Kyrgyz activists protest debt initiative outside World Bank office in Bishkek

6 December 2006

About 150 Kyrgyz protesters gathered around the World Bank's office in Bishkek to protest their government’s decision to take on the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC) - a World Bank and International Monetary Fund program to help poor countries by writing off part of their debt.

An important reason the protesters are against the initiative is that the conditions it places on the country strongly promote privatization. In particular, many fear the privatization of the energy sector, which would give large foreign companies control and miss the objective of truly reducing debt and poverty. The protesters threw eggs at the World Bank office and burned an effigy symbolizing the international debt relief program.

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• Kyrgyz activists protest debt relief December 6, 2006 (Associated Press website)