BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan — Opposition politicians demanding the nationalization of the Canadian-owned Kumtor gold mine in Kyrgyzstan have been accused of an attempted coup, prompting analysts to warn that agitators are using the controversial foreign investment to plunge the revolution-prone Central Asian republic into further instability.
"There is a fear that with all the political turmoil and economic worries in recent years that Kyrgyzstan isn't a viable county and a fear that foreigners are here to stir things up and take the wealth and resources of Kyrgyzstan," said Nick Megoran, a senior lecturer specializing in Kyrgyzstan at Newcastle University in Britain. "By picking on the Kumtor case, a nationalist party like Ata-Jurt is able to press all sorts of populist buttons."
