June 9, 2002	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 27,1423

BISHKEK, June 8: Hundreds of opposition activists in the central Asian state of Kyrgyzstan briefly held several police officers hostage as they went on hunger strike as part of a wave of rights protests, an interior ministry spokesman said on Saturday.

Several hundred supporters of convicted opposition deputy Azimbek Beknazarov went on hunger strike on Friday in the southern town of Tash Kumiru, 450 kilometres from the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, the spokesman Buzurmankulov said.

The protestors then blocked the main road between the capital Bishkek and the town of Osh, and when police arrived to break up the demonstration scuffles broke out resulting in a number of policemen being taken hostage.

The activists released the hostages and unblocked the road after several hours of negotiations with local government officials, the spokesman said.

Azimbek Beknazarov’s trial for abuse of power sparked riots in March when police in the former Soviet republic reportedly fired on the lawmaker’s supporters, killing five people.—AFP