B. Pipia, Briefing in the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs. June 7, 1989

Original Source: Pravda, 7 June 1989, p. 8

At a briefing yesterday In the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs, Colonel of the Internal Service B. Mikhailov, the head of the press center, gave some details on the events in Fergana Province.

About 60,000 Meskhetian Turks live in the Uzbek Republic. As is known, they were resettled there from southern Georgia in 1944 ...

As already reported, on May 23 and 24 in the city of Kuvasai immature and disoriented citizens provoked a brawl, into which hundreds of people were drawn. One person died, and more than 60 were wounded.

On June 3 in the settlement of Tashlak, about 200 hooligans staged more disturbances. They used metal objects, knives, firearms and firebombs. Many were in a state of alcoholic and drug-induced intoxication.

According to preliminary data, over 400 homes and motor vehicles were burned. A number of public buildings were vandalized. A large number of people received bodily Injuries and were hospitalized. Among them were more then 130 policemen and soldiers and officers of the internal troops. According to the latest reports, 56 people have died from the wounds they received, including 43 Meskhetian Turks, seven Uzbeks, one Tadzhik, one Russian and four others whose identity has not yet been established.

More than 9,000 Ministry of Internal Affairs troops have been sent to Fergana Province to maintain public order and normalize the situation. Over 300 participants in the disturbances have been detained ...

Source: Current Digest of the Soviet Press. Vol. XLI, No. 23 (1989), pg. 16