BISHKEK, May 19. /TASS/. The situation in the capital of Kyrgyzstan, where clashes broke out between local residents and foreign students in the early morning hours of May 18, is under the full control of the country’s authorities, Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubayev said.
"At present, public order is fully ensured and the situation is under the control of the competent Kyrgyz authorities," the top diplomat said, commenting on the May 18 incident in the city of Bishkek involving foreign students.
At the same time, he expressed "serious concern" about the fact that foreign media and social networks are spreading "fake and false, not corresponding to reality information about the incident and the current situation in Kyrgyzstan."
On the night of May 18, clashes broke out in Bishkek between local residents and students from Pakistan and India, leaving 29 people in need of medical attention. The conflict was sparked by a May 13 brawl between students and citizens in one of the capital's districts. According to official figures, more than 40,000 students from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are currently studying in Kyrgyz universities.
Following the incident, some 2,700 police officers and more than 1,000 vigilantes were involved in maintaining law and order in Bishkek. Four foreign nationals, as well as several Kyrgyz citizens, were detained under an article of the Kyrgyz Criminal Code ("Hooliganism").