Migrant riot as foreign labour hired for new railway that will transform economy

The mass brawl involved over 40 people (Image: X social media)

A major riot erupted between Kyrgyz and Chinese workers, following a road dispute between two truck drivers. The incident took place near the village of Konstantinovka in the Alamedin District of Kyrgyzstan.

The mass brawl broke out after a dispute between two truck drivers over a railway crossing. The drivers – one a Kyrgyz and the other Chinese – were working for two different companies and were transporting sand and gravel from a quarry, when they clashed. The confrontation between the two truckers soon escalated into a riot, as they were joined by their co-workers.

Police rounded up the suspects (Image: X social media)

The ensuing brawl involved some 40 people, according to local media reports.

Police later identified and arrested 44 workers, who were taken in for questioning. 16 were remanded in custody, while the rest were released without charge.

Due to labour shortages, Kyrgyzstan has recruited workers and engineers for some major infrastructure projects.

One of these is the new China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, where many Chinese are employed.

The new transport link will allow the country to earn over US$500 million annually, according to the government.

The riot was strongly condemned by the government, which claimed it was the deliberate work of provocateurs.

Daiyrbek Orunbekov - a government spokesman - said: "The incident is being actively exploited by provocateurs.

"They are spreading false information inciting ethnic hatred, claiming that 'the Chinese have flooded the country and started beating us.'

"It's important to understand: conflicts between people are part of human nature, regardless of nationality.

"Our citizens working abroad (and there are more than 1.5 million of them) also face similar domestic disputes. Don't give in to provocations."