Foreign Sec: Uzbek situation "of grave concern"

Jack Straw has called for an independent international inquiry into the reported killings of hundreds of demonstrators in Uzbekistan.

The foreign secretary criticised the "inadequacy" of a diplomats' and journalists' visit to Andijan - where many of the killings allegedly took place - organised by the Uzbek authorities.

And he called for full and immediate access to the central Asian republic for international representatives and the media so that a satisfactory inquiry can take place.

Straw wants to establish why the killings happened, how many people died and who was responsible.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's The World At One programme on Wednesday, Straw said: "It is a matter of grave international concern that these killings took place.

"The government has one version, the opposition has another. It is of crucial importance for the stability of society in Uzbekistan, as well as for the credibility of the government of Uzbekistan, that we get to the bottom of what happened."

The foreign secretary is currently in Washington where he has held talks with the US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice about the disturbances in Uzbekistan.

Opposition activists have claimed that 700 people were shot dead by government troops and security forces during protests in the towns of Andijan and Pakhtabad.

But the Uzbek government of President Islam Karimov said the number of people dead is only 169, and it blamed the disturbances on militant Islamists.

The international visit to Andijan, which was arranged  followed intense diplomatic pressure from the British ambassador in Uzbekistan, David Moran, and other EU envoys.

But Straw reported that ambassadors had tried to speak to people, but struggled to find people to speak to.

"David Moran, our ambassador, said that he and his colleagues had been very surprised that the visit suddenly, unexpectedly, ended at 12.30 when there was an extra hour-and-a-half before the plane was due to leave," Straw said.