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OO RUEHDBU
DE RUEHNT #0495 0731342
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 141342Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5333
INFO RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ALMATY IMMEDIATE 7699
RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT IMMEDIATE 1803
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK IMMEDIATE 2327
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE IMMEDIATE 2223
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE 6572
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL IMMEDIATE 1327

C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 000495 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN AND DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM ECON UZ
SUBJECT: POWER OUTAGE SPARKS ANDIJON PROTEST 
 
REF: TASHKENT 190 
 
Classified By: AMB. JON R. PURNELL, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B, D) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: Over 100 local residents protested gas and 
electric outages near the Andijon city limits on March 8. 
Reports conflict in the details, but all agree that residents 
are fed up with the frequent utility interruptions, which 
have left many with no means to cook or heat their homes. 
Protests have occurred in the past in similar circumstances. 
In this case, the power was restored soon after the two-hour 
protest, which may lead locals to believe that future 
protests could also bring about desired results at minimal 
cost.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (C) Embassy's Ferghana Valley contacts confirmed that at 
least several dozen Andijon residents, predominantly women 
and children, blocked a major thoroughfare near the city 
limits to protest residential gas and electric outages.  An 
Internet press report claimed that more than 100 people 
protested in Andijon's Northern Micro-District for over two 
hours and broke several car windows.  One Margilon-based 
human rights contact said he had been told by an associate in 
Andijon that the number of protestors may have exceeded 
1,000, and another contact said that police arrested ten to 
15 men at the scene in a series of scuffles. 
 
¶3. (C) The reported spark for the demonstration was an 
electrical power outage on March 8, which left district 
residents without any means of cooking or heating their 
homes.  According to contacts, large sections of Andijon have 
been without residential gas for much of the winter, forcing 
residents to heat their homes with electric space heaters and 
cook on electric stoves.  Reports diverge on the cause of the 
outage.  A local human rights activist said that he 
understood that an electrical pole collapsed, physically 
cutting a power line.  Another contact said that he had been 
told that the local power utility shut off the supply because 
of non-payment by residents.  After protesting for 
approximately two hours, the protestors allegedly scuffled 
with the authorities before dispersing, and electrical power 
was restored.  (Note: Reports conflict on which came first. 
End note.) 
 
¶4. (C) Comment:  If most reports are reliable in estimating 
the demonstration at around 100-150 people, this protest was 
relatively small.  This is the second such demonstration we 
have heard of in Andijon in 2006, the earlier coming in 
January, also to protest gas outages (reftel).  While both 
protests have been small and mostly consisting of women and 
children, in the current environment any public demonstration 
is significant.  Both before and since the Andijon events of 
May 2005, economic discontent has been the predominant cause 
of civil unrest.  One reason may be that such protests get 
results.  Whether the resumption of electrical power on March 
8 was due to a simple repair job or a deliberate decision by 
the local government, the protestors -- and those who get 
their news from the rumor mill -- may conclude that a future 
protest might bring about similarly positive results at 
minimal cost. 
PURNELL