2010 Kyrgyz Revolution

2010 Kyrgyz Revolution
An opposition-captured vehicle burns near the capitol building during citywide protests and riots in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on 7 April 2010. Guards can be seen to the left of the smoke.
Date6–15 April 2010
(1 week and 2 days)
Location
Caused by
MethodsProtests, riots
Resulted inDemocratization of Kyrgyzstan
Parties
Lead figures
Number
~5,000 protesters
Casualties and losses
118 dead, 400 injured

The 2010 Kyrgyz Revolution, also known as the Second Kyrgyz Revolution, the Melon Revolution, the April Events (Kyrgyz: Апрель окуясы, romanized: Aprel okuyasy) or officially as the People's April Revolution, began in April 2010 with the ousting of Kyrgyz president Kurmanbek Bakiyev in the capital Bishkek. It was followed by increased ethnic tension involving Kyrgyz people and Uzbeks in the south of the country, which escalated in June 2010. The violence ultimately led to the consolidation of a new parliamentary system in Kyrgyzstan.

During the general mayhem, exiles from the Uzbek minority claim they were assaulted and driven to Uzbekistan, with some 400,000 Kyrgyzstani citizens becoming internally displaced. Victims interviewed by media and aid workers testify to mass killing, gang rape and torture. Then-head of the Interim government Roza Otunbayeva indicated that the death toll is tenfold higher than was previously reported, which brings the number of the dead to 2,000 people.