DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, May 24 (UPI) -- There's a space for democracy and freedom of expression in Kyrgyzstan but there are underlying concerns about discrimination, a U.N. envoy said.
Kyrgyzstan is struggling politically to evolve after ethnic violence followed a coup in 2010. The cities of Osh and Jalal Abab were the sites of violence between ethnic Uzbek and Kyrgyz communities after the coup. At least 400 people were killed in the fighting and 400,000 more were displaced.
U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Simonovic briefed reporters from neighboring Tajikistan following a four-day tour of the region.
He said he was impressed by democratic developments and the "vibrant and robust civil society" in Kyrgyzstan, but said he had lingering concerns about discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity, religion and gender.
"In my meetings I encouraged efforts to address underlying causes of potential instability, including those that triggered the violence in 2010," he said. "I emphasized that these efforts need to be anchored in full respect for human rights, justice and accountability, irrespective of the ethnicity of perpetrators."
Kyrgyz officials declared a state of emergency over parts of the country in January because Uzbek forces had blocked access to a border region near the Sokh enclave.
Uzbek authorities blamed Kyrgyz border guards for escalating the crisis, saying they fired on residents protesting the installation of electricity towers.
