Saturday-- pray that flights aren't cancelled. At worst, I might have to go with the ADB and UN evacuation plane going to Kazakhstan. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.
-----
Addendum: Had an interesting sight a while ago: saw Russian NTS News crews setting up base at the hotel where I'm staying. Apparently, they're expecting Wednesday to be a big news day. Good thing my hotel is far from the city centre where the White House (yup, that's what they call the Presidential Palace in Kyrgyzstan) is located, so any disturbance there shouldn't reach us.